E-mail Etiquette and Web Site Forms

Probably several times each day, I get an inquiry through forms on my various sites that make me shake my head. These are generally folks asking questions or for my help.

Most ironically, are those asking E-mail Etiquette questions about something someone else is doing or that happened at work — and they are not even making any effort to integrate the basics of E-mail Etiquette into their request. They are asking an E-mail Etiquette Expert about someone’s behavior; while using no E-mail Etiquette themselves.

Through my WordPress consulting site I get many inquiries each day from those who do not check for typos, incorrect spelling or proper sentence structure. What type of impression do you think that will make? What type of client would they be if they cannot communicate properly with the written word?

In my 17 years  as an online consultant, my experience has shown that those who communicate via Web site forms with no concern to communicating as though they have a solid education are those that make me inefficient.  Coincidentally they are most times also not profitable customers. There is a correlation.

E-mail Etiquette applies to completing Web site forms too. How you choose to approach the Web site owner, the terms you use, the skills and education you decide to show — or not, will affect how the person on the receiving end of your e-mail envisions a business relationship with you.

When contacting anyone through a Web site form, it is an opportunity to impress and urge a prompt response to your inquiry. When you type in all lower case, don’t spell check and make demands simply based on the premise that you are the customer, realize that some Web sites may choose to not urge you becoming (or remaining) a customer by not responding to your request.

Technology is nothing if not a bunch of details, knowledge and skills each of us has to embrace to carry out our goals and be perceived favorably. While we like to think that as the customer business owners will be clamoring for our patronage, realize that not “communicating properly, with knowledge, understanding and courtesy” when utilizing Web site forms for your requests, may very well decide if the other side wants to do business with you at all.

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