Aside from your profile header, one of the things that immediately catch people’s attention is your profile photo. Several studies have shown that in the world of online dating, the people who get the least profile views are those who do not bother to put a face behind the witty profile header. While personality and profile content are definitely important, it’s an innate human quality to initially operate on a visual level. So if your profile photo is a bit disconcerting, even the most amazingly written profile may not be able to make the users stay on your page long enough to actually read your profile. To avoid falling into this trap, below are some considerations to take into when choosing your dating profile photo:
It should show how your face looks like TODAY.
Those sunglasses may make you look like a splitting image of Audrey Hepburn, but this won’t be an effective way of giving users an idea of how you really look like. You know how some people place a premium on how your eyes look and seemingly pierce into theirs? Well, you’re immediately eliminating that market if you use a profile photo that doesn’t even show your pretty blues or hazy grays.
Also, make sure the pictures you post show how you look like in this day and age. Some people post pictures taken years ago when they were leaner, slimmer, or had faces devoid of acne. Doing so may prove to be effective in getting people to view your page, but you might only end up disappointing them when you meet up and they see that your profile photo only slightly resembles your actual appearance.
Half-nakedness (almost) always translates to poor taste.
There is only one way that posting a half-naked picture of you would work to your advantage, and that’s if you’re looking for a one-night stand or a casual sex partner. This applies not just to men who show off their six-packs (or lack thereof), but also to women who take pictures of themselves while wearing sexy lingerie. For the ladies, doing so may cause you to have a hard time finding a partner who can look beyond your curves and assets, and appreciate you for being the beautiful person you are.
And as for the men, ladies will know you worked mighty hard on achieving those lean-cut six-packs. But if you want to be seen as the fun and laid back boy next door (as compared to gym-going buffster), you might want to keep your shirt on for the meantime. Besides, women have a way of gauging men’s body size even with their shirts on. So, you don’t need to worry that all those hours you spent on the gym will go unnoticed in the dating website.