Yeah, confidence / personality is a very big thing, a small bit of charm counts too. But I think there's more to it than that.
(Speaking from experience I was once someone who was once hopeless with girls)

• clean yourself up (I don't know where you're from, but GQ and FHM magazines usually can give you some insight on fashion, you don't need to lose the geek, but refine it a bit, make yourself look approachable)

-work on your social skills (remember, women love to yammer on about themselves so if you're a total social plank just try listening and occasionally giving advice)

• do something sporty, (even if it's just plonking a rowing machine in your flat and spending 40mins on it daily, this at the very least will make you appear like there's blood running through your veins)

• set realistic targets (this is a weird one, but really you need to find girls that you have something in common with, there's no point lusting after someone if in reality your relationship will lack substance ----- and by the way, OP's "friend" probably has nothing in common with him, she's probaby just using him to make up for all the personality that her boyfriend lacks)

DO NOT listen to anyone here who posts on about the "alpha male/treat her like the bitch she is" mentality, this is only going to wind you up with a fuckrag, and will turn you into an even worse loser than you already are. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that NORMAL WOMEN like to be TREATED RIGHT. Girls who like assholes are either classic victims, or just fuckrags.

Trust me, I know this, I've been treating my girlfriend (now fiancée) right for the past 6 years, and things only go from good to better. And every other girl I've been with I've treated well, and have been treated well in return.