Want more dates? Show your face.

I'm sure you've heard the quote "a picture is worth a thousand words." Even though this quote predates the internet by at least 80 years, it is still very true with regards to online dating.

Studies have shown that an online dating profile with a photo receives much more attention than a profile with no photos. Photos make you an individual, much more than text can ever do. So including a photo of yourself will definitely help get attention and meet many more people in the long run.

Here are some quick tips to help you choose the profile photo that is right for you.

The face is definitely the most important part of a person. People tend to first notice a person's eyes, then their smile, face and their hair. So make sure that your photo is not a blurry one taken from the distance, because that is not going to attract people. It might even be worse than having no photo at all!

• Be brave and post a recent photo of yourself. Any photo that is over a year old (unless you have not changed AT ALL) is a bad idea. You'll quite possibly be disappointing someone in the future.
• Basically this works like an eBay auction. When an eBay seller is honest in his auction description about how an item really is, the buyer will know this, and be fine with the purchase. But if the eBay seller is NOT honest in his auction description, and sells the exact same item to the exact same buyer, the buyer will likely be disappointed and feel cheated.
• So that is how it works with your photos. You want people to want you for who you are, not who you were 5-10 years ago.
• Smile! Remember that this is a photo for a dating website where you want to meet people. Save those frowns and glares for your Myspace profile, your friends have already seen your smile, so you can give them whatever you want.
• Take a well lit photo. Even if you live in your parents' basement, you don't want to give that impression by a dark and dreary photo. Turn on some more lights, or go outside.
• Make sure it's a photo of YOU. Not a photo of you with 6 friends, not a photo with your ex-partner's face scratched out. That will not be attractive to someone who is looking to meet you, and you might just scare them away.
• What kind of people do you want to meet? Keep this in mind when you decide on your attire for your profile photo. Posing in nothing but your underwear will probably be good to meet some people, but definitely be a turn-off for other people. Decide ahead what your dating objectives are and base your attire on that.
• Forget text or special effects. Most dating websites won't even allow any photos that have been manipulated with colorful borders, or have some text written on them. Save those photos for Myspace.

Be brave. Upload a good photo of yourself. Worried that people won't like you for who you are? Then why do you want to even bother with them in the first place? Be honest with yourself, and soon you'll be meeting that special person who wants to spend time with you, for exactly who you are.