Making a good first impression online can be even more daunting than approaching a stranger at the bus stop. After all, you can easily click through and delete a dozen Internet profiles in a minute, while rejecting someone face to face is, well, more difficult.

J. asked Devora Alouf, matchmaker at Jmatch.com, to provide some key tips for first-time Internet daters. She did.

Oops!

Don’t show up for a first date 30 minutes late. Don’t wear your favorite sweater with two big holes in it. And don’t brag.

There are big online no-nos as well. “Do not state your age as a disadvantage or apologize for it. For example, do not begin with ‘I am a young-at-heart 50-year-old.’ Do not make age an issue, rather focus on who you are and what you are about.”

Write, write, write

When creating a profile, “affirm your basic worth,” she says. Equally important is your commitment to being proactive. As Alouf explains, “Put yourself out in the arena of life. … This means send out a lot of e-mails and communicate with as many people as possible.”

Say cheese

You’ve filled in the blanks. You’ve clearly expressed your desires and hopes. And now you’re at the last step and you’re ready to throw in the towel. Even for the most confident, choosing a photograph can be a nail-biting experience.

“You should put up as many photos as possible. They need not be glamorous but decent, nice — pictures with a smile.”

Also: “Do not post photos with your ex, boyfriends/girlfriends, children, weddings, dogs, etc. They take away the focus from you.”

RELATED STORIES:

When two people click

From keyboard clicks to wedding bells