Emails - What Should You List On Your Contact Page

Recently, I was asked why not all emails of my company's staff are listed on the website's contact list.

I replied: No, not everone is interested to have his/her email listed.

Why?

Because most of those whose contacts were given on the site did not want their emails listed because their mailboxes will eventually be cluttered by spams ranging from electronic press releases from over-exuberant PR officers who doesn't understand emailing ethics to Viagra peddlers selling tiny blue pills online.

If you are manning your company's website, chances are that you will be faced with this decision of whether to list which email address, how many and where.

So, here are some tips:

• First rule of thumb is to list the departmental email address which can be accessed by the person/s on duty. For instance, support@my.company.com or techassistance@mycompany.com or ceo@mycompany.com


• Second rule of thumb is to check with the person/s whose email would be displayed on your website whether they want it listed. Why? Well, there is no point listing an email address if there is no commitment from the owner or person who has access to it to at least go through it once every day, if not every 48 hours.


• Third rule of thumb, if you need to list emails of all staff, use Captcha-assisted forms to direct emails to appropriate persons/departments. This will cut spam and is good public relations practice.


• And don't forget to inform the sender when genuine emails would be replied and make every effort to do so at the promised duration.

These are among things you should consider when listing emails on your website's contact page.