Relationship Advice

Everybody’s different; some people hide whenever a camera is pointed at them, as it makes them feel exposed and insecure. Others, however, love nothing more than to strike a pose. Regardless of the category you fall into, posting your photo on your eHarmony profile could be the best thing you ever do.

First and foremost, eHarmony is a relationship website that focuses on matching people on the most important element – what’s inside. This is why you can only see your matches’ photos – we’re not a profile browsing website. Many studies have shown that traits such as intelligence and sociability contribute to a long-lasting, successful relationship far more than appearance.

But, photos are still useful; when it comes down to it, we’re all curious as to what our matches actually look like. When we begin to wonder about the type of person we’d like to be with, we imagine what they’d look like. The combination of your photo and ‘About Me’ profile information is the first impression you give your matches, and vice versa.

Make a good impression

A good impression is not just about one aspect of your profile. Remember that matches can see your name, photo, location, job and ‘About Me’ answers. If you are not getting the levels of communication you expect, and you’re happy with the photos you’ve put up, evaluate the rest of your profile.

Does your profile information really communication your wonderful personality? Spend a fair amount of time on this, as it’s an essential part of helping your matches decide if they want to communicate with you. Make sure you’re in a good mood when you write your ‘About Me’ answers and you’ll find that’s reflected in your profile.

Be patient

Waiting for communication from a match, or having a match closed on you can test your patience. You may conclude that your photo was not good enough – but think about it this way, would you want to become involved with someone who wasn’t interested in getting to know someone with whom they are deeply compatible, on the basis of a few photos? Online dating can be a rollercoaster ride, as you are exposing yourself emotionally. However, it can also be incredibly rewarding.

It’s a two-way street as well – if you dismiss a match because you weren’t sure about their photo then you could be missing out on the opportunity to get to know someone you’ll really click with. Read their profile thoroughly, and ask your match the questions that are important to you. You’re got nothing to lose.

Keep an open mind

It’s important to keep an open mind when communicating with your matches, and embrace the opportunity to get to know someone, whether you continue into a relationship with them or not. Over time, not only will you learn about what you want from a match, but you will also learn a lot about yourself.  And with eHarmony, you are safe in the knowledge that your communication is as anonymous as you want it to be – a factor which will also promote honesty in your responses.

The message here is simple – photos are a great way to give a profile colour, but they are by no means how you should judge anyone, or be judged.  You are matched on the deepest levels of compatibility, which is what sets us apart from other online dating sites. Start communication and see what happens – you never know, your next match could be the love of your life.