Three Common Email Mistakes People Make on Mobile

For professionals, smartphones and tablets are a common part of daily operations. They enable you to be productive at all times, sending emails and getting work done even when you're on the go. By avoiding the common email mistakes that often happen on mobile devices, you can avoid damaging your professional image.

Spelling Mistakes

Many smartphones come with an autocorrect feature that automatically fixes spelling and grammar email mistakes as you type. It may also complete words before you are done typing, enabling you to finish faster. Unfortunately, your phone doesn't always guess the correct word, leaving you with strange, out-of-place words in the middle of a sentence. It's not enough to glance over your message after it's typed. The phone's spell-check may not catch words that are incorrect in context, but spelled correctly.

According to The Wire, spelling mistakes in mobile email messages are often forgiven or overlooked, even in professional settings. The "Sent from my iPhone" line at the bottom of an email is often seen as an explanation for otherwise unacceptable email mistakes. Regardless, it is always best to check your emails twice, particularly when you send them from your phone or tablet.

Missing Signature

In a standard email program, it is common practice for professionals to add a custom signature. Usually, the signature will include your name, title and company. Occasionally, it includes branding information like a company tagline or a short summary of services. When it comes to mobile email, one of the most common email mistakes is to ignore the signature. Many professionals simply forget to update their phone or tablet's default setting. In doing so, you lose a valuable marketing opportunity each time you send an email. Without the identifying information at the bottom of your email, new contacts must work harder to learn about you and your company.

Displaying Recipients

Despite the prevalence of email on mobile devices, not all professionals have taken the time to learn about its features. The Bcc feature is a particular sticking point for many people who would prefer that their email addresses are kept private. On mobile devices, it is too easy to ignore convention and simply insert each address on a group message into the "To" field; as a result, each email address is displayed at the top of the message. What's more, the message header expands, forcing recipients to scroll down to get to the content. When it comes to email mistakes, ignoring the Bcc field marks you as a technological novice.

To avoid this mistake, create a contact that has the first name "Undisclosed" and the last name "Recipients." Use your own email address as the contact. When sending a group message, add this contact into the "To" field and place all other email addresses in the "Bcc" field to hide them.

Instead of using your mobile device as an apology or an excuse, it pays to take time to plan in advance. By taking steps to avoid common email mistakes, you can establish a more consistent professional image.

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