Posts for May 2012

Seven email fundamentals we all forget sometimes

Ding! You've got mail. Chances are you’ve been sending and receiving email for years. And that means the chances are also high that you’ve fallen into a routine when it comes to composing a new message.

We all make email mistakes sometimes, so here’s a quick refresher of seven email fundamentals. Follow them and you’ll send polite, effective emails – every time.

1. Start and finish courteously. Always open with a friendly greeting and end with an appropriate signoff. They make emails more personal and – particularly if you’re asking someone to do something for you – less demanding. Always double check you’ve spelt the recipient’s name correctly.
2. Get to the point. Nobody wants to read an email essay or wade through 500 words to find the ten that matter. Keeping your messages short and sweet shows you have respect for the recipient’s time.
3. Pause for a moment before sending. There’s no undo option for emails and no way to shred them. So always think carefully before sending a sensitive, confrontational or emotional email, particularly if it’s going to several people. (Setting up your email system to delay emails for a minute or two helps eliminate any ‘I shouldn’t have sent that’ moments.
4. Check your email carefully. When you’re in a hurry it’s easy to type the email and hit send. Wait! Use the spell check, read it through and make sure it all makes sense. If you’re broaching a tricky subject, as a co-worker to read what you’ve written.
5. Limit acronyms and emoticons. Does the smiley face really have a place in the workplace? The answer probably depends on the nature of your company, but try and resist the temptation to pepper your messages with them. The same goes for common internet-acronyms like LOL.
6. STOP SHOUTING! Whoops, sorry about that. Nothing screams impolite and abrasive like an email written all in uppercase. Use proper punctuation and capital letters where appropriate. But don’t write anything all in uppercase.
7. Avoid using ‘reply all’. This feature sends a reply to everyone who the original email was sent to. It’s useful occasionally, but most people use it because it means they don’t have to think about who should actually receive their email. It clogs up people’s inboxes with irrelevant messages, contributing to an email overload nightmare.

Have you ever made any embarrassing email mistakes (we’ve all done it once or twice!). What are your tips to stay on the right side of email etiquette? Leave a comment to let us know.

• When it comes to email replies, is faster better?
• Ten ways to use email effectively
• Email blunders you don’t want to make

This post was written by Roxanne McCann and edited by John McGarvey

How the cookie law affects email marketing

The much-maligned new EU cookie law isn’t just about cookies. Actually, the text of the regulation doesn’t even mention cookies by name. Instead, its focus is on making people more aware of how their information is used online, and helping people control their privacy.

Essentially it means people now have to actively opt-in before their information is used or their behaviour is tracked in many ways.

The new regulation also applies to other technologies that involve you placing and accessing information on someone’s computer. For instance, the new rules apply to the tiny ‘web beacons’ (actually small image files) used to track when a marketing email is opened.

Some criticism has been levelled at the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for not issuing clear guidance. But actually, to understand what’s expected of companies, we need to step back from the nuts and bolts and look at what the law is trying to achieve.

One that front, the ICO’s message has been consistent: businesses need to be open and transparent, because the law is intended to protect privacy and promote openness.

The new law and email marketing

Plenty has already been said about how the new law affects website cookies. (Read the IT Donut guide, if you need help). So I’m going to look at what happens if your business sends marketing messages by email.

If your company falls into that category, you probably track how people interact with your messages. Crucially, you probably have a tool that lets you see how many people open the emails you send.

Just as with cookies, you need to ask a key question about this ‘open tracking’:  what’s its purpose? Just as all cookies aren’t equal, neither is all open tracking.

If you’re using open tracking to report an overall open rate for your entire email campaign, I don’t see how this can come under the new law. It’s just a broad way of tracking how people are interacting with your emails.

Would your email subscribers be surprised to know that you work to get emails delivered and monitor success by checking if the emails are read? I think not. And that’s why I think tracking mechanisms used in this way would fall outside the law.

The law applies when the data gets personal

But here’s a different theoretical case. Say a travel company spots that someone opens emails related to family holidays, then sells that information to a company which then targets them with adverts for child investment products.

This sort of open tracking would certainly fall within the regulations as it clearly involves the privacy of the individual. (I’m just using this example to make the point clear - I don’t actually think anyone does anything even close to this with open tracking!)

Getting new subscribers to opt-in

Having said that, the new law is about openness and transparency. So to be safe, it’s a good idea to keep your email subscribers informed about the tracking you use.

It should be relatively easy to ask new subscribers to opt-in to tracking and cookies. You have to get permission to send them emails anyway, so when you do so just add information about the tracking too.

Remember: openness and transparency are key. So don’t bury the information deep in a policy privacy policy or write it using confusing language. Make it clear and obvious, and reinforce it in your welcome email. For example:

We work hard to avoid cluttering up your inbox by using technology to understand what we should send you. Read how here.

Then, no matter whether you think open tracking is or isn’t covered by the regulations, you’ll know you’re covered. And your customers will be better informed too.

Making sure current subscribers know the score

With new subscribers taken care of, think about what to do your current subscriber base. You need to ask two questions: how do you use open tracking and what would your subscribers reasonably expect you to be doing?

Again, it’s about openness and transparency. You can make current subscribers aware of your use of tracking. Add information about it to your email header. Use the same language you use for new subscribers and keep the information there until it’s reasonable to assume everyone’s seen it. Then you can move it to your email footer.

Don’t panic about your open tracking

In any case, if you have worked to promote openness and transparency you will be in a much better position with the ICO than if you have simply ignored this issue. In short:

• Tell new email subscribers what tracking technology you used. Explain it in simple, clear language that can be easily understood.
• Make sure you include this information if you have a soft opt-in – like when you sign people up as part of a purchasing process on your website.
• Change your privacy policy so people who opt in to emails are also opting in to your open tracking and cookie-based tracking.
• Provide a clear link to your full privacy policy as part of the sign up process, and add a summary to any welcome emails you send out.
• Tell your current subscribers about tracking through an email header. You can move this to the footer once it’s reasonable to think most people will have seen it.

Finally, don’t panic. While the ICO can impose fines of up to £500k, they’re only likely to do so in exceptional circumstances. It needs to be a serious, deliberate contravention of the law that causes substantial damage or distress. Quite simply, I find it hard to envisage a situation where email open tracking could do that.

• Download our guide to the EU cookie law (PDF link)
• Changing how the cookie crumbles – are you compliant?
• Read Rory MccGwire's blog in the Law Society Gazette

Tim Watson is an independent email marketing consultant who writes for Smart Insights.

Friday Donut tip: faster ways to select text in Microsoft Word

Every Friday afternoon we bring you a great business IT tip. From nuggets that make repetitive tasks easier to simple ways to banish business tech annoyances, we’re here to help.

If there’s something you’d like our help with, send an email to [email protected] or just leave a comment on this post. We’ll try and cover it in a future IT Donut tip.

Working with text in Microsoft Word

If you’re anything like me, you probably use Microsoft Word a lot. If so, you can make it much easier to edit and move text around simply by learning a few shortcuts that help you select text.

Once you get the hang of these (it won’t take long), you’ll be surprised at what a difference it makes to your work:

• To select a single word, just double-click that word with your mouse.
• To select a whole paragraph, simply triple-click a word with the mouse.

To select a single line of your document, move the mouse pointer into the left margin of your document. It should change to point to the right. Then click once.

Other Friday Donut tips:

• How to stop playing email ping-pong
• Secure remote working
• How to open web addresses faster

Email is dead: long live instant messaging

When I tell people that email won’t be around in five years’ time, they look at me like I’m mad. It’s true though – email hasn’t changed for 20 years, and we all know what happens to technology that doesn’t change. It dies.

Email is as secret as Twitter

At a presentation I did recently, I told people email wasn’t secure. To illustrate this point, I explained that information sent by email is as open as your Twitter stream, as long as you know where to look for it.

Some members of the audience looked at me in shock, admitting to sending all sorts of sensitive data via good old Microsoft Outlook.

I went on to explain that instant messaging is the future for corporate communications. I don’t care if you don’t believe me. It’s true and now I’ll explain why.

Twenty years ago people did business over the phone. When you needed something from someone, you picked the phone up or went to their desk, had a conversation and got what you needed.

Email changed all that. We became accustomed to sending a request for information, waiting for a reply, replying to the reply, waiting for another reply … and so on. A conversation that could have taken a few minutes turns into a four-hour email trail.

The only positive aspect is that email gives us an audit trail. I’m not sure about you but to me that feels like a backwards step. Of course, we didn’t see it like that at the time. 

Real-time communication is changing

Well, the world of real time communication is changing and instant messaging is the new black, if you’ll excuse the cliché. Now when I want to discuss a subject I can go into my copy of Outlook and click ‘reply with IM’:

This instantly opens a text, voice or even video conversation with recipient. You can discuss the subject and get an outcome - and best of all the entire chat is recorded in Outlook so you can check what you actually said. You can even share data directly from Microsoft Word or Excel using the share button in the review tab.

Of course, these functions aren’t only available in Microsoft Outlook. There are plenty of other services that do similar things, including free ones like Skype. So, next time you’re tempted to hit ‘reply all’, why not try instant messaging instead?

• Five email blunders you really don’t want to make
• Ten ways to use email effectively
• Five free conferencing tools

Lee Wrall is founder and MD of Everything Tech, an IT support and service provider based in Manchester.

Friday Donut tip: stop email ping-pong games dead

Every Friday afternoon we bring you a great business IT tip. From nuggets that make repetitive tasks easier to simple ways to banish business tech annoyances, we’re here to help.

If there’s something you’d like our help with, send an email to [email protected] or just leave a comment on this post. We’ll try and cover it in a future IT Donut tip.

Stop playing email ping-pong!

Every round of email ping-pong puts another message in your inbox for you to deal with. If you’re trying to put a stop to email overload, it’s completely counterproductive.

Here are three tips to help you avoid getting lost in a pointless game of email ping-pong:

1. Think in fives. Five sentences, five questions, five lines long. If you’re trying to send emails that are effective and to the point, think five.
2. Include a clear action statement. If you’re trying to accomplish something with your email, be clear and specific about what you want the recipient to do. Don’t leave them room to come back with questions.
3. Tell them you don’t want a reply. It’s easy to get trapped in a repetitive loop of ‘thank yous’. Draw a line by telling recipients they don’t need to bother replying. You can even put NRN (‘no reply necessary’) in the subject line.

Do you have a strategy to reduce the amount of email in your inbox? Leave a comment and share it with us.

• Keep things secure when you work remotely
• Control what happens when you shut your laptop lid
• Open web and file addresses faster

Monica Seeley is an email and productivity expert who runs Mesmo. Learn more about email overload and email etiquette on her website.

Moving offices? Don’t have an IT relocation nightmare

Moving offices can be a tricky process. And IT relocation – transferring your computers, servers, networking and so on – can be one of the hardest parts of the operation. You need to get everything shifted, usually overnight or over a weekend, and maintain network and telephone connectivity the whole time.

Many companies underestimate the amount of preparation they need to do to ensure a smooth IT relocation. Leaving IT relocation to chance is likely to cause stress and disruption that could have a dramatic effect on your company's bottom line.

Here are some really common issues that can stymie an IT relocation project, along with tips on how to avoid them. If you’re moving offices soon then good luck!

• Poor network cabling. Don’t assume that the last tenant’s IT requirements will be the same as yours. Their network layout, telephone lines and internet connection will most probably differ from your own. Scope out what’s there ahead of time, and create a plan for the cabling you need.
• Leaving it too late to order phone lines and an internet connection. Telecoms providers often have long lead times for installation. It can take 65 days to get a leased line internet connection, so plan ahead and place your order early. Be especially mindful of this in London, where Olympic Games restrictions may cause further delays this year.
• Not allowing for future growth. Now is the time to think about how you’d deal with taking on extra employees, because you don’t want to outgrow your IT infrastructure too quickly. Make sure your network, internet connection and data points are enough to meet likely future growth.
• Not taking the chance to upgrade. An IT relocation is the perfect time to make a fresh start. You can take advantage of the office move to switch to more modern technology – doing it at this point will be less disruptive than doing it once you’ve settled in to your new home.
• Skimping on your IT relocation test plan. Once your equipment is installed into its new home, you need to test it all, thoroughly. Moving day is stress enough without having equipment that doesn’t work. Create an inventory of all equipment and put together a robust, logical testing plan so you know everything’s working properly before your staff arrive back in the office.
• Missing the small things. It’s easy to remember to move your server and all your computers. But have you remembered your Wi-FI signal booster that’s on the first floor? How about the keycard system on the front door? Oh, and don’t forget the most crucial bit of technology: the coffee machine.
• Not asking for help. Managing an IT relocation successfully requires attention to detail and a plan that runs like clockwork. It’s a hard thing to get right if you’ve not done it before, so it’s a good idea to work with a professional relocation company (and perhaps your IT supplier) to smooth the process.

Have you been through an IT relocation recently? Did it go ok? Leave a comment and let us know.

Clare Moorhouse is from Help Moving Office, an online resource to help companies plan, manage and execute a successful office move. You can read their IT relocation checklist online now.

• How to deploy IT equipment effectively
• Should you upgrade your systems?
• How to plan your IT maintenance tasks

Friday Donut tip: secure remote working

Every Friday we bring you a great business IT tip. From nuggets that make repetitive tasks easier to easy ways to banish tech annoyances, we’re here to help.

If there’s something you’d like our help with, send an email to [email protected] or just leave a comment on this post. We’ll try and cover it in a future IT Donut tip.

Safer remote working

As remote working becomes more common, businesses are having to cope with some new security risks. There’s the possibility of laptop theft, of course, and using insecure wireless connections means anyone could be eavesdropping on your data.

And what if your laptop gets rained on, or you leave it in a taxi by accident? You won’t just lose your laptop, but you’ll lose all the data on it too – and that could be a big blow to your business.

To avoid this happening, whenever possible, don’t save important documents and data to your laptop. If your business has a network server, you should have space on there to save everything. If you don’t have a network drive available on your computer, ask your IT supplier to set one up and put a shortcut on your desktop so you can find it easily.

Of course, it’s not always possible to save to a network server. If you’re not in the office, you need to be connected remotely to your company network so you can access your resources. If you’re working without a connection, save files to your laptop and make sure you copy them to the server once you’re back online.

Use the power of the cloud

If your company doesn’t have its own network server, you can achieve a similar effect using cloud storage. Services like Dropbox and Box let you create a special folder on your computer. Anything you save in there automatically gets copied to a server on the internet too. So if you lose your laptop, you don’t lose your data.

Finally, here’s one last tip for laptop workers: if you’re stepping away from your computer, make sure you lock it. In Microsoft Windows, just hold the Windows key and tap L. That’ll make sure nobody can meddle with it while you’re not there.

• Three keyboard shortcuts you won’t be able to live without
• Increase laptop battery life
• Open web and file addresses faster