If you're a single pringle whose ready to mingle then listen up because we have got some top tips for your Hinge, Tinder and Bumble profiles.
If you're anything like us, you'll think of online dating as a necessary evil - a bit of a pain but worth it if you manage to land yourself a plus one for that upcoming wedding.
To make life a bit easier for you daters out there, we've taken the biggest turn-offs (and turn-ons) from a recent Car Phone Warehouse survey that sampled from just over 1,000 swipers and likers in the UK.
The Bio
Does anyone actually enjoy writing a bio? Apparently not, otherwise we would see more than '6'0 - apparently, that's important on here' or 'swipe left if you're not going to talk' in our potential soul mate's profile.
As it turns out, it's not too tricky at all, as most of us just want is a bit of laugh. Over half (51%) of those surveyed say it’s a turn on to see people making a joke or being sarcastic in their bio.
However, it's important to note that while over 3 in 5 (63%)* 16-24-year olds consider seeing sarcasm on profile bios a turn on, only one in ten (10%)* people 55 or over feel the same.
To cover all bases, dating expert James Preece recommends keeping the vibe upbeat and positive to make your potential match feel at ease. "End your bio with a call to action. Invite them to get in touch and tell them what they need to do to make a meeting happen."
The Photo
"Please include a photo!" say over 90% of dater surveyed (93%, to be precise)*. But pick your pics carefully. As James points out, "You could have 99 amazing photos, but if there's a red flag in number 100, it’ll put people off."
No one wants to see a photo where your lovely face is hidden. We know it's not nice to have a dating process that puts so much emphasis on looks but, as the Love Islanders say, it is what it is.
And while we're at it, don't go covering your face up with an over the top filter (we're talking flower crown and dog tongue) and perhaps drop the pout (87% find both factors a turn off).
You might not want to have an attractive member of the same sex in your photo either – 85% of online daters say they’d find it a turn off (possibly because they can’t work out which one is you!). That could also be why a photo with another person (78%) and a group photo (68%) are unpopular choices too.
The gallery
Choosing a selection of photos for your dating app is no easy task but, if you put the time in, it could pay off. Group photos, gym selfies, golden hour snaps, and drink boomerangs are all popular choices - but which ones are a turn-on and which are a turn-off?
According to the survey, both men (86%)* and women (86%)* would love to eye up their potential match from head to toe – so a full-length photo is a must. The same goes for photos with pets and travel or holiday photos.
3 in 5 (62%)* male daters say a revealing photo (within reason, we hope!) will catch their eye. Gay, lesbian and bisexual daters agree – more so than other sexualities – with over half (55%)* of them citing this type of photo as a turn on.
Are kids in the picture?
Children are important to female daters, with over 3 in 10 (34%)* saying they’d like to see a photo of you with your kids if you have them.
"If you have children, embrace it," advises James, "and mention them in your profile. Not everyone will want to date a single parent so save time by filtering them out early. Just hide [your children’s] faces to protect their privacy."
You got a match! Now what?
Congratulations! You followed the advice in our findings and got yourself a match. But, how do you set up a face-to-face meet? Slide into their DMs with a short and friendly message, says James.
"Don’t just say ‘hi’ or ask how they are. Popular daters will be so inundated with low-effort openers that it will be almost invisible to them." So, how can you knock their socks off?
- Ask a question about their profile to show you’ve read it.
- Ask about something interesting in their photos.
- It’s fine to be a bit cheeky and show your sense of humour – but don’t be rude!
Living your best life?
Coming up as the most unattractive quality in a prospective date was smoking, with over 2 in 5 (43%) voting it as a top no-go.
Other undesirable qualities include drinking more than the average person (38%), being obsessed with the gym (38%) and being prudish (33%). Edging into the 30 percents is being vegan, with 3 in 10 online daters citing it is an unattractive quality in a prospective date.
*All asterisked statistics exclude respondents who answered 'I don't care either way’ or 'prefer not to say’. You can check out the full report of results here.
