Managing Internet Addresses in Your Email Newsletter

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 "" 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 punctuation marks).

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 a reader clicks on an address with a mailto: before it, a new message will automatically pop up in their email program, 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.

Robert F. Abbott, the author of A Manager's Guide to Newsletters: Communicating for Results, writes and publishes Abbott's Communication Letter. Read more articles about Internet communication, as well as email and printed newsletters at: http://www.communication-newsletter.com/ic.ht ml

---

Email Newsletters: The Header

Managing Subscriber addresses: At the top of your email message... Read More

How to Choose a Good Newsletter Name

Good newsletter names are usually 2-4 words. If shorter, they... Read More

How to Get E-zine Subscribers From In-Person Events

While I run my business completely online, I really enjoy... Read More

Emerging Trends in Web Content and Web Publishing

Content is King but the web pages are still littered... Read More

10 Valuable Tips For Ezine Publishers

1. Write your own articles.Your articles will give you an... Read More

An Overlooked Fr~e Advertising Opportunity

When you have an online business you need to utilize... Read More

Your E-zine Promotion Checklist

While there are seemingly endless ways to promote your e-zine... Read More

Is It a Newsletter or Just One More Commercial?

When I purchased my very first computer, not too long... Read More

Publish Anything: The Saga of a PublishAmerica Author

My story is that an author who'd done online writing... Read More

I Finally Discovered The Secret To FREE Content No One Else Has!

There are many tips and techniques to increase your search... Read More

Gosh, What Am I Going to Put in My Email Newsletter THIS Month?

So you decided to put out a monthly newsletter, because... Read More

Producing Ezines for Growing Your Business

What an ezine is ? An ezine is an electronic... Read More

Newsletters ? Keeping Your Customers Informed

Many businesses use email newsletters to introduce themselves to new... Read More

Getting Subscribers For Your Newsletter Is As Simple As This...

Having a newsletter is one thing but how many subscribers... Read More

Five Solid Reasons To Publish Your Ezine In a Blog!

Get Your Ezine 'Out There'!Placing your ezine in a Blog... Read More

5 Essential Online Tools for Writers and Publishers

Writing a newsletter or article can be very time consuming.First,... Read More

A Newsletter Publishers Main Task: Packaging Value Content

The main task of a newsletter publisher is to select... Read More

How To Publish Your Own Highly Demand Ezine

Ezine is an electronic newsletter that is published through internet.... Read More

Are You Getting The Most Out Of Your Ezine?

There are two reasons to publish an ezine.... Read More

The Power of Personality

Owning an online business and publishing an ezine can be... Read More

7 Benefits Of Using Newsletter Templates

1. Time saver. To get going make a quick visit... Read More

Covering All The Bases: How to Make Sure Your Newsletter Gets Opened and Read

It's not enough to prepare and distribute a monthly newsletter,... Read More

How to Make Your eZine Work for You Long After Its Published

If you publish an email newsletter, do you convert the... Read More

Email Newsletter Software

Should I create my newsletter in a word processor or... Read More

10 Critical Things To Do Before You Spend A Dime In Advertising

"Research?"Let's say it again?"Research"?Grrrrrrrr.The word "research" can make many eBusiness... Read More

Why Self-Publish Your Book?

When I meet an author with a great book concept,... Read More

Write an Ezine? But I Dont Know HOW!

If you've been promoting your business on the internet you've... Read More

How To Use Viral Marketing To Grow Your Opt In Email List

If you have read my article called "What is Viral... Read More

American OverDrive - LCDs in LDCs

OverDrive - an e-commerce, software conversion and e-publishing applications leader... Read More

Medium and the Message

A debate is raging in e-publishing circles: should content be... Read More

Ezine Publishing Donts

When I teach ezine classes, I ask the students what... Read More

Search Engines Can Be The Online Writers Best Friend

It's an exciting time for online writers, with a wide... Read More

How to Format Your Email Newsletter

When subscribers' email readers (programs) receive your text newsletter, they... Read More