Netiquette And Email Readability Instantly Improve Your Email

 

Great Netiquette basics begin in part with fonts and page views which capture attention. After all, if the fonts and layouts do not have a pleasant appearance, your email will rarely ever be read. For business email etiquette, it is assumed that any correspondence needs to reflect professionalism and give the recipient a maximum level of legibility and a minimum level of distraction.

This core concept of Netiquette extends to job seekers, employees, marketers, educators and normal email activities which are not personal. Selection of high quality fonts is not difficult or time-consuming. By incorporating this process in your Netiquette routine, you will add more value to your email and improve the communications you seek to accomplish.

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By John Wood

Have you ever visited a website that seemed to contain the information you were looking for – but you found yourself clicking on the "back" button of your browser simply because …
 … you didn't like the font they used? I have.

For the owner of that website, I represent an opportunity lost – one less person who will potentially click on one of their ads or buy one of their products. In fact, Colin Wheildon, author of Type & Layout: Are You Communicating or Just Making Pretty Shapes?, says:

"It's possible to blow away three-quarters of our readers simply by choosing the wrong type. If you rely on words to sell, that should concern you deeply."

Blow away 75 percent of your readers! If you're the copywriter who wrote the copy for that site, it's a surefire way to go from copywriting hero to copywriting zero. So, as a copywriter, it just makes sense to make sure the font you or your clients use is one that doesn't hinder sales in any way. To help you, I did some research into the best fonts to use for print, online, and email. Let’s start with:

The difference between 'serif' and 'sans serif' fonts

Serif fonts have little feet and embellishments on the tip and base of each letter, making them more distinct and recognizable. Popular serif fonts are Times New Roman, Palatino, Georgia, Courier, Bookman and Garamond. Nearly all books, newspapers, and magazines use a serif font. It's popularly accepted that – in print – serif fonts are easier to read. The idea being that the serifs actually make the letters flow together – and subsequently easier on the eyes. As the name states, 'sans serif' fonts are fonts without serifs. While some sources say sans-serif fonts have existed since the 5th century BC, it wasn't until the 1920s that they became somewhat popular – mostly being used in advertisements.

One of the reasons for their lack of popularity was that typographers stuck with serif fonts because they felt they were easier to read. It's been said that serif fonts are for "readability," while sans-serif fonts are for "legibility." Which is why, in print, sans-serif fonts are often used as the headline font and serif fonts are used for the body text. Some popular San Serif fonts are Helvetica, Arial, Calibri, Century Gothic and Verdana.

Best fonts for print

In his book Cashvertising, Drew Eric Whitman cites a 1986 study of fonts (printed on paper) that found only 12 percent of participants effectively comprehended a paragraph set in sans-serif type versus 67 percent who were given a version set in serif typeface. Those who read the sans-serif version said they had a tough time reading the text and "continually had to backtrack to regain comprehension." In a test of three different fonts, two serifs (Garamond and Times New Roman) and one sans serif (Helvetica), he found 66 percent were able to comprehend Garamond; 31.5 percent Times New Roman, and 12.5 percent Helvetica (out of a total of 1,010,000 people surveyed).

The conclusion being that serif fonts are easier to read when it comes to fonts on paper. So, if you're sending out a sales letter or brochure in the mail, you probably want to use serif font (but, as mentioned in the first point, you could use sans-serif font for your headlines). Here are the print font preferences of three of the copywriting greats: 1) advertising great John Caples liked using Cheltenham Bold for headlines; 2) advertising legend David Ogilvy preferred the Century family, Caslon, Baskerville, and Jenson; and 3) direct marketing guru Gary Halbert used Courier in his sales letters.

Best fonts for online

Now, one might assume that what works on the printed page will be similar to what works on the computer screen. But that's not the case. In order to make the little serifs appear legible, a high degree of resolution is required. The more pixels, the more details of the font you can display. Back 10 or so years ago, the best computer screen resolution was 800 x 600 pixels – which wasn’t great for defining the intricacies of a serif font. Screen resolution has increased through the years (resolutions of 1024 x 768 pixels or greater have become the norm). This makes serif fonts more legible but still generally not as easy to read as sans-serif fonts.

Plus, now you have to consider how your site or email will look on handheld devices, such as the BlackBerry and iPhone. The latest model of iPhone 4 has a screen resolution of 960 x 640 pixels. The BlackBerry Bold 978 has a screen resolution of 480 x 360 pixels. So online, the best font to go with is sans serif.
A 2002 study by the Software Usability and Research Laboratory concluded that:

1.     The most legible fonts were Arial, Courier, and Verdana.

2.     At 10-point size, participants preferred Verdana. Times New Roman was the least preferred.

3.     At 12-point size, Arial was preferred and Times New Roman was the least preferred.

4.     The preferred font overall was Verdana, and Times New Roman was the least preferred.

So here are your marching orders:

For easiest online reading, use Arial 12-point size and larger. If you're going smaller than 12 points, Verdana at 10 points is your best choice. If you're after a formal look, use the font "Georgia." And for older readers, use at least a 14-point font.

Best fonts for email

Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, an e-commerce consultant, did a series of tests in 2001. He also came to the conclusion that the sans-serif fonts are more suited to the computer screen. Some of the highlights of the test results were that at 12 points, respondents showed a preference for Arial over Verdana – 53% to 43% (with 4% not being able to distinguish between the two). Two-thirds of respondents found that Verdana at 12 points was too large for body text, but Verdana at 10 points was voted more readable than Arial at 10 points by a 2 to 1 margin. In conclusion, for the best font readability, use Arial 12 point or Verdana at 10 points and 9 points for body text. For headlines, he suggests using larger bold Verdana.

Deciding on a font

So the next time you submit a sales letter or email to your client, it might be a good idea to ask them what font they intend to use. If they plan to use a serif font online or in an email, you might want to gently nudge them away from it and recommend a more easily readable sans-serif font. If they also plan to send your copy to their list via regular mail, it's not a bad idea to suggest they switch over to a serif font at least for the body text. It could mean the difference between a winning piece of copy and one that only delivers so-so results.




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 About Netiquette IQ:

My book, "Netiquette IQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email" and the Kindle version are now available on Amazon. Please visit my profile at:

 www.amazon.com/author/paulbabicki

My other sites of Netiquette resources include:

www.netiquetteiq.com - website

www.blogtalkradio.com/netiquetteiq - radio show
 

www.tabularosa.net Internet products and services website.

 Paul Babicki and Frank Kovacs are co-authoring a new book on Netiquette IQ for jobseekers, recruiters and employers (no official title as yet!). This book is a follow up to Paul’s current release. This book will be a part of the forthcoming Netiquette IQ compendium featuring a series of books on specific areas of Netiquette; education, sales, social media, etc. We would desire and encourage feedback from anyone who would like to contribute their thought ideas, even a segment to include in the book.

We wish to have the book to cover as many pertinent topics as possible for the job seeker, recruiter and employer. There will be an acknowledgement page in the book listing those whose ideas or suggestions are used. The persons with the five top ideas will be sent a complimentary signed copy of my current book and a copy of the new one. Comments will be closed on 1/31/2014. Kindly submit your suggestion(s) to my blog post of 12/26/2013 in the comment field. 

 

Core Netiquette For Students Emailing Professors

Email etiquette and Netiquette work best when the core principals of Netiquette are blended with the core  principals of specifics areas, demographics, industries and other categories. To really achieve a high level of email and Internet etiquette it is essential to understand the nuances of a specific area, domain, marketplace or whatever microcosm you are communicating within.

The article below is the best I have experienced in terms of Netiquette for schools, particularly those of higher learning. If put this into the perspective of looking at one's Netiquette and email  from the a teacher's point of view it becomes clearer what constitutes really good communication. That is combining Netiquette with the processes of a generic environment.

If you are a student, this article is a true source of very good suggestions. If you are not, there is still value in understanding the concept of having and implementing a process for your own environment(s).

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Email Etiquette: How to email a professor

September 9th, 2013 by mcallana University of Massachusetts

        

The majority of teachers have certain expectations from messages they receive from students. These professors and instructors will expect a student’s level of communications to reflect professionalism and proper tone, no matter how adept they are at using technology. If the teacher’s title is “Assistant Professor,” “Associate Professor,” or “Professor” you should use the standard described below. The titles of “lecturer,” “visiting assistant professor,” or “visiting lecturer” usually designate adjunct faculty, and in writing to teachers at this level you should use the same standard. If you would like to learn more about the standard for composing an email to a professor or see example emails, please click here.

According to wikiHow, the following outlines the standard for composing an email to a professor or instructor:

• Read the syllabus. Often times, the question you would like to ask has already been answered in the material the professor has provided at the beginning of class. Requesting a professor go over this again makes you look like you are not a serious student and only harms your cause.
• Make sure email is really the best way to communicate your issue. Email is often much more time consuming than an actual conversation. It generally takes longer to compose word-processed text than to say it. Even if the email is short and quick for you to deploy, the response for which you are asking can be time-consuming for the professor. For example, emailing a professor to ask “what did I miss?” is not OK. You are basically expecting the professor to take the time to write up an entire class just for you. Also, don’t email to ask about your grades. In the US, FERPA laws mean many universities have instructed professors not to send grade information via email. (Plus grades are better discussed in person. Go to the professor’s office hours or make an appointment where you can sit down together and review your work. Then the professor can show you exactly where in the assignment you fell short. Also, you are more likely to come across as interested in learning rather than being a grade grubber just whining to get extra points.) Whenever possible, try to have a “live”, synchronous conversation with your professor. A general rule-of-thumb is: if it is going to take your professor longer to type out a reply to your email than to say it, reconsider your using email. Make use of the professor’s office hours, where you will most likely get an immediate response. Or, if the office hours do not work for you, make an appointment to visit either by phone or in-person at another time. Reserve email for short exchanges.
• Use your academic account. People are deluged with emails every day, and by using your school account, you will have a better chance of avoiding the spam filter, or your professor skipping right over your email because it is from an unknown address.
• Include a meaningful subject line. While this is true of every email you send (that you wish to be read), it is especially important when you are attempting to communicate with somebody whose day is busy enough as it is.
  • If your professor does not already have a preferred convention, then a good default is to start with your course department, number, and section (or day and time of course), and then the topic of your email. For example, “PSYC100 Section XX: Question about data collection for project” would be an excellent way fill in the subject line. With your academic account and your well-titled subject, the professor knows who you are and exactly what you want, even before clicking “Open.” This information helps the professor organize and prioritize student emails. Including the section info is especially important for professors who teach multiple sections of the same course. If you cannot remember your section number, then give the day and time the course meets (PSYC1001 MW @ 2 p.m.). Naming the subject of the course may be almost as useless as a blank email, imagine if a good portion of your job was researching and teaching psychology topics, and an email arrives in your inbox titled “psychology”.
• Always use a greeting. Do not begin with “Hey” or similar colloquialisms. Generally speaking, you should use “Dear Professor Last-name.” If the instructor does not have a PhD, remember that “Mrs.” is appropriate only for married women who prefer it (and that many female academics do not take their husband’s name). “Ms.” is safer, especially if you do not know the instructor’s marital status, and is often preferred regardless.
• • If he or she signs the reply with a first name, it is still best to address him or her as “Dr. Last-name” or “Professor Last-name” in an email. Do not use the professor’s first name unless you have been explicitly invited to do so. Also, please spell your professor’s name correctly.
• Briefly and politely state the reason why you are emailing. Offer only as much information as is relevant to the situation and likely to interest the professor. Get to the point right away. You should not begin by providing your name in the body of the message. The professor should already know your name from the email headings and from the signature of your message. Not only is such information redundant, but it also makes you sound like an 8-year-old writing to his or her first pen pal if you begin “Hello. My name is….” Instead, get to the point of why you are writing. Be sure to include the name or number of the course (including section info) that you are writing about, in the email as well as in the subject line. This information is worth including in the body of the email because some email programs, like Gmail, do not show the subject once you leave the inbox.
• If you are emailing with a problem, suggest a solution.  Be considerate of how your solution might create additional work for the professor. For example, you may say, “If you are unable to give me notes for the material, is there another student in your 101 class that you might be able to direct me to who can help instead?”
• Sign it with your name and your student ID number. Even if you know that your professor knows you by name, use first and last name and include your course and section information below your name. You will save him or her from having to figure out what course and section you are talking about if he or she needs to look up something about the course in order to answer your question
• Read it over. If you do not have spell-check on your email, then you can copy the message, paste it into a word-processing program, and run spell-check there. Consider not only the mechanics, but also what you have said. Strive for a polite tone, concise language, and clear purpose.
• If the issue is touchy or the email long, ask someone else to read it, too. Ask if your reader would be offended by such an email if it were directed at him or her.
• Allow adequate time for a reply. If you are sending only a piece of information (“I have the flu and will not be in class on Tuesday, but Sue will turn in my paper for me.”), then the professor may not consider a reply necessary. In this case, you are done.
• Once a reply has been received, acknowledge it. A simple “Thank you,” may be enough. If necessary, write a more extensive email using these same guidelines to achieve a professional effect. If the case is not being adequately resolved by email, then ask for an appointment to meet in person.

Additional Tips:

• Use the words “please” and “thank you”–they really help and are universally appreciated
• Try to contact a peer first if the purpose of your email is to find out what you missed when absent.
• Recognize that requests that may take only a few seconds to write and send may take much longer to fulfill. If you want a grade calculated, or a full breakdown of what you missed during an absence, or anything else that may be labor intensive, then offer to come to office hours if the professor prefers.
• Being polite does not mean being a pushover. If you have a need, make it known. While you should not make a demand, you can certainly make a suggestion. For example, if you have surgery scheduled on the day of the final, then you should do more than merely state your conflict. You should offer to take the exam early, request an incomplete, offer to submit a final project in place of the exam, or present whatever other idea you think would solve the problem to everyone’s satisfaction. Be sure to remain open to other suggestions, as the professor may have ideas of his or her own.
• Leave enough time for a response. Some professors do not work on campus every day and may not have Internet access at home, so you may need to wait a few days.
• Follow up. If more than a few days have passed and you have not gotten a response, then it is appropriate to politely ask if the professor received your email and had time to consider what you wrote. It may be more effective to follow up by phone or by an office visit. Do not be afraid to speak up or send a reminder.

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 About Netiquette IQ:

My book, "Netiquette IQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email" and the Kindle version are now available on Amazon. Please visit my profile at:

 www.amazon.com/author/paulbabicki

My other sites of Netiquette resources include:

www.netiquetteiq.com - website

www.blogtalkradio.com/netiquetteiq - radio show
 

www.tabularosa.net Internet products and services website.

 Paul Babicki and Frank Kovacs are co-authoring a new book on Netiquette IQ for jobseekers, recruiters and employers (no official title as yet!). This book is a follow up to Paul’s current release. This book will be a part of the forthcoming Netiquette IQ compendium featuring a series of books on specific areas of Netiquette; education, sales, social media, etc. We would desire and encourage feedback from anyone who would like to contribute their thought ideas, even a segment to include in the book.

We wish to have the book to cover as many pertinent topics as possible for the job seeker, recruiter and employer. There will be an acknowledgement page in the book listing those whose ideas or suggestions are used. The persons with the five top ideas will be sent a complimentary signed copy of my current book and a copy of the new one. Comments will be closed on 1/31/2014. Kindly submit your suggestion(s) to my blog post of 12/26/2013 in the comment field.