People quote URLs all the time on social media, but oh so often they forget to put the http:// on them.  I often tell them, and they often thank me, but so many people just don’t realise that it’s important.  If it’s not on there, it often can’t be clicked on.

Recognising web site address is easy these days, anything with a .com, .net, .tv, etc etc etc on the end people pretty much know there’s gonna be a web site.

Compare the following:

1. rclazy.com
2. www.rclazy.com
3. http://rclazy.com
4. http://www.rclazy.com

1 is fine for use in print, in logos, aurally etc, people know what a domain name is.

2 is perhaps prettier, and more obvious that it’s a website, but the www. is essentially redundant nowadays

3 is ideal when quoting a web site in an email, on a social media site, in an article, on Facebook, Twitter, MSN, YouTube etc, etc.

It’s VERY important to include the http:// in those cases, as software often converts the link into a clickable link if there is an http:// on the front of it.  If you miss it off, people can’t click, and are often not going to bother to cut and paste it, or type it in.

4 – see 2.

So folks, keep it simple using these two rules:

PRINT, SPOKEN, LOGOS, T-SHIRTS

rcLazy.com – keep it simple, short, and (optionally) use capitals to make it more readable

ANY ONLINE USE

http://rcLazy.com – include the http:// but again keep it short, readable and consistent

Make sure your sites get the visits they deserve – don’t waste the opportunities.