Whenever I see a web address in print that starts with “www”, it really bugs me. It’s more than a pet peeve, there are very good reasons not to include it.
At one time it was desirable to include “www” at the beginning of a website address (or URL) such as “www.yourwebsite.com” because it helped signal to people that it was a website address. But just as we no longer use “https://” in print for web addresses, we no longer need the “www.” Website addresses have become commonplace in our lives. People recognize them easily. Internet domain suffixes like .com, .org or .ca . are all the clues that are usually necessary.
If someone doesn’t recognize an URL without the “www”, they probably do not use websites regularly. I expect there are better ways to reach them. The exception might be if your target audience are people who are new to using websites.
Including the “www” also makes the website address longer. The longer the website address is the smaller the letters get to fit it into the desired space. In some cases, the length could even limit where the address can be used. If the address gets too small, it might be difficult to see or find. It may blend in with other small text.
By keeping the website address to the essentials, you can make it bigger so that it stands out and is easier to read. Any website address can be made larger in the same space just by leaving out the “www.” If you are trying to drive traffic to your website, you want to make the address as large as makes sense and looks good so that people can easily find and read it.
Just compare the difference.
www.communicateandhowe.com
communicateandhowe.com
Which version is most likely to catch your attention?
So be clear in communicating your website address. Make it stand out. Make it easy to read. Lose the “www.”
