A break from the usual to give a piece of Web Design 101 I learned back in 1999, when I started my studying and practicing of web design:

Always include your email address somewhere easily accessible around your site.

This subject actually becomes especially frustrating for me when I do an affiliates check for my fanlistings; when I’m just checking that everything’s up to date on all ends, or when I move or adopt a fanlisting, I check my affiliates’ statuses. I check if their sites are still active (read: there), linking me, moved, adopted, etc., and using Enthusiast as my script it’s very important to me to have my affiliate’s email address so I can inform them of anything (usually moving, outdated link, possible outdated email or one that was never mine to begin with)…

But it[the email address]‘s not always provided to me. It’s not always provided to anyone. Simply put: it can be found no where around your website. Anywhere. At all. Ever.

This is quite problematic, and not just for me.

I’m aware the only time spam is good is when it’s on a spam musubi, but there really is no reason to not have your email address posted on your website, considering the very simple but effective things you can do to deter spam. Forms fails and they’re not always convenient, as exemplified by my situation where I just need your email and don’t feel I should have to send in a form to get what you should have already given… There are actually a handful of reasons to post your email, but let’s focus on how you can post your email address:

• Get an alternative email solely for your site(s).
  The best way to keep spam out of your personal email address is to not use your personal email address; setting up an email strictly for your site(s) makes it so, while there will no doubt probably be some emotional attachment to it, if you have to change the address because some nasty spammers have found it, it won’t be as heart-wrenching to leave and get a new one. This is also a very nice option as it keeps your ‘play’ (personal) separate from your ‘work’ (site business).

• Scramble or break up your email address.
  Spam bots aren’t actually all that smart. In fact, being nothing more than a program, they’re not intelligent at all and are just doing what they’re being ordered to: They’re reading the code that makes up your site to identify email addresses, if I can remember that correctly (note: which makes that theoretic because I’m too lazy to confirm). Scrambling your email address and breaking up how you write it up are two very great, easy ways to deter spam. I use both and have had no problem whatsoever, from spam bots picking up my address from my site.

  I use Schechtel.de’s email scrambler to do the hard work for me, which takes test@example.org and converts it to:

  test@example
.org

  Which, yeah, can read as this in your HTML:

  <a href="mailto:&#x74;&#101;&#x73;&#116;&#x40;&#101;&#x78;&#97;&#x6d;
&#112;&#x6c;&#101;&#x2e;&#111;&#x72;&#103;">&#x74;&#101;&#x73;&#116;
&#x40;&#101;&#x78;&#97;&#x6d;&#112;&#x6c;&#101;&#x2e;&#111;&#x72;
&#103;</a>

  Which looks like this in your browser (and even if you click on/copy the link to your email):

  <a href="mailto:test@example.org">test@example.org</a>

  If you want to break it up even further, for the understandably ultra paranoid, it can convert test AT example dot org to:

  test AT exam
ple dot org

  And for anyone wondering, yeah, those above example email addresses were actually written up using those codes. ☆

  If you’re really good, you can also use javascript to protect your email address…

• Putting your email address on an image.
  If you’re even more worried that the spam bots will crack that, you can always simply put your email address onto an image, sort of like a captcha…

  However, I must say, unlike a captcha, please choose a font that’s easily readable with a complimentary color. The point is for people to get your email address so they can write it on a piece of paper or into the the address bar of their email editor… not to guess, “Well, I think that’s a Q… or, is it an O with swirly things?” “But, is that an R or a K?” “Is that a Z or a two?” “Seven or lesser than symbol? (I would assume 7, but…)” “I can’t tell if that’s an H or an A!” “sdfyuksergtn xdfh. I GIVE UP!”

  

So, yes, this isn’t the world’s greatest article. But including your email address somewhere easily accessible around your site, it’s actually very important. Not every time that you present a form, thinking it’s a perfect substitute for your visitors, is it going to be more convenient; and not including your email address (or, in fact, any method of contact) is a very bad idea. The whole point is to encourage conversation of some form.

In fact, having multiple alternatives for contact (email, form, im, etc.) allows people to pick the medium they’re most comfortable with. It’s a very good practice.