Millions of emails are sent around the world every day. It is an effective and convenient means of communicating information and has revolutionised how we operate in the business world. Less intrusive than phone calls and faster than letters, it's hard to imagine how any company could now operate without email. Business letters are becoming a thing of the past as more and more of us use emails as our primary means of conversing with clients, suppliers, customers and colleagues.

Although emailing can be as "chatty" as telephoning and far less formal than letter-writing, there are still some important rules to follow in order to make a good impression. Email etiquette is vital if you want your company to appear professional, helpful, approachable and, most of all, worth doing business with.

Follow these rules for email success:

* Always write an informative subject line - never leave it blank

* Make sure the email is personally addressed

* Separate each paragraph with a blank space so the text is easier to read

* Be clear and concise - long sentences are distracting and boring

* Quickly get to the point of your email

* Check your spelling and facts

* Never use only CAPITAL LETTERS

* Don't use smiley faces or other emoticons (unless you know the recipient very well) or write your text in bright colours

* Never use emotive or offensive language

* Use a legible font and font size

* Make sure that all necessary files are attached

* Think twice before you click Reply to All - do you really want everyone on the list to read your reply?

* Don't use email to discuss confidential information - no email is private

* Don't use the abbreviations often found in text messages (i.e. "I would like 2 C U.")

* End the email well with the next step clearly stated (i.e. "I look forward to your reply.")

* Always proofread before you click Send!

* Do not assume your email is read as soon as it is received - if the matter is very urgent it is better to use the telephone.

Remember your email can be forwarded to many people - that is why it is vital to make a good on-line impression. Use correct and courteous business language and take a little time to construct your message. After all, once you have clicked the Send button, it is too late to make any changes.

KJ Hutchings is the founder of KJ Language Services, offering editing and proofreading services and advice on how you can make your English language documents the very best they can be. For more information, visit http://www.kjlanguageservices.com/.