Times are changing and online dating is becoming a more and more popular way of finding a partner. There are so many lucky people whom the Internet has helped to meet the love of their life, that online dating hardly needs additional publicity. Online dating, like everything in life, has its tricks and traps and in order to be successful when dating online, you need to know the things that are important, and the things to avoid.

Creating your online profile is a crucial step in online dating because your profile is YOU. People judge about you based on what is included in your profile and if your profile is not written properly, people will not be attracted to you, thus significantly limiting your choice of possible partners.

In a way, the preparation of your profile is similar to the preparation for a job interview. When you prepare for a job interview, you are usually thinking in terms of having the job not for a couple of months only, but for years. The same applies to a relationship ~ when you start a new relationship, you hope it will last for years.

Sometimes people do not pay enough attention to preparing and fine-tuning their profile. This attitude is common: "I am what I am, and I am not going to change just to make you like me!" Well, this is a wrong concept about your profile because your profile simply describes your best qualities and does not require changes in you personality or appearance. What is more ~ do not lie in your profile, because it will hardly do you a favor.

Pictures usually are included in the profile. But if you are concerned about your privacy, you may choose to skip the picture in the profile and send it later instead. This way your picture will not be visible for the whole world, but the people you have already established a contact with will have it.

Since you are not the first who is facing the challenge of writing a profile, you may wonder if there are any typical mistakes which people commonly make. Indeed there are! And knowing about them in advance will make it easy for you to avoid them.

One of the typical mistakes in writing a profile is that one is too modest. Modesty is nice and you are not supposed to be a braggart (which is also a common mistake in writing a profile) but it is you and nobody else who must say the facts about you.

Another typical mistake is the "hackneyed pitfall" - using clich~s in your profile. Since everybody is unique, even if your profile is not unique in the whole world, it must in any case be distinctive. Your profile should be original and in any case describe something you definitely have - your endearing qualities.

Even if one is not a bore in real life, his or her profile could be boring. This is also a common mistake and usually comes from indulging in too much detail, which makes the profile more difficult to read. Vagueness is also a pitfall you should try to avoid.

More information about how to create the perfect online profile -- and the other four steps in online dating -- at Guide to Online Dating. Frances T Mathieson is the owner of FTM Dating.