Here’s What You Should Put On Your Dating App Profile To Make A Guy Swipe Right

On dating apps, it all comes down to one critical moment: the swipe.

Think about it. A single stroke of the thumb, whether left or right, could result in either a lifetime of happiness with a soulmate or an eternity of loneliness with cats.

JK, I think independence is fierce and that cat ladies are a stereotype propagated by the patriarchy.

Still, when I think about the men I've dated from these apps, I'm a little mind blown that I might never have met them had I simply flicked my finger in the other direction.

What if I had gotten distracted by my split ends and swiped left on the guy who got me over my ex? What if I was speed-swiping and skipped right over the hipster who brought me to all of those cool concerts?

Even worse, what if these men hadn't swiped right on me?

Luckily, there is one thing you have absolute control over when using a dating app: your profile.

I'm not suggesting you pull a "Cady Heron" and make yourself over inauthentically just to fit what you think guys are looking for. The biggest lesson I've learned in dating is that it really is important to be yourself and find someone who truly gets you.

That being said, it's hard to show the real you in the few seconds he's eyeing your profile. A good first impression goes a long way.

Lucky for you, Elite Daily spoke with a few experts to get tips on what will appeal to men and make 'em swipe right on your dating profile.

You want your profile to be like a nice, firm handshake... with some personality.

Make sure your first photo is the best photo. 

It's easy to get in your head when setting up a dating profile, but I'm going to stop you before you overthink too much.

It might sound vaguely depressing, but here's the truth: Men are visual creatures. If you notice, guys still send d*ck pics and can't understand why women don't welcome them.

Meredith Golden, matchmaker and founder of SpoonMeetSpoon, told me the biggest difference that she sees between gender and swiping is that "men focus solely on the first picture".

Remember, we're not aiming to stick with a shallow guy who really only cares about looks. We're just trying to maximize our matches and go from there.

If we're talking about getting that right swipe, a great picture is the way to do it.

Show some teeth and look happy.

My literal least favorite thing in the world is when someone tells me to "smile." I dig my cynical personality and sass is my middle name.

That being said, I usually do smile upon introducing myself to someone for the first time. How you present yourself on dating apps should be no different.

According to Golden, "a winning profile picture should convey joy and happiness. No one ever says, 'Gee, I want my soulmate to be a curmudgeon.'"

Even this makes sense to me, snarky personality and all.

Golden added,

A smiling picture -- plain and simple -- happiness attracts happiness. A single girl doesn't need to be a supermodel to get a guy's attention. You'd be surprised at how well a genuine smile will work in your favor.

Your happy face will go on to get the attention of other happy faces out there... it's as simple as that.

Be open and honest with how you represent yourself.

I'm not saying you have to somehow convey that your favorite ice cream flavor is pistachio, or that you're in therapy twice a week through your photos. Just be sure to make it clear to anyone opening your profile who they are actually swiping right on.

Dating expert Julie Spira says the "reasons many mobile dating app users swipe left have to do initially with the quality of the photo."

Don't camouflage yourself!

"Let's be honest, sometimes a decision is made as quickly as within a nanosecond," says Golden. "The pic of you with 20 friends isn't necessary. He's deciding on YOU, not your social circle."

That means ditch the big sunglasses, Snapchat filters, and big groups of hot friends to show how fun and crazy you are.

They're unnecessary and will ultimately detract from the main attraction: you.

Include something that'll start a conversation.

No, I do not mean throw in some half-naked bikini photos.

After you settle on a first profile picture where you are prominently sporting a radiant smile, let's assume that some men will actually browse through the rest of your profile.

This is where things get fun. In terms of your bio, grammar is great and wit... that's even better. Spira recommends you "add a little humor to it so it doesn't look like a work or LinkedIn profile."

You can show more about what makes you unique in your subsequent pictures, which Golden says "should be positive pictures allowing a single [guy] to initiate a conversation based on one of the pictures."

The picture of me dressed as Peggy from Mad Men on Halloween, which is featured above, is currently on my dating app profile and gets the most attention. It may not be my profile picture, but I certainly milk it for what its worth.

Sunglasses, faux cigarette, and no smile - I'm breaking all of the rules! But that's OK.

At the end of the day, don't stress.

As long as you feel true to yourself and steer clear of selfies with duck lips (you know, the female equivalent of shirtless mirror selfies at the gym), you are good to go.

You'll land more matches in no time.