Most people use emails to communicate with others. And for the best part, smartphones have made it easy to do so. Since emails can be more concise than a normal text message and allow for more formatting, they have largely replaced text messages as the preferred method of communication for many. And with good reason!
But if you’re emailing online, you’ll soon discover that there are certain things you need to avoid to ensure your emails look as good as possible. And one of the biggest mistakes you can make is allowing the cursor to jump around the email interface. Keep reading for more information on how to avoid this issue and give your emails the best shot at looking professional.
The Cursor Shouldn’t Jump
When you’re writing an email, you’ll typically have a few options to choose from. You can either type the email in the box or you can use the keyboard to navigate through your emails using the cursor. If you select the first option, the cursor will be positioned at the beginning of the email as you type. But if you use the arrow keys on your keyboard or click the mouse to navigate, the cursor will be positioned at the end of the email as you reach it.
While this might not seem like a big issue at first, it can lead to a lot of problems. For example, if you’re replying to someone and you want to include a new section in your email, you’ll have to go back and retype the whole thing from the beginning because the cursor was positioned at the end of the last email you wrote. And this becomes very tedious and prone to errors.
Since the majority of communications these days are done through emails, it’s very important to ensure that each email is as good as the one before it. This means you need to keep the cursor in the right place at all times and never move it around aimlessly. Instead, whenever you want to add or change something in your email, you should do one of the following:
Write Out The New Content First
Before you put any content in your email, make sure you’ve already written out the content you’ll use in the email. This will help a lot with avoiding the jumping problem. Instead of starting to write the email without any content, you can click on the plus symbol next to the word ‘Draft’ in the top right corner of your email and start writing. When you’re done, save the email and close the window. Then, click on the ‘Compose’ tab and use the content you just wrote to create the new email.
Use The ‘Typing Lab’ Software For Best Results
If you write emails frequently, you’ll quickly discover that there are certain features available on your phone that make writing emails much easier. For example, if you’re using the on-screen keyboard, you can tap the spacebar to insert a space and the comma key to insert a comma. Or, if you prefer to type your email offline, you can use a software called ‘Typing Lab’ to do so. Simply install the app on your smartphone and then when you’re ready to send the email, open the app, click on the ‘Send/New’ button and start typing. When you’re done, hit the ‘Send’ button and your email will be ready to send.
Use The Search Function
Not only does the cursor jumping problem make it very tedious to keep track of what you wrote, but it can also lead to errors. To avoid this, whenever you need to look something up in an email, you can use the search function. For example, if you wanted to find a list of projects that you can be a part of, you can use the search feature on your phone or computer to look for terms like ‘project’,’mentoring’, and ‘involvement’. This way, you can be sure you’ll find what you’re looking for without having to scroll through unnecessary content.
Use The ‘Reply’ Button
Another way to avoid the jumping problem is to use the ‘Reply’ button on your phone or computer. To do this, simply click on the ‘Reply’ button on the email you’re replying to, type your response, and then send the email. Using this method means the cursor will be positioned at the end of the email as you reach it. But since you already started typing in your reply, when you hit the ‘Send’ button, your email will be completed and the cursor will stay put.
Use Chrome’s Autocomplete To Its Full Potential
While Firefox and other browsers provide a similar feature, Google Chrome is the king when it comes to autocomplete. Even if you don’t usually write emails, you should take advantage of this feature because it will make it much easier to write emails. Whenever you start typing in an email, Chrome will suggest words and phrases based on what you’ve already typed. So, instead of going out of your way to try new words or phrases, you can simply click on the one that’s nearest to what you want to say. This feature alone makes Chrome worth trying out.
The Importance Of Paragraphs In Writing E-mails
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when writing emails is to not use paragraphs. Since most people read and reply to emails in pieces, breaking up your content into paragraphs is a great way to make your emails more digestible. For example, you might have a long list of projects you can be a part of. Instead of just listing them all on one long line, you can break it up into smaller lists and use paragraphs to make it easier to follow. Let’s say you’re writing an email to a new contact you met through a business networking group. You could start by introducing yourself, followed by a bit about the group.
You might write:
Hi, I’m Grace. I’m a business owner who belongs to a group of business owners who met through a shared interest in volunteering. We have a lot in common and get along well, so I thought I’d reach out to see if there’s anything we can do to help each other out.
Now, instead of a long line of text, you’ve managed to break up your content into several paragraphs. Each paragraph has a header that serves as a title and a shortened version of your full paragraph. In this case, we have a header for the first paragraph, followed by a short version of the information you provided in the previous paragraph. This is followed by a header for the second paragraph and so on.
This is just one example of how breaking up your content into several paragraphs can make it easier to follow and less prone to errors. When you’re writing an email, simply take out the emotion from the content and put it in a more formal setting.
Emails Aren’t Always For Professional Purposes
While writing emails is generally a good idea, it’s not always about professionalism. Sometimes, you just want to vent about something or you want to ask for something. For these reasons, you might want to avoid using email for professional purposes. But if you’re looking for a way to get in touch with someone or need to give a quick update, emails can be a convenient way to go. Just make sure you don’t overuse it.
In most cases, you can find a way to avoid the jumping problem when writing emails. Simply follow these tips and you’ll be able to send perfectly formatted and concise emails without any issues.