This week, Girl Talk is going professional and bringing in an expert to talk about online dating. Kerensa Vest is a longtime Dallasite, a graduate of SMU and a relationship and profile coach for Irving-based True.com.

Vest met her husband on a blind date, and the two of them built the site together in 2003. It has 16 million members. Vest shared some online dating tips:

Q: What question do you get asked most?

A: The question I get asked the most is "How do I talk about myself?" It's probably what people struggle with the most. ... Generally there are three rules that I tell new members to keep in mind when they're writing about themselves:

1. Tell the truth. Be honest about who you are and just be yourself when you communicate with people on the site.

2. Personalize. The more personalized your profile is, the more responses you're likely to get. It's the details that make people want to click to the rest of your profile.

3. Use humor. You don't have to be funny, but keep it light-hearted. If you're still angry from your last relationship, your profile is not the place to vent.

Q: What's a big no-no in online dating?

A: Lying to someone about yourself is the biggest no-no. There are countless stories of people meeting online who later found out that someone wasn't who he or she claimed to be.

Q: What's a common "newbie" mistake that singles make?

A: They rush through the profile set-up process and begin trying to connect with other singles before finishing all the tools that will help them meet someone.

Q: What kinds of things make a profile "pop"? Also, why do some people seem so successful at meeting significant others online and other people have little luck?

A: Photos, photos and more photos! More than anything else, photos are the most important part of any profile. Usually the people who have more success meeting other singles online have taken advantage of everything online dating offers, from posting pictures, headlines and tests to telling people all about yourself.

Got an interesting online dating story? E-mail Leah at lashafer@gmail.com.

Our very first date

I am left with just one thought:

Please stop calling me

What a nice surprise

From good friend to new boyfriend

We are so lucky

Will you go away

If I promise to miss you

Pretty, pretty please?

Best part of first kiss

Promises of more to come

Romance is not dead

Leah Shafer