Posted on 5/26/2013

Written by Dawoon Kang

As a founder of online dating site Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB), I spend a lot of time on the Internet looking through dating profiles.  One of the most common misconceptions about online dating I’ve noticed is the notion that somehow online dating is different from offline dating.

Guess what? It works just the same way! I tell CMB members to approach our site as if they’re going out to a nice dinner party where they’ll meet a bunch of new people, one of whom could turn out to be that special someone.

What do you do before going to a party? You put on your nice, black dress, wear pumps, put on makeup or do whatever you need to do to look your best. When you get there you engage in a conversation that lets your personality come through. No one wants to talk to someone who shows up with messy hair & sweat pants and talks about generic things.

Online dating is no different. Put in the time to present yourself nicely to the people you are about to meet. Remember that you are meeting them for the very first time and this will be their first impression of you. Pick out your best photos and put in the time to show off your charming personality. The time you put in will pay off.

With that, here are the 5 most common mistakes I see in online dating:

5) Group photos, blurry photos or photos with sunglasses and hats!

You know what people think when they see these? “I have no idea who that girl is.” “Is she trying to hide something?” “She must not be comfortable with how she looks.” PASS.

4) Photos of your face only

Yes, it is important to have at least one clear face-only shot of yourself. But it’s also important to show people your interests,  and pictures are a perfect way to do this. Include a photo of yourself hiking, playing with pets, skydiving etc. We all want to get to know people with interesting hobbies.

3) Pictures are worth 1,000 words but sometimes, so are words

One of the top 3 reasons CMB members PASS is due to “a lack of information”. A unique profile that really shows your personality can do wonders. For example,  who would you rather meet, someone who wrote: “I am… likely to make a bad pun that you secretly think is hilarious” or someone who wrote this: “I am… generally happy”

2) Too much information

We all have our quirky & weird side and yes, we all want someone who appreciates us for who we are, but that doesn’t mean you should put it ALL in your profile. Remember, your profile is the first and only thing your date will see until you meet. So, before writing that you like to collect bird skulls, ask yourself: “Would this really be the first thing out of my mouth in person?” If the answer is no, don’t include it in your profile. You’ll have plenty of chances to show off every little side of you after you get to know each other.

1) Meet in person. There are no excuses

Chemistry is a complicated thing. If you think there is at least a 50% chance you might like a guy, just set up a quick coffee. Meet. See the real person behind the photos & descriptions. Another tip: Meet within 3 days from the time you started talking, otherwise you’ll lose momentum and things’ll just fizzle away. It’s amazing how many people actually don’t end up meeting even after they connect, mostly because of lost momentum. So, bite the bullet and strike while the iron’s hot! Otherwise “the one” might end up becoming “the one that got away.”

This is one of Dawoon’s actual profile pictures on Coffee Meets Bagel! We think she chose a winner.

Meet Dawoon

Co-founder of Coffee Meets Bagel

After wandering around for years trying to find her passion, Dawoon is happy to be finally working on a matter close to her heart, with and for people she loves! Prior to CMB, she lived & worked in Korea, Japan, New York, India and Hong Kong. She assumed a variety of roles that spanned from strategy, business development, marketing, and research to investing/finance. She is a proud graduate of Stanford Graduate School of Business and an active member of Coffee Meets Bagel!

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