Theres no shortage of advice for people starting to prepare their online dating profile, or for those whose profiles havent yet produced results. However, the most important advice is in these top five tips:

1) Research

Before you write and post your profile, check out the competition. The last thing you want is for your headline to be exactly the same as four other people, or for your user name to be too close to others. Spend some time browsing the profiles look at what catches your interest and what doesnt. Then use that information to create a profile that will stand out from the crowd.

2) Clear and concise

Dont ramble. Remember that the people who read your profile are browsing and theyll just click away if you dont grab their attention and tell them what they want to know. Keep it short and sweet, making sure that youve included all the relevant information.

3) Say what you do, not what youre like

Dont write a string of words describing your qualities. This isnt a CV, its a personal profile. Make it personal by saying what you actually like to do and how you spend your time. Ditch the jargon, use plain English and say what you mean. Trying to look clever by using long words or complicated descriptions doesnt get responses.

4) Update

Keep updating your profile. When youve done something new or exciting, say so. This not only widens the audience for your profile, by shows readers that you are still using the site and still interested in hearing from them.

5) Photographs

Posting a photo is expected on todays online dating sites. On some sites, its possible to post more than one photo, but whatever the restrictions, make sure that you choose a really good photo. Ideally, it should just be of you on your own, not you with family and friends and if you can, choose a photo that illustrates you doing something you really like. Keep it recent and decent and it can go a long way to improving your chances of some genuine responses.