“I’ll tell you later.”
This says absolutely nothing about you, apart from either you can’t be bothered to complete your profile, or you’ve nothing to say and are hoping your photo will be sufficient to attract interest. In some cases, people are in a rush and genuinely don’t have time to update this section, but many people only view recently updated profiles and you risk missing your chance to impress during this important first stage. Update the description section as soon as possible, preferably when you create your account.
“My real age is actually….”
Always put your real age in the age section. If you put a false age in the age section and then mention your actual age in the description, those reading your profile will see that you’ve lied. You may not see this as a big lie, but others will wonder what else you aren’t being honest about and you won’t gain trust from anyone.
“I’m very fussy.”
Never let on that you’re fussy when it comes to finding a partner, even if you are. You’ll instantly put people off who will feel they won’t meet your standards. There’s nothing wrong with knowing what you want, but by being blunt and saying you’re fussy or picky isn’t the way to do it.
“I’m looking for a friend.”
Most people on dating sites are looking for people to date, not a friend. Many friendships are created as a result of online dating, but it isn’t something that initially attracts other members. You’re limiting your chances of a response if you mention you’re looking for a friend when actually you’re looking for someone to date.
“I want someone who will spoil me and buy me nice things.”
This just shouts out gold digger. This really won’t do you any favours. You may not mean it in a selfish way, as couples often spoil each other and buy each other gifts anyway, but seeing it written down makes it look like you could be interested in solely in their money.
Lists
Lists are very impersonal. Whether your lists are positive or negative, they don’t really say much about the type of person you are. The style in which you write can say something about your personality. However, if you must make a list, make sure you list positive points.
“I’d like to get married and kids.”
This will instantly scare off many potential partners. You might mean it much further down the line, so make sure it doesn’t sound like it’s something you’re looking for immediately. You could mention that family is very important to you and you hope to find the right person to make it happen one day. This will imply you’re looking for a serious relationship as opposed to any relationship just to enable you to get married and have children.
“I was a member before and now I’m back.”
There’s no reason to mention this. You’ll only get people wondering what happened, why you left and why you’re back, instead of paying attention to the rest of your profile.
Rules
Having rules about what your partner should or shouldn’t be like, have or do, are not ways to attract someone. You might have your personal criteria, but displaying formal rules for a future partner is not the way to go.
“This is my last resort.”
Telling everyone that online dating is your last resort and you’ve had no success ‘dating in the real world’ won’t really make people want to read your profile. You’re basically saying you’ve given up finding a partner, plus you’ll get others to wonder why online dating is your last resort and they’ll assume you’re not worth contacting.