My friend Joan came to me last month very discouraged after trying three different Christian dating websites. Although she had a number of views and several contacts, she just was not getting much interest. This puzzled me, because she is truly great looking, intelligent, a strong Christian, and has a successful career. How could men NOT be interested in someone like Joan? I asked her to show me her profiles, and after editing them and utilizing some of the secrets to a great dating profile, she had more contacts and interest than she could handle.

Do YOU need help getting more online dating leads? Does your online profile need to be revamped? Here are a few tips to make your profile not just good, but great!

1. Post photos. There is nothing worse than clicking on someone's profile and not knowing what they look like. It really is not fair to either party. And when you do post photos, make them realistic. Obviously, not photos of you when you first get up in the morning, but not "edited" glamour shots either. Just nice pictures of you looking your best.

2. Be yourself--be fun! When you describe yourself, stay away from the standard boring "young woman seeking friendship, and possibly more". Really tell people who you are. If you're a morning coffee person, tell them about your Starbucks cravings. If you like to jog, describe one of your afternoon runs through the park. If you like working with children, describe your responsibilities in your children's ministry at church. If you like to write poetry, post one of your shorter poems. In other words, let your personality shine through.

3. Don't scare potential interested parties with your profile. Yes, marriage can be your ultimate goal, but you don't have to say : "hope to meet man for immediate marriage relationship." Or you may love children and want them, and it's fine to indicate that in your profile. But you might not want to say "man seeking young woman to keep house and have his children--hopefully many of them." Granted, these are exaggerations, but you get the point! Be honest, but not scary!

Finally, talk to other people who have successfully met someone online, and get their opinions of your profile. There is strength in advice. Check out great websites like www.christian-online-dating-guide.com for even more advice! Remember, your profile is only as good as you make it--make it great and get more dates!