When you talk to someone face to face, it is easy to understand what they are saying. After all, we don’t just speak with our mouths; we actually also communicate using our bodies. When you are face to face, you can read someone’s hand gestures, body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions. All of this makes it very easy to understand what the person is saying.

Online is a completely different ball game. When you communicate with someone via email, forums, or even webcasts, it’s not always that easy. After all, you can’t read any of the expressions mentioned above.

However, by following a few simple rules, you can make communication on the network much easier.

• Write clearly. It is often difficult to write what is actually quite easy to say. But writing neatly can be confusing for the reader. Instead, think about what you want to say and write in short, clear sentences. Punctuation-dotted sentences can be read in a variety of ways and can confuse the reader; Again, focus on short, clear sentences.

It also helps to close your message with a little humor or other “finesse.” This will help prevent your overall message from appearing dry. It is very easy for people to confuse direct and to the point with cheekiness when reading.

• Learn the etiquette of the network. There are different rules of courtesy online. Did you know that writing in capital letters means screaming? This is an easy mistake for a beginner to make and one will want to avoid it.

Also, using too many exclamation points can make your message seem irrational or a bit exaggerated as well. And, on the other hand, sentences that are too direct without the use of humor can seem harsh or emotionless. Try to find a balance between using expressive punctuation marks as exclamation points and not using them at all.

You can also use emoticons online to express how you feel – a happy face at the end of a direct message can make a big difference to the overall impression of the reader. However, if you write in a more professional way or would like your message to be taken seriously, too many emoticons, such as happy faces, can make you appear unprofessional or someone who should not be taken seriously. Again, it’s about finding the right balance.

• Explain yourself. Particularly when it comes to colleagues and subcontractors, it is important that they know up front that when you are writing a business message, you can do so in a very direct way. Ask them not to take it as something other than what is written in the message.

This is a particularly effective strategy when it comes to virtual assistants, such as writers or virtual assistants. You may simply not have the time to include a chatty message with each and every email. Explain that your direct messages don’t mean you’re upset or anything, you’re just communicating about the job in question.

Hopefully these three rules will help you avoid many pitfalls of online communication. It’s also helpful to note that you can sometimes read a message differently than the writer intended. It is always best to approach these situations with caution, simply asking the writer to explain what they wanted to say. The worst thing to do would be to go with all your guns on and then realize you didn’t really get your message, oops.