Have you ever wondered if there is something more that you can do to help people find information and resources -- either your own or those that you are recommending -- that you are trying to share with them?
Did you know that you may be just seven (7) characters short of your goal?
One of the ways that many people unknowingly hinder their efforts to reach their target audience is -- ready for this? -- the way they write a URL address in an email, as part of an email signature file, in a Twitter post / tweet or a phone text / SMS message!
Surprised? There's actually a cultural explanation...
In today's world of technology, there is a "majority culture" - Microsoft and its products - and a variety of other cultures, including Mac and Linux, as well as subcultures (software and tools) such as Firefox (my favorite!) and other browsers, various email packages, Twitter, etc.
You see, people from the Microsoft culture who use Microsoft software for email and web browsing have discovered that their culture's primary software "fills in the blanks" and automatically adds the http:// to a URL. They don't need to use the http:// part of the address to make their URLs become live links in their email correspondence or documents.
And they make the crucial mistake of thinking that other cultures are just like theirs.
Not everyone in the world uses Microsoft software, including some members of the Microsoft culture. They use non-MS software -- and many of those tools require the inclusion of http:// to make a URL address go "live" and link properly.
This means that there is a big difference between using
www.manitouheights.com
(which doesn't work in many non-Microsoft products)
and
http://www.manitouheights.com
(which works in all cultures/products)
Using http:// will significantly increase your marketing and information-sharing efforts by allowing people from many "cultures" to quickly and effortlessly reach the information you are trying to give them.
If you don't include http://, there is no doubt that you are hindering people from accessing your information. Many people will not format the URL properly and paste it into their browser. For the want of seven (7) characters, you may have lost an opportunity to reach them!
The next time you write a URL address in an email or Twitter or include your own URL in your email or text message / SMS signature file, consider:
How inclusive are you willing to be to make sure that you reach the broadest audience possible? Do you want to be understood and reach as many people as possible in all cultures? Or are you content with using a method of writing URL addresses that actually hinders -- and therefore prevents and excludes -- potential members of your audience?
I hope that your answer is seven (7) characters: http://
Good luck with that Global Tuneup™! Let me know if you have other suggestions!
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This post is part of the Manitou Heights Global TuneUp™ series. If you're not familiar with it, check out the Global TuneUp™ series introduction!
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