Your Personal Ad Profile is your "first chance to make a good impression". This is where the girls will come to check ya out if your personal ad peeks the interest. More on the personal ad in a bit. Most singles might consider your profile to be reflective of your personality. Probably should keep that in mind, eh? It's crucial that you spend time on your profile and not make it generic like the millions of personal ads that have no chance of ever being contacted. Hot tips when it comes to enticing singles to investigate further?

Humor - Honesty - Mystery - Humor

Your dating profile should be simple yet witty, honest, precise and to the point. NO NOVELS! It should also be visually stimulating and somewhat of an open book. You want to leave them wishing to know more, and with a grin on the face. Those single chicks get tons of responses, if you don't stand out, you'll be dead in the water. The second humor above is not a mistake.

If you're going to invest time or money in using a matchmaking website, you should really pay some attention to writing a profile that will get you some responses. Take days if need be. Females will not be interested in emailing you if you do not do something to make yourself stand out from the masses of men using personal ads to find romance.

We own and administer almost 200 dating websites. Guys frequently email, "I never get any replies to my ad." I go look at the and find that the profile typically reads something to the effect of; "SWM looking for my soulmate for walks on the beach, dining out and cuddling. Email me for details." And here's the kicker, they think the ad kicks ass! Hm, tells me they don't know how women think. Can't be bothered to write a full paragraph to find the love of your life? Or even a fun date for the weekend? Perhaps a pooch might be in order. You ain't getting laid any time soon.

Observe and Study to Know your Competition

Among the best of all dating tips for men that I've ever heard is the universal principle of knowing who your competition is. In business, knowing and understanding your competition will ensure that you're always at the cutting edge of your industry.

In online dating, you should be aware of your competitors and see what they have to offer. There is no harm in reading the profiles of other guys, remember you're not there to date them, you're there to get more dates THAN them. While you should never steal someone else's thunder by plagiarizing their profile, I would recommend reviewing them for style cues and other tips on what a good profile should look and sound like. Additionally, check out the photos of other guys and look for trends. If it looks like other guys have only included pictures with their group of drinking buddies, include a similar picture but make sure to one-up them with a great picture of you involved in a unique activity.

First set of DOs and DON'Ts for online dating success:

Yes, Do, Ok, Good

1. Do spend time to express your thoughts, feelings and desires.
2. Do define what it is that you are looking for, and perhaps why.
3. Do express your hobbies, passions and interests.
4. Do add unique details that encompass who yo are. What makes you different!
5. Do protect your identity until you feel comfortable sharing.
6. Do use all the resources available at within this site.
7. Do use pictures that highlight your best features.

No, Don't, Not, Bad

1. Don't dwell in the past. Save other online dating stories for your third or fourth date.
2. Don't focus on what you don't want.
3. Don't lie. As simple as this sounds, the truth will come out eventually.
4. Don't play the blame game. Responsibility is attractive to chicks.
5. Don't give personally identifiable information in your profile.
6. Don't post pictures of you in a group.
7. Don't speak negatively about yourself or others.
8. Don't brag, the only people that care is you.

Common Sense Safety Tip Online dating can lead to off-line friendship, love and even marriage. Exchanging written correspondence, is a great way to build loving, trusting relationships. However, you could expose yourself to the risk of physical harm if you proceed without caution. You wouldn't give a stranger on the street your name, address and telephone number.. don't do it on-line! Protect yourself with the following common sense guidelines, and enjoy the start of what might become a very beautiful friendship. You might be a macho man, but the whackos out there don't care. It's the whackos you'd never see coming that you're being cautious about not revealing to much.

Remain Somewhat Anonymous for as Long as Possible
Don't give anyone online your real e-mail address, last name, phone number, address or place of work during your early correspondence. Stop communicating with anyone who tries to pressure you into giving this information. Check with your ISP server and make sure that your Online Profile does not give out more personal information than you are comfortable with.

Online Dating in a medium where faith in a potential partner is being put at an all-time high risk, it is important to know if you're stepping blindly. There's plenty of street savvy women that would love to part you with some cash. If you're considering an online dating, or are currently in one, there are a few things you should be prepared to look out for. While each situation is unique, and it is important to go by your instinct, the following list should help you spot any red flags you might encounter.

MAKE SURE AND DO:

Write in advance. This lets you think about what you want to say about yourself and, more importantly, check your spelling and grammar. Have a friend read and react to your draft message.

Spellcheck. Yes, this counts. It shows that you are serious about finding dates and willing to pay attention to details. Some people are just natural bad spellers, but it can make you look less smart or less educated than you really are. Most websites do not offer spellchecking of profiles.

Personalize! We recommend writing a general template of a first message, but you have to personalize it for each person you contact. Mention something from their profile, ask a question that refers to something they wrote, or describe how you would be a good match for them. Mention what attracted your attention to their ad. No one wants to think they just received a form letter.

Write more than one line. "Liked your profile... want to chat?" This may be the most commonly-sent message on a dating website... and the most ignored.

You need to say something else. Set yourself apart and say something interesting to get a reply.

Use humor. If someone with a great personal ad is receiving lots of replies... what will make yours stand out? A funny line might help. But if you have noticed that people do not respond well to your brand of humor... save your jokes for later.

Keep track of whom you've contacted. Don't write a series of letters to someone who has not responded... you'll look desperate or like a stalker.

MAKE SURE AND DON'T:

Don't demand personal info immediately. Certainly not if you have failed to offered any details yourself. Go for a balance between talking about yourself and asking about them.

Don't open with your last failed relationship. Sure, you have a dating history. But talking about "game players, liars, and cheats" makes you sound a little bitter. Don't sound like you are obsessed with past partners... or that you think everyone will hurt you.

Don't open with sex. "Hi. You look sexy." Unless the person's ad specifically says they only want a casual sexual relationship, it can easily sound vulgar and rude.

Women, in particular, typically delete those messages. When men get letters like that, they often expect a link to a porn site to follow. Even on a website that focuses on "adult activities," you need to do more than describe your body or fantasies.

Don't write a novel. Sending out your life story as a first contact is going to look odd. You need to write enough to sound like you have a life, not a book you'd like to publish.

Don't open with "I hate online dating." It is amazing how many people open a note with a line that condemns online dating sites and the people that use them.

You are talking to someone that uses a dating website! Do you really want to immediately imply that they are desperate, dumb, or dangerous?

Don't ask for a phone number, address, or last name before you have even gotten a reply from someone. You may be mistaken for a serial killer or a telemarketer.

Go slowly in asking for that sort of information; you don't want to scare off prospective dates.