Online Dating Checklist

You have signed up to an online dating website and are keen to get going. Now what?

Fill in your basic details honestly!

It may be tempting to adjust certain personal details such as your age (because you’ve been told that you don’t look your age), but it lying will be a waste of time for you and for others in the long run. People will be put off by your dishonesty and they will be disappointed that you don’t really fit their expected criteria.

Tick all the boxes

Once you have filled in your basic details, you will be asked to tick options about your hobbies, interests, work and background. Technically, you can skip this stage, but it will harm your chances of meeting a compatible match if you do so.

These boxes allow people to search for specific details about someone, for example, if they enjoy spending their holidays in far flung places enjoying sea fishing, they might search for someone who shares their interest. Or, someone who struggles to make beans on toast without burning the beans to the pan might wish to search for someone who counts cooking as one of their hobbies.

Add an honest photo

Your Main Photo is your opportunity to show people what you really look like, so please use a photo that clearly shows your face. Avoid any photo where you are a long way from the camera, where you are hidden in a shadow, or any arty close-ups of one eye.

Tell your own story

Use your profile text to let people know about what makes you unique and what you are looking for in a potential match.

Try to avoid ‘fluffy’ and cliché phrases like ‘I like going out and staying in’ and tell people what type of things you like to do when you go out and what you enjoy doing when you stay in. For example, what’s your go-to album when you are chilling out? Or, what is your favourite TV or radio show at the moment?