social network links widget question

[Greg Griffin]

Hi Bill,

I’m hitting my punch out list on my makeover in United. I’ve tried to figure out how to “trick” the e mail address box in the social network links widget, so it will open an email in a new window. No luck! I’m sure you know the magic keystrokes….

Thanks!
Greg

[Bill Robbins]

To make a link for an email address, you use this format for the URL:

mailto:name@email.com

and that will make the link open up an email to that an address in the viewer’s default email app.

But there are some problems with that method. If someone doesn’t have a default email app set up, not only will they not be able to send you an email, but they won’t be able to find your address either. I typically recommend having the email icon direct to a page with a contact form since that works for everyone.

Hope that helps out,
Bill

[Greg Griffin]

Bill,

Thanks for this info. I can set up a contact page within the site. One of my colleagues was thinking we could avoid spam bots by not having a contact form. Your thoughts?

[Bill Robbins]

In my opinion it’s ok to get an occasional spam contact form submission as long as I’m not missing anyone who actually wants to contact me.

What I do on our contact page is have set the reason for contacting to be required in order to submit a form, but the default option is empty. Unless a valid answer is selected, the form won’t submit. That small thing took out virtually all of my contact form spam.

[Greg Griffin]

Thanks, Bill.

I created a contact page, and then tried to enter that page url in the e mail address box of the social links network widget, and it still kicks me out to my e mail program, with the name of the page in my to: line.

How do I link this icon appropriately?

Thanks!
Greg

[Bill Robbins]

Sorry about that. I didn’t remember the widget working that way. It is hard coded, just for an email address. But if you have a contact page with a form, I would leave out the icon and add the contact page to your navigation. That’s a better way to find it anyway.

[Greg Griffin]

Yep, I’ll go that way then.

Thanks, Bill.

[Bill Robbins]

Sorry to lead you astray Greg. If you need anything else, let me know.

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