Are Emails at Work Dead?

 Some methods of communication just don’t die. 

• Radio
• Newspaper 
• eMail

In fact, email seems to be as popular as ever. Who would have thought? Since email first entered the scene, we now have access to Messenger, texting, WhatsApp, and so many more. Yet, we still find ourselves using email more than ever! 

How do you feel about email? 

Ask yourself the following questions: 

• Do you use email as your primary source of communication at your work? 
• Do digital distractions make it hard to focus?
• Do you feel overwhelmed by your inbox? 
• Do you find that you miss important emails because there’s too much in your inbox?  

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you’re like most everyone else. You’re normal … whew!

In fact: 

• 81% find that email IS their primary way of communication with others at work. 
• 62% feel that digital distractions make it hard to focus. 
• 67% are overwhelmed by the flood of emails in their inbox
• 82% say their inbox is so full that they’re missing out on important communications. 

I came across this information in a report about emails titled “Data and insights concerning the state of the email inbox of U.S. business professionals” for the Fall of 2022. It contained some pretty fascinating information in the report! If you want to geek out on all the numbers, you can read the full report here. Here is some additional (and fascinating) information about emails at work: 

• The average number of emails that employees deal with is 71 … every … day! WOW. Not sure if that includes spam or not. It’s also a law that companies have to have an Unsubscribe option on their newsletter emails. If you find you’re getting too many or don’t find them useful, unsubscribe from a few and reduce the number of emails that you’re receiving. 
• 89% of all emails arrive in your inbox Monday through Friday. No surprise there. The busiest days? Tuesday and Thursday. 
• Most of us spend somewhere between 30-60 minutes addressing our emails each day. 

Do you agree with the above information and statistics? 

I like what one user on Reddit said about emails: “Time-stamped, reliable, archivable & deposition ready.” (R/soldelmismo) 

Someone else mentioned that they provide a great paper trail. 

When it comes to emails and your website, here are a few reminders and tips: 

1. Be sure that your email address is prominent. Many people that come to your website are looking for contact information, including email, so make sure it’s easily found at the top and/or bottom of your page. 
2. To help reduce the amount of spam you receive, consider adding a reCaptcha filter through Google. You have to set up an API key for it to function but it’s worth it. 
3. You can also consider adding a space around the “@“ symbol to help reduce bots sending your emails. For example, my email address is displayed on my website as: cody @ touchpointdesignsllc.com 
4. Gmail addresses may not look as professional as an email address with your domain … but they are pretty universal, reliable, and work great for getting emails to come through a Contact Us form. 

I wish you the best of luck in managing your email, keeping it under control, and making the most of this universal form of communication that has withstood the test of time!