Web and email addresses pose a special challenge for writers and publishers of
email newsletters and ezines.
I don't know about you, but I find it frustrating when I have to copy and paste
an address into a browser, or into a separate email window. Especially when I know
how easy it is for the writer or publisher to put in ?live' links that allow readers
to reach a destination or to create a new email message.
I also object to links that get contaminated by punctuation marks. I'm referring
to web and email addresses immediately preceded or followed by a punctuation mark.
They mean I have to copy and paste the link, then eliminate the offending punctuation
mark before I can go on.
Let's deal with that latter issue first: If you plan to include Web addresses
and email addresses, use chevron marks, which you may also refer to as the less
than "<" and greater than ">" symbols. By putting them around the addresses, you
keep them distinct and easy to copy. It also reduces the likelihood you will add
a punctuation mark right after the address, and make it non-clickable.
Turning to the other issue, it's also easy to make your addresses immediately
clickable. Do this by fully writing out URLs of Web pages and by putting "mailto:"
before email addresses. For example, rather than writing www.managersguide.com ,
I would write http://www.managersguide.com . (note how I left a space between the
address and the period that ended the sentence). This makes the URL immediately
clickable; all your readers have to do is put their cursors over the address and
click.
Turning to email addresses, put the word "mailto" plus a colon before the address.
For example, mailto:info@yoururl.com rather than simply info@yoururl.com . When
readers click on an address with a mailto: before it, a new message automatically
pops up in their email programs, with your address already in the TO field. That
also has the advantage of reducing errors in transcribing or copying and pasting.
Also, be wary of URLs that split at the end of a line. While the URL may not
split in your email program, it may do so in the subscriber's. I usually try to
set up so URLs fall at the end of a paragraph, and then put in a return before them,
so they are on a line by themselves.
Finally, after you've emailed a test copy of your newsletter to yourself, test
the links on the copy that arrived at your IN box. Click each link to ensure your
readers can get to your page or to their email program with just one click. No copying,.
no pasting, no transcribing - just one click.
In summary, by taking these few simple steps, you can make your newsletter more
readable. And if it's more readable, it's more likely to get the response you want.
