How can you write the perfect online dating profile?

Choosing to use an online dating site in a bid to find love is only the first step, as once you have done this you will be faced with the task of writing a profile that appeals to potential partners.

Amy Webb has recently written a piece for the Guardian in which she offered several tips on how to find love using the internet – and a number of those referred to the way in which a profile should be put together.

She started by advising you to keep your profile short, as long bodies of text never ended well in her experience. While longer profiles might be seen by some as a sign of intelligence, it is short and intriguing ones that prove popular.

You should not try to be funny, as it is incredibly unlikely that you will be able to pull it off in print. What you say in the pub to your friends might be funny, but when written on a dating site it almost certainly will not.

Ms Webb said one good idea is to read a profile through in its entirety after it has been finished, as this will give you a chance to hear it as though it is not your own.

Another shrewd move is to use plenty of optimistic language, which means describing yourself as 'happy' and 'fun'. The expert suggested this makes your profile seem more enjoyable and will mean people want to get to know you.

You should never be scared to market yourself, so do not just copy your profile from one dating site to the next.

Take the time to create a unique profile and choose the photographs you believe show a fair reflection of your best side. It is important to know your audience and how to appeal to them.