We all need to reevaluate our online dating profiles. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first or 51st draft, they can always use a bit of a retool or, at the very least, a fresh coat of paint! Every aspect of your profile is important. Generally, people look at the picture first and then what it is you’ve written. Every sentence is a statement about who you are and the type of person you're looking for. Your name, your headline and that really supposedly insignificant sentence four lines in are all part of how you will be perceived. The more attention you pay to each part, the more people--and better quality of people--you will connect with.

Make no mistakes when it comes to spelling. It never ceases to amaze me how many people put up profiles without checking spelling first. Here’s how you need to look at it: someone who can’t spell might not care when they stumble across spelling errors in your profile, but anyone who can certainly will. Why? It says something about you. It says you’re not educated enough to know how to spell and you’re too lazy to work at making your profile better. Sure, online dating is about letting the real you shine through. I’m not here to teach you how to dupe others into believing you are something you’re not, but your profile should be perfect if you want to attract and keep the most attention you can. If you don’t have a word processing program to help you through the process, type “spelling checker” into Google and you’ll have a bunch that pop up that you can use for free. Make no mistakes when it comes to spelling if more emails in your inbox seem like a good thing.

The tone you set is also important. In case you didn’t get the memo, nobody wants to date a sad story. Whatever you say should be phrased in a positive way. Saying “I don’t like liars” is much more effective written like “I like people who are truthful.” Don’t say, “I’m not interested in dating people with kids.” Instead, write, “I’m looking for someone who doesn’t have kids.” These may be subtle points, but keeping away from the negative will attract healthier, happier individuals.

Now that we’ve got the voice and spelling out of the way, it’s time to look at some examples of how you might be perceived. I won’t mention spelling, punctuation or capitalization as it’s pretty clear that any mistakes are unacceptable. Instead, we'll look at real profile titles that I've pulled off sites. All titles will be printed exactly as they appear. Feel free to leave comments below.

“I'll be the peppermint schnapps, you be the irish cream”
This sounds like an interesting combo . . . not sure what she’s looking for, but whatever it is, I’m buying!

“art,music,literture, and passion. my life”
It’s straight to the core of who he’s supposed to be and really simple. For some reason, I like it! Yet if he’s such an artsy, literate guy, how come he can’t spell, punctuate properly or form complete sentences? (I know I said I wasn’t going to mention those points, but I couldn’t resist here!)

“can you keep up with me?”
This one is a bit of a snore. It does give the impression she’s active and there is a call to action with the question, but I think she could have tried to jazz it up a bit. Maybe she could have mentioned what she wanted someone to keep up with her in. Is it her study habbits? Rollerblading? Wild partying? The bedroom?

"Waking Up With You?"
This one is profile-dependent. It’s from a guy, and it might be enough to get a girl to take a peek, but that had better be the only mention of sex if you really expect a lot of responses.

“Im Single!”
From what I’ve heard from many women, there’re plenty of reasons a 48-year-old guy needs to mention that he’s single when on a dating site. Still, it’s a little too simple to leave a lasting impression in my books. If you have something to say, say it! If you don’t, then make something up!!

“i bet u 5 bucks i can kick ur butt :P”
I liked this one! It’s fresh and daring and that makes for a great headline.

“Huggable teddy bear out here all alone”
I’m on the fence with this one. It seems to say I’m round and furry and a little bit lonely. I guess there are certain people attracted to this type of guy and I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with coming across like that. Let’s just hope this was the image he was trying to convey!

Again, theses are just some thoughts on people’s headlines to help get you thinking about your own. It doesn’t matter what I think of them. What matters is what you think of them and what it is you’re trying to get across with your profile. As long as you put the effort in, you should see the results. If you’re not getting the responses you’d like, it is really easy to slap on a fresh coat of paint. Make sure you do it regularly if you're serious about finding love online!