Consolidate Your Questions

May 2016 — Tip of the Month

Have you ever received an email that contains so many questions, you don't know how to answer it? It can be so overwhelming, you might not even want to reply.

Therefore, if you're on the sending end of an email with multiple questions, don't sprinkle them throughout the message! Instead, consolidate all your questions at the end of the email. If you have two or more questions, numbering them or listing them as bullet points can be helpful. This allows the recipient to clearly see each question and answer them individually.

This netiquette tip applies to all types of emails, including those to friends, co-workers, and webmasters. As a webmaster who has read tens of thousands of messages, I can attest to the difficultly of answer emails with questions sporadically posed throughout the message. Not only will consolidating your questions make it easier for the recipient, there is a good chance it will also help you get a quicker response.

And don't forget to read your email before sending it!

- Per Christensson