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It turns out that I have a business proposition to make. I’ve targeted a few likely candidates that I want to approach about this proposition. It’s something that I think can really benefit both my business and theirs, and I’m really excited to start a conversation about it. Every person that I’ve put on my list has their own business, so I assume that they are trying to cultivate customers.
So, how is it possible that I have to work so darned hard to find their contact information?
It probably comes as no surprise that I do a whole lot of my networking via blogging. I read hundreds and hundreds of blog posts a week. I generally write a whole lot of blog posts every week, too, come to think of it. In addition, I often comment in other people’s blogs because I just find them so dang interesting. I call it “networking,” but really it probably counts more as a “hobby” (or as my husband might say, an “addiction”). I really love developing these new relationships. It’s fun, and I can always convince myself that I’m doing it for my business, right?
Well, it gets a little harder to buy into that when I actually do want to develop a business-type conversation with someone, and they don’t give me a way to do it. I managed to track down contact info for most of the folks by turning to Google to find places other than their blogs where they might have included an email address or something. I found that one person has something like four different blogs, and not one of them has any method for contacting her other than to leave a public comment.
This can’t be a sound business practice, can it? In the course of my surfing this evening, I have found several places where it might be useful to go ahead and add in some contact information:
- The About page of your blog or web site. This is the first place I’m going to look, and it would be really nice for us both if you had your contact info listed there.
- A separate “contact us” page on your blog or web site. I’m inherently distrustful of these things; for some reason I think they’re either not going to deliver my message or else they’re going to end up posting it publicly. Still, it is a great option, my own neuroses aside.
- The bottom of your blog or web site. If there’s no About page or contact page, I’ll scroll down and check the footer of your site.
- Networks you’ve joined. If you freelance through networks, I might find you there. That’s why you’re working with the network in the first place, right? Go ahead and give me a chance to contact you directly.
- Work you’ve done. This could include online or offline work. Just throw your email address in the header or footer. If I love an article you wrote, it sure would be great to have a way to contact you and see if you’d let me pay you to write some more!
In my frustration, I decided to check out our own Freelance Parent blog and make sure that I wasn’t driving people crazy in the same way. I thought all along that we’d been set up with a “contact us” page, but it turns out we haven’t. I know that our email address is on our About page, but it’s pretty small at the very bottom. That whole thing needs to be updated as it is, so I’ll be sure to make it much more prominent now that I know it’s the best chance the curious have for finding us.
I find myself wondering if I’m just missing something. Are people not listing their email addresses on purpose? Is it because they’re afraid of more spam? Are they just oblivious like I was and don’t realize it’s not listed on their sites? Maybe they just think that anything I have to say should be said publicly in the comments section. I don’t know. What I do know is that it took me a whole lot longer than it should have to track down a couple of email addresses tonight . . . there’s still one that I haven’t been able to sniff out.
I’d like to respectfully suggest that each of us go ahead and give our blogs and web sites a once-over and make sure that prospective clients can quickly and easily offer us their money.
If you’d like to talk about this in private, you can reach us at:
berrybreweradmin (at) gmail (dot) com 
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I make it a point to include my e-mail address (as an image to minimize spam) as well as a simple contact form on my blogs and business sites.
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!
I think we have about ten or more different places to get in touch with us on our site, and our email is plastered on our banner.
Our new site will have a great contact form. Fast, easy, voila.
Yes, they’re probably afraid of spam. Then again, a lot of bloggers merely blog for fun. Perhaps they don’t realize that leaving contact info off the site is bad for business?
This seems pretty basic and obvious to a professional. For example, when I sent you an email a couple days ago, it was simple to find you.
Something so simple seems obvious, but is often overlooked. I have been frustrated by this same issue on more than one occasion.
YIKES! I just realized I don’t have any contact information on my blog either. I get so much spam as it is, though, and I think the name (at) domain (dot) com looks less professional than just putting the address out there, clickable. Using an image is one solution, but if you have a complicated address or lazy clients you’ll want them to be able to copy and paste. What’s the solution?
Thanks, everyone, for your thoughts so far. It really does seem like such an obvious thing, but it can apparently be pretty darn easy to overlook!
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?
OK, here’s a followup:
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.
D’oh–I’m guessing you’re on a PC since you mentioned Outlook. I should learn to read more carefully.
Rachel - I love it that you asked me a question and then ended up teaching me the answer! Thanks for your diligence. Hopefully other Freelance Parent readers will find it helpful, too.
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.
I don’t like the contact us forms. I agree that I don’t trust they will be read and they put me off. I’d rather click on a link into my email reader. Sending an email directly to someone is more personal. The contact forms never include a person’s address so you feel like they aren’t open to talking directly to you. Great if you are screening your calls, not so good if you want new business.
Hmmm… I hope I’m not one of the writers in hiding! Ha!
*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
Whew. Hope that’s taken care of!
Smiles,
Michele
Oops!
Make that:
writingthecyberhighway (at) gmail.com
michele (at) michele-tune.com
Peggy - Glad to know I’m not the only one who doesn’t quite trust those things . . .
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!
I agree!
Just a quick note that contact forms are generally just one-click forms people fill out - it’s an email, just in an easier and handier format. The “form” lands in the recipient’s email box like any other email would.
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.
James,
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 can understand the aversion to the contact form, but putting out your email address - even decoyed the way shown in the post - opens you up to endless spam. We also use our form to route the email to multiple people so that it doesn’t languish in some business development black hole.
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.
For what it’s worth, I had no problem contacting you! I get frustrated, too, when I want to send a blogger an email and there is NO email, especially when it is business-related. If I have to hunt around for information, chances are I’m going to give up altogether and take my business elsewhere.
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!