How to whip your dating profile into shape for the new year

Hopeful daters, your time has come. As the folks behind dating apps will tell you, the first two months of the year are huge for finding love online.

Dating site Match even has a name for its biggest day of the year: "Dating Sunday." This year they're projecting it will fall on January 7 at 8:55 PM ET, when the company's data analysts expect to see a 42 percent jump in activity.

But before you wade out into a sea of swipes, matches, and messages, consider giving your profile a quick new-year cleaning. Here are the best, data-backed tips for we've picked up in the last year.

1. Get the basics down.

It may seem obvious, but it's worth reiterating that daters who include photos and a personal bio are more likely to attract matches. As Tinder's in-house sociologist Dr. Jess Carbino told us back in February, the more information a user can share, the better.

"If you don't provide people with a lot of information, it makes it very difficult for them to start a conversation," Carbino said. "So I'm always encouraging people to use photographs as an opportunity for people to tell their story, as well as their biographical data to tell a story."

2. Optimize your photo selection.

Apologies to our glasses-wearing friends, but the data doesn't lie: Per Carbino, wearing specs (including sunglasses) in a profile picture decreases a user's right swipes on Tinder by an unfortunate 15 percent. Hats, too, decrease a user's right swipes by 12 percent. (Snapchat filters are also bad news.)

"That's because our eyes provide people with context to be able to understand how trustworthy we are," Carbino told us at the time. "We signal trustworthiness through the iris of our eyes."

Of course, plenty of glasses-wearing users won't feel like themselves without their specs. In that case, we say screw the data. Comfort comes first.

But whether you go shadeless or not, always wear a smile. Carbino told us a grin leads to a 14 percent increase in right swipes on Tinder. Dating app Hinge also found that people who used photos of them engaged in some kind of athletic activity got more attention -- largely because it gives people something to talk to them about.

3. Show a little school spirit.

Put those $$$$ years of schooling to good use by sharing your alma mater in your dating profile. As Hinge found back in September, listing a school on a dating profile is a surefire way to get more likes. But know this: The type of college a user attended affects how much of a boost he or she will see. Per Hinge's data, for dudes, liberal arts colleges perform best, and for women, schools in the southern U.S. are key. But whatever the institution listed on your diploma, more info is, as #1 notes, typically the way to go.

4. Don't discount the dreaded "double text."

Though some of us would rather give up on a match than follow up on an unanswered first message, brave daters might want to rethink that stance. Per data insights from Hinge published in May, a second text doesn't typically end in disaster. In fact, the numbers crunchers at Hinge found that users who waited about 3 hours and 52 minutes to send a second text got responses more often than not.

So, if a first message goes unanswered, don't give up so fast. Give it another shot in a few hours. As for a third text? We'd say leave it at two.

4. Try something new.

Burnt out on all the biggest online dating apps? Last year brought a batch of new apps meant to help people find love online.

Tired of swiping for yourself? Convince a trusted pal to swipe for you using Wingman, an app where users find dates for their friends. Are you the type who loves to hate? Check out Hater, which pairs up users with a distaste for all the same things.

But for those still loyal to the OG of dating apps, it might be beneficial to take advantage of new features. Match, for example, now offers a video feature that gives users a better chance to share their personality with potential dates. Whatever your qualms with dating on the internet, know there are always more options than you'd expect.

Want more tips for how to navigate the online dating landscape? You can find all our sex and relationships coverage right here.