Writing a personal ad, is probably one of the hardest things to do. You usually have a limited number of words to describe yourself, so take your time and think about what you, (if you were looking at your profile) would like to read. Be short and to the point, but don’t just put a ten worded description. One of the main complaints when guys used to write to me was, they had never had anyone respond to them. After looking at their profile, all of "looking to get l**d" and a photo of their anatomy, who would blame any right minded female. The same goes for the ladies. Offensive language and XXX photos are only going to attract the wrong kind of attention but if that’s what you’re looking for, then there are sites out there for you.

Headline

This is the first thing people will see. Having a headline that stands out will attract more people to your profile. It must catch someone’s eye above all the rest. There are a lot of lonely men and women out there looking for the right person and obviously there are the ones just looking to have a good time, so by having a headline that lets people know what you are looking for, will steer them towards your profile.

Don’t give out personal details

Although most of the dating sites warn you about giving out personal details, we cannot emphasize enough that this is probably the most important piece of information you will be given. I know this may seem fairly logical but having been with dating sites for a number of years, you would be surprised the number of men who, on their initial contact wrote to me giving me their telephone number or worse still their surname and where they worked. Although this was flattering, they really didn’t know a thing about me. Remember the Internet gives you total anonymity but it works both ways. You should be sure about who you are corresponding with before you give out any personal information.

Add a photo

This has to be one of the most important additions to your profile. Most sites will allow between 3-8 photos, ranging from just a picture of your face to full XXX photos. As you will see I am in the process of adding to each review a rating that will signify what kind of photos can be uploaded. It is a true statistic that profiles with photos will receive 8 times more responses than ones without. Wherever possible, try to upload more than one. This will give people more of an idea who they are writing to.

Please don’t try to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes, by putting up a picture of your 6"0 tanned friend with big biceps, or your long legged blond friend with a 20" waist. This will only lead to problems.

Be honest

Complete your profile in full

Most sites expect you to fill in a profile. Normally the first step entails answering basic questions, which you answer by using a drop down list. The second part involves you writing about yourself. By filling in every question on your profile, people will have a better knowledge of your likes and dislikes and will probably be less tempted to look elsewhere. Try not to use the answer "ask me" or "I’ll tell you later" unless it is something really personal. I’ve seen the question "What color of eyes do you have"? and they’ve written "ask me". I can guarantee, no one will ask them. It takes no time to fill in a question like that especially as the choices are already available for you.

Turning people off is the exact opposite of what you are trying to achieve so refrain from writing any cheesy puns or anything people might find offensive. People won't look at anything else on your profile and it’ll be a waste of time you joining the dating service. The most successful profiles are the ones that are polite, friendly, welcoming and funny so aim for that and you won't go far wrong. Refrain from using BLOCK CAPITALS. This I’m sure most people understand but just incase, use of capital letters on the internet means you are shouting at them.

When you’re filling in the criteria for your potential partner be careful. We all want Mr. Right and Ms. Right. Don’t be too specific because you may be looking for someone who doesn’t exist and it’s also not fair to the other singles to completely rule them all out without giving them a chance. Specify whom you want, but to a certain degree, keep your options open. As well as doing this for your possible partners do it for yourself as well. Don’t block yourself out of a date by telling everyone absolutely everything about yourself. By using today’s fantastic technology make sure your profile is grammatically correct, spelt correctly and most importantly makes sense. I know in the internet/e-mail world there are a lot of abbreviations but there are still many people out there who haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about.

Finally, be positive. I know there are many people who have had bad experiences with relationships but there is nothing more off-putting than a "you won't let anyone treat you the way your ex did". Try to think with an open mind because there is a whole new world waiting out there just for you.

Take a look at other profiles

If you’re still having trouble writing a decent profile then take a look at other profiles on the website.

Don’t copy anyone else’s but you might get a few ideas to help you along.

Re-read your profile when you’re finished and change anything you think needs altering. It is also a good idea to get a friend of the opposite sex to look at it to make sure you don’t appear desperate. Keep your profile up to date and make sure you keep visiting the site to show that you are still around.

Remember you’re probably not going to find your perfect partner over night so keep plugging and keep contacting people who you consider to be a match and you will find the one for you. There really are plenty of fish in the sea

 Writing or replying to ads.

1 Don’t forget to add your first name (unless you wish to remain anonymous) and if you know their name, don’t forget to include it.

2 Write more than a few words. "Hi" doesn’t really inspire anyone to respond to you.

3 Be polite. Don’t write anything abusive. Yes, I understand he/she may like that but wouldn’t it better to wait and find out?