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Are You Hiding Your Email Address? Is It So I Can't Find You? Do You Not Want to Do Business With Me?

By
Home Stager

Why are you hiding your email address?  Is it so I can't find you?  Do you not want to do business with me?

wonderingHold on there.... put your fingers down... this is not a rant.  Calm down and take a yoga breath.

The other day, and in fact on many occasions, I have wanted to send an email to someone.  Not a text message but an email.  Couldn't find it. Nope... not on their business card and not on their website.  Oh... I could have pressed ....

                                                          "CONTACT US" 

.... but that doesn't get you an email address.  You might be directed to a form or it may open an email using your default email which in my case is not my business email.  So if I want to send you an email I can do this or I could pick up the phone and call you and ask for your email address, that's assuming you have a phone number on your card or website.  Or I can just pass and go on to something else.

Just the other day someone asked me to send them information on a particular subject... no problem but guess I can't see you?what... I couldn't find their email address.  Looked on their website... not to be found, looked on their business card.. not there either.  Oh yes.. I did pick up the phone and asked for an email address for something THEY wanted but can you rely on others to do so?

Some may say "good"... I get enough spam in my email, and you're right.  On the other hand to what efforts would you be willing to go to get in touch with someone....or more importantly, would your potential clients be willing to go to get in touch with you? 

I'm not saying there's a right or wrong... and for the record my email address is on my card and all of my sites.  And if you want to spam me, there's always the "delete" button.  But, for me, I'd rather delete the spam than not even receive the one email that might mean business for me.

What about you?  Tell us what your thoughts are?  Why are you hiding your email address?  Just want to know...

 

Posted by

Kathy Streib
Retired Home Stager
and Interior Redesign

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Comments (28)

Roger D. Mucci
Shaken...with a Twist 216.633.2092 - Euclid, OH
Lets shake things up at your home today!

Mine is right out there as plain as day BARFF, just waiting to hear from you...........I would never hide from you BARFF.

Jul 07, 2011 12:11 AM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good morning Kathy,

My email address is always out there! Business cards, advertisements, websites etc. Often someone wants to email me first before actually talking. I've had residents in my community email me for an appointment and never actually talk until I arrive at their house! It's just how some people like to communicate. Emails address need to be front and center for everyone!

Jul 07, 2011 12:36 AM
Judy Klem
Transition Stage LLC - Shelton, CT
Home Staging, Senior Move Management, Fairfield/New Haven counties

Hi Kathy - It does seem daft to go into business and then hide the way many people prefer to be in contact. What I can't figure out is why some websites go to what seems like great lengths to hide any contact info at all. Great post. I hit Suggest.

Jul 07, 2011 12:38 AM
Warren Veach
State Continuing Education (StateCE) - Plano, TX

Kathy,

There are still many people in the world that feel that every piece of info they put on the internet, puts them one step closer to having someone steal thier identity.

However, I can't understand why a person would utilize one aspect of technology (web site), but not another (e-mail).

 

Jul 07, 2011 12:43 AM
Gary L. Waters Broker Associate, Bucci Realty
Bucci Realty, Inc. - Melbourne, FL
Eighteen Years Experience in Brevard County

Makes me think about my "email me" and "contact" links. Maybe I need to take a look at this..thanks!

Jul 07, 2011 12:46 AM
Gabe Sanders
Real Estate of Florida specializing in Martin County Residential Homes, Condos and Land Sales - Stuart, FL
Stuart Florida Real Estate

Kathy, no excuse for not having an email address on business cards and corrspondence, but as for web pages and the Internet in general, having an email address publically visible is an invitation for spammers and their robots.  Worse, if you have a custom domain, it will invite them to use that to send spam out as if it was coming from you.  That's the reason we use the contact me forms.  It will be answered, and it's much safer.

Jul 07, 2011 01:21 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Good point.  I don't have the actual email address on my website because my web guy advised against it, but I have it everywhere else.

Jul 07, 2011 01:36 AM
Cindy Edwards
RE/MAX Checkmate - Johnson City, TN
CRS, GRI, PMN - Northeast Tennessee 423-677-6677

Such a good point.  Email should be so easy to locate.  Make it an easy one too.  Not one you have to spend 5 minutes writing down .

Jul 07, 2011 01:48 AM
Joanna Cohlan
Fresh Eyes For Your Home - Chappaqua, NY
Designing, Decorating & Staging Westchester Homes

I think it's critical to have an e-mail address today-why would anyone hide it? I don't like spam but it's a tradeoff.  Good point Kathy.

Jul 07, 2011 02:20 AM
Debb Janes
Nature As Neighbors - Camas, WA
Put My Love of Nature At Work for You

Information on how to reach us is so important and email is still one the preferred methods of contact. Kathy, you are so right about this - don't make folks work too hard to find you or your email address - they might give up.

Jul 07, 2011 03:00 AM
Donna Foerster
HomeSmart Realty Group - Parker, CO
Metro Denver Real Estate Assistant

My email address is everywhere!  I'm NOT hiding!  I want the business.  I want the questions.  I want to interact!  I hate those Contact Us forms.  No one ever responds to them!

Sorry mini-rant!

Jul 07, 2011 04:04 AM
Michelle Gibson
Hansen Real Estate Group Inc. - Wellington, FL
REALTOR

Kathy - I hat clicking "contact me" and being redirected to Outlook because it's not a program I us, so I make sure I have my e-mail address listed as well.

Jul 07, 2011 04:13 AM
Lou Ludwig
Ludwig & Associates - Boca Raton, FL
Designations Earned CRB, CRS, CIPS, GRI, SRES, TRC

Kathy

Not having our e-mail on our marketing material is a big . . . .  costly mistake.

Good luck and success.

Lou Ludwig

Jul 07, 2011 04:33 AM
Julia Maher
Nestings: Connecticut Home Staging and Model Homes - Fairfield, CT
Connecticut Home Stager

I'm going to check my AR profile right now!!!  My email is everywhere else, I hope!

OK, I'm back - I had already put it in the ADDRESS line!

Jul 07, 2011 05:14 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Wallace- I would think as long as the other info is on your signs you may not need an email and I don't think there's a right or wrong answer. 

BLiz- It is frustrating but on the other hand I do see why people choose not to include their email address.

Roy- what a surprise... no flower today!  Many do and it's a personal choice but can be frustrating.

Valerie- unfortunately, spam or bulk mail is a way of life and now we're having to choose what info we put on our cards because there's many different ways to reach us.

Barbara- it is a pain and you ust never know what call or information you might miss if you don't make it available to them.

Debbie- It's probably more an issue of security and spam protection than anything else.  I have 2 personal yahoo email accounts and one I use when I'm asked for an email address from a merchant, etc.  If it gets too much junk, I can dump the address and get another one.

Jerry- you make a good point... most of us use various kinds of Spam blockers.  I've not really had a problem with it.

Gita- I know you can always pick up the phone and call someone but now with Texting and so forth I've found it can be hard to reach someone even by phone.

BARFF- You can't run and you can't hide from me buster!

Dorie- I can think of recent client I had... our only communication was via email. 

Judy- thanks!  I do wonder what the reason is.... and I'm sure it has something to do with Internet security.

Warren- you're right... look at Facebook and how people have been concerned about safety there... and yet you're either in or not... no "partials'

Gary - I took a quick look at mine as well.

Gabe- see... I knew someone would come up with a reasonable answer!  I still don't think there's a right or wrong to it.  You just have to decide for yourself. 

Sharon- I'd better have a discussion with my web person (me) because I don't remember being asked what I wanted to do.

Cindy- I also should have mentioned phone numbers, because I once couldn't find any phone number... the only thing I could do was fill out a form.

Joanna- Yes, it is a trade off.  Perhaps my business is so small, the # of spam emails I get are miniscule compared to larger companies.

Debb- and we don't want them to give up and head somewhere else!

Donna- liked your mini-rant.  I don't like the miniforms either and I have to say I've never filled one out.  I just went somewhere else.

Michelle- I don't use Outlook either!  Yes, I want to see an email address.

Lou- Yes, I do think that people will move on to another provider if they have to go to too much trouble to reach you.

Julia- You're too funny!!! Glad it's there.

 

 

Jul 07, 2011 06:35 AM
Janice Ankrett
Burlington, ON
Staging Professional

Kathy, I have my address on my site, card etc. I want to be found and like you will delete those messages that should have hit the spam fence LOL.

Jul 07, 2011 12:28 PM
Tim Peterson
Wisconsin Realtor Safety and Concealed Carry Classes - Madison, WI
Realtor Safety Training Classes

Hi Kathy This hits home for me too..I suggested it.Thanks

Jul 07, 2011 01:56 PM
Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging
Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR
"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

Kathy -- I feel the same way when looking for someone's email address on their website and can't find one except for that dumb "contact us" form!  I understand not wanted spammers to flood your email but mine is easily found and I don't have a spam problem.

Jul 07, 2011 05:26 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Janice- I have my contact infor, which includes my email address everywhere and my spam problem is not that bad.

Tim- Thanks... I do understand why some people don't put their email address out there but I'd rather not lose a possible client.

Maureen- We are definitely on the same page.

Jul 08, 2011 01:33 PM
Anonymous
NICKY

Nice.

http://peoplesearchmarket.blogspot.com

Jul 12, 2011 01:05 PM
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