Spurred on by the optimism that the New Year brings, 1 million Britons are expected to get online for a date today - the first day back in the office after the Christmas break. This time last year match.com saw a 94 per cent increase in people singing up compared to their daily average.
And now those looking for love can take note as the results of an in-depth study of more than 4,000 online daters outlines the common features of the most popular dating site users.
An outdoorsy full-length shot is best for men, while indoor body pictures get women 60% more messages
Full length shots attract 203% more attention than a cropped or face shot
A selfie will get women four per cent more messages, but men eight per cent fewer.
'One of my pet hates is men posting selfies as their profile pictures on online dating websites,' says travel writer and online dater Sarah Gordon.
'In my experience, selfies on dating sites either involve the guy snapping a quick picture of himself as he loads his profile (no effort made) or stripping off in a desperate attempt to show off his buff body while trying out a moody male model look (far too much effort made).
'I'd much rather see a picture of a nice smiling guy on a night out with friends or on holiday than one who has clearly spent too much time in front of a mirror in his bedroom. Have some selfie respect.'
'Men prefer indoor pictures of women.. the
whole mood of a home selfie is intimate and slightly private. It's
sexy! Women prefer outdoors shots of men because they're probably show
him doing something active and rugged'
But men don't mind so much when women post selfies, as it's 'more acceptable'.'When it comes to pictures, it all depends,' says online dater Kent Adams.
'For me personally a selfie on a profile gives you a brief understanding of how a person portrays themselves.
When a woman takes a selfie it's fine because it's considered the norm for them to do that - and get away with it.
'But if I plastered a profile with selfies it may come across as narcissistic or vain.'
Posing with animals or your best friends might seem cute but it actually reduces your popularity by 53 per cent and 42 per cent respectively - for both sexes.
Online dater Sarah hates it when men post selfies - it's either too much or too little effort
The new research by dating site Zoosk comes to the conclusion that while honesty really is the best policy for men, it's not such a good idea for women to talk about exes and children. They should wait to divulge details later.
Mentions of words like divorce and separate gets men 52 per cent more messages, while son or daughter gets a seven per cent boost.
For women, though, the same words get a seven per cent dip in message flow.
'I prefer it when women wait a bit before revealing too much about their past relationships or children and let us get to know them as an individual first,' says Chris Hines, who met his girlfriend on Plenty Of Fish.
'In the end it’s about you as a couple and if you find out that you're suited then the other person will probably be more accepting of the rest. Too soon though and you might not get the chance to show how awesome you are. In the end the right person will accept you for who you are, baggage and all.'
The dating site found users were more successful keeping it short and sweet.
Profiles with 100 to 200 words received 10 per cent more messages, and users with positive identifiers such as confident and outgoing, received 23 per cent more incoming messages and 4 per cent more replies to their outgoing ones.
Posing with your furry friend may seem cute but it will get you 53 per cent fewer messages
'It's encouraging when you see a profile where a man specified books, music and fitness as interests because it makes them appear well rounded,' says online dater Lauren Keith, who is currently dating someone she met on Plenty Of Fish.
'It's off-putting when a man only seems interested in going out with his mates and getting drunk. I think it also shows that they're actually thinking about what women may want to hear and putting a real effort into their profile.
'If you approach online dating with text speak the only way you're getting a reply is if you're a rushed-for-time pilot'
'Some
men seem to rely on a few attractive photos to get messages - you can
tell the ones actively seeking a relationship from those who aren't!'It has come to light that once you start messaging, emojis are not all bad. But the type of smiley you use is crucial.
While :-) sees a 13 per cent boost in messages, :) sees a crucial 66 per cent dip in replies.
Women who are more forward, using phrases like dinner, drinks or lunch in the first message get 73 per cent more replies, while men should play it cooler. Those who mention the same words in their opening message get 35 per cent fewer replies.
The use of flirty words like baby and beautiful see women's response rates rocket by 118 per cent and 50 per cent respectively. But men who do the same get 10 per cent and 13 per cent fewer replies.
Oliver's :) smiley could lose him 66 per cent message potential, but his good punctuation earns him points
'From one word "alrite"s to laughable imitations of full sentences, illiterate messages are infuriating,' says MailOnline's online dating blogger Daphne.
'Spelling mistakes I can live with, but if you approach online dating with text speak the only way you're getting a reply is if you're a rushed-for-time pilot.'
Illiteracy loses 13 per cent of replies
Is there an echo here?
Kate Taylor, resident relationship expert at match.com, said: 'It's the time of year when we vow to eat more healthily, exercise more frequently and budget better.
'As the Christmas festivities calm down and we re-evaluate our lives, it's little wonder that looking for a partner will top the list of New Year priorities for many single people.
'If you make sure you're online during the busiest time of the whole year you'll have an even better chance of meeting someone special.'
Match.com's relationship expert Kate Taylor comments
Why are outdoor photos of men likely to be more popular, but less so for women?
Men prefer indoor-selfies of women because they look pretty in them - the lighting is flattering and soft, and the whole mood of a home selfie is intimate and slightly private. It's sexy!
Women prefer outdoors shots of men because they're likely to be taken by a friend (which shows that he's social and popular), and probably show him doing something active and rugged (which we also like).
Why are profile pictures with more than one person in them a turn-off?
At match.com, we've found that people simply don't have time to study a photograph to work out which one is you! It's also far less intimate and attractive to use a group shot - always remember that the person viewing your profile will be trying to imagine themselves with you. Not you and your legions of friends. It's the online equivalent of bringing your mates along on a first date.
Why should you speak more about your own interests than what you're looking for in a partner?
Because people viewing your profile will be hoping to get a sense of your lifestyle - and how they can fit into it. They don't want to feel like an item on a supermarket shelf that you might simply pass by because it's not on your list. Describe yourself as a person - how you like to spend your time, what you love to do. That's attractive.
Why is spelling important?
Good spelling implies you're intelligent but more importantly it shows you've taken care and effort writing your profile. A hastily-written page full of abbreviations suggests you're not taking it seriously, or that it's something you flung up online while you were bored. That suggests you won't take dating seriously either. Good spelling shows that you are thoughtful and considered.
Men prefer indoor-selfies of women because they look pretty in them - the lighting is flattering and soft, and the whole mood of a home selfie is intimate and slightly private. It's sexy!
Women prefer outdoors shots of men because they're likely to be taken by a friend (which shows that he's social and popular), and probably show him doing something active and rugged (which we also like).
Why are profile pictures with more than one person in them a turn-off?
At match.com, we've found that people simply don't have time to study a photograph to work out which one is you! It's also far less intimate and attractive to use a group shot - always remember that the person viewing your profile will be trying to imagine themselves with you. Not you and your legions of friends. It's the online equivalent of bringing your mates along on a first date.
Why should you speak more about your own interests than what you're looking for in a partner?
Because people viewing your profile will be hoping to get a sense of your lifestyle - and how they can fit into it. They don't want to feel like an item on a supermarket shelf that you might simply pass by because it's not on your list. Describe yourself as a person - how you like to spend your time, what you love to do. That's attractive.
Why is spelling important?
Good spelling implies you're intelligent but more importantly it shows you've taken care and effort writing your profile. A hastily-written page full of abbreviations suggests you're not taking it seriously, or that it's something you flung up online while you were bored. That suggests you won't take dating seriously either. Good spelling shows that you are thoughtful and considered.
Six tips for a good online opener from our dating blogger Daphne
1. Keep it short. The opener should be light and easy, you don't want to give away your life story.2. Comment on something specific to the profile to stop the message from feeling too copied and pasted. But also don't comment on something too obvious, like 'The picture from New York looks nice. When were you there?' This is boring.
3. Use proper spelling/punctuation/grammar for the first message at least, then you can mimic their response. A you're/your error is glaring and a turn off.
4. Send a message that shows me you're interested in them as a person, not just looks. You can compliment in the first message. Refrain from being too blatant, but compliment something specific, i.e. 'You have stellar dress sense' is better than 'You're so beautiful'.
5. Personally, I respond to comments more than queries. Most of the time men ask the same boring questions, so it's refreshing to just get a statement.
6. Do actually send a message. I may come across as picky and judgmental, but you need to get yourself heard. Likes/views/want to meets are too passive. I'm online dating for a reason :-)
Daphne x
Kylie* and Daphne*, authors of The Online Dating Diaries blog, dissect the ups, downs and backwards ways of internet dating - and more. They are now blogging for MailOnline. Read more on The Online Dating Diaries here and via the button on the FEMAIL homepage.
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