Unless you’re wanted by the police or a guy named Vinny for 'some unpaid debts', you should have a picture of yourself in your profile. Picture profiles get searched much more than non-picture profiles. Some may say that looks don’t count, but the reality is that people have their own way of deciding what’s important. Having spent years dating online, we’ve got the advice that you’ll need to make the most of one of the most important aspects of your profile–your face!

1) Get a digital camera–or become best friends with someone who does.

Digital cameras have come way down in price since they first came out. Having one means that you’ll be in control of the face you put forward. For example, you’ve just got your hair done and came back from the tanning salon. My, my! Don’t you look goo-ood! Take a few minutes to set up the camera and take a few quick shots of yourself while you’re looking so fine. Having access to a camera allows you to dictate how others will see you online and first impressions are essential to landing the most dating leads.

If you don’t have access to a digital camera, you can take printed pictures down to a local camera shop. Most places will scan them and give you a copy that can be used on your computer. If you’re stuck for a shot, most camera shops also shoot pictures for passports for a small fee. If you can’t do it yourself, any port in a storm, right?

2) Hey, are you busy? Take a picture!

Ask yourself how serious you are about finding the right match. If you’re really serious–serious enough to put a profile online and read the rest of this article–then you should make the effort to constantly change your picture profile. I have found the best results come when I change my profile picture once a week. People pop online at various times and are attracted to different things. Let’s face it, unless you’re a super model, you probably don’t look equally as ravishing in every single picture. Also, some pictures that you think you look great in might not look so great to someone else. People want choice – so give them many selections of you!

3) Ah, clarity!

There’s nothing worse than showing up for a date and the person you’re meeting looks nothing like the pictures you’ve seen. Avoid what could turn into a terribly embarrassing situation by posting clear, accurate pictures. Most of us aren’t happy with certain aspects of our physical appearance. Maybe you think your nose is too big, your face too wide, your hair isn’t in perfect order or your mole is a little too prominent. Forget about all of it! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the truth is we are attracted to different people and characteristics. I’d go as far as to say that you should go to extra lengths to show any imperfections. That way you’ll know that the person contacting you will want to meet you for who you are. I guarantee you’ll save time and the worry of showing up for a date and that person feeling as if they’ve been tricked into falling for someone that really isn’t who you appeared to be.

4) Got a free sec? Jump online!

It’s all about face-time! Many of the online dating sites rank searches by how recently a user logged in. Think about how long you spend looking at profiles. Do you hop on for ten minutes at work during your lunch break? Are you checking from home while the kids are doing their homework? Maybe you’ve got some spare time in the mornings while you’re waiting for your roommate to get out of the shower? If this isn’t you, I can tell you that this is certainly the case for many people. If you’re on for only a brief time, those that have logged on most recently usually show up first. Make sure to pop on whenever you can and at different times during the day to get into that spotlight that you deserve!

4) You might look cute–which one are you?

Most sites want a clear shot of your face. Some are a little less concerned, but putting that shot of you with three friends as your main picture is a bad idea. Save that for someplace you can post “other” pictures. Keep the most prominent picture, the one that people will see first, just for you!

5) Time to load up the photo album!

Most sites allow you to have one main picture and a place for some other shots. Here’s where you can have a bit of fun. Feel free to include shots of you with friends or you and George, your pet monkey–whatever you’d like. Different pictures give insight into who you are and that’s a good thing! Make sure you’re in them, though. George might be important to you, but people checking out your profile really want to see as much as they can about the person they’re looking to date. And if George turns into a big draw, maybe you can give him his own profile!

Okay, so now you’ve got a handle on everything that’s important when it comes to picking your profile picture. The next thing to do is get online and join a site, if you haven’t already. If that’s the case, check out our review section and we’ll make sure you find a site meets your needs. Now one, two three . . . say “cheese”!