I think I have done a pretty good job of plastering my email address all around my blogs. Hmm – I hope that doesn’t show how desperate I am for contact with the outside world!

My business partners and I have been going around and around on this as well. Currently, we have a form, but I suspect we will have to give out email addresses eventually.

I can’t speak for others but I’m mistrustful of “contact us” forms because they are so impersonal. I will always choose e-mail over a form…maybe that’s old-fashioned of me.

Too, since I use Gmail, after I send someone an e-mail for the first time, I have their contact information automatically stored at my fingertips. That, I think, is more conducive to laziness because I only have to do the work once.

I’m really puzzled why people wouldn’t trust these, especially if they’re very clear, professional and help people make faster contact. Contact forms are generally highly recommended, especially considering most people on the Internet are lazy these days. Each extra click they have to make reduces their interest in a final purchase.

So contact forms are considered good for business, not bad.

Michele – I didn’t even mention putting an email address in the sidebar on a main page. That’s an excellent spot for it, I think!

*Scratches head.*

Thanks for bringing this up, Lorna. I guess I just thought readers of my blog would notice the link to my website in the sidebar and go there to the contact page. I suppose that is a huge trip to navigate on the cyber highway…

I’m not happy with the way it looks yet, (I’m probably moving to WordPress soon and it will change anyway), but I listed an email address for reaching me via my blog: writingthecyberhighway gmail.com

I’m going to add to that. To contact me for blogging, email the “cyber highway” address above.

For freelance writing:

michele michele-tune.com

Smiles,
Michele

I am on a PC. I wouldn’t be surprised if I could do some sort of setup like you mentioned . . . Wait. I would be surprised if I could do it, but I woudn’t be surprised if my sweetie could do it for me. Thanks for another great suggestion.

Using HTML character entities seems to be the best way to cloak your e-mail address (last item on this page: http://www.robelle.com/tips/email-cloak.html)

It looks like a real address, can be copied and pasted like a real address, but robots can’t read it.

(And on a Mac, Lorna, I THINK you can set your default e-mail client to be a web-based one..Don’t know offhand how to do it or even if you are a Mac user, but I’m pretty sure it is possible.)

Thanks again for the helpful post.

Rachel – I don’t mind the (at)domain (dot) com thing at all, as I realize why the publisher is using it instead of a clickable link. I actually dislike the clickable ones because not everyone uses Outlook, and it can be kind of a pain if you click on the address and then it tells you that you can’t use it. I guess everyone has to come up with the solution that they like the best.

Does anyone else have any suggestions on what they think works the best?

Our new site will have a great contact form. Fast, easy, voila.

During my site’s redesign, a typo landed right in the contact form code and I wasn’t receiving e-mails. Fortunately a very nice fellow went to extra lengths to turn up my other e-mail address and finally managed to get a hold of me. I fixed the code and got a new gig! But I should have tested the site more thoroughly after the redesign. Needless to say, lesson learned.

You’re right, contact information is critical, and I too have noticed that it is one of the oft-overlooked areas of many blogs. Personally, I think every web site and blog should use the contact form. They are so easy, and you never have to leave the web page.

Good call, great post!