Should you use a question mark when requesting a link?

[gouri]

When sending out a link request letter, is it better to use a question mark or period at the end of the sentence in which you ask request the link?

Example: I wanted to request if you could please include a link to my site from the links page of your site

At the end of the above example, would you use a question mark or period. I have read that a question mark is ok and I have also read that when making a request, you should use a period.

[Propools]

Is not a period a bit presumptive? So, I would go w/ the question mark.

[Jane_Doe]

Is this a trick question? It assumes you should be sending out link requests.

[gouri]

Jane_Doe,

I am not sure if you are asking that question to me or Propools?

Also, when you send out link requests, which way would you say is better, question mark or period?

[Jane_Doe]

Jane_Doe,

I am not sure if you are asking that question to me or Propools?

Also, when you send out link requests, which way would you say is better, question mark or period?

It was an apparently inept attempt at humor and not a serious question.

[gouri]

Ok.

The reason I posted the question in the opening post is I looked at examples of link request letters on the internet, and I found some well-written ones that used a period in the question requesting the link and I found some that used a question mark.

Since both ways were from what are considered well-written letters, I wasn't sure which way is the best way to go?

[wheel]

I would expect that the answer to your question is that it will make exactly 0 difference either way.

The first thing that strikes me about your sentence isn't the period anyway. It's that it was written by a non-native English writer.

[gouri]

The first thing that strikes me about your sentence isn't the period anyway. It's that it was written by a non-native English writer.

I am a native English speaker.

What makes you to say that?

Would you have written the sentence differently?

[jdMorgan]

You use a question mark to end a question, and a period to end a statement.

Question: Would you link to my site?
Statement: I was wondering if you would link to my site.

Both of these are correct, because the first is a question, while the second is a statement -- "I was wondering."

Jim

[gouri]

Thanks for that response.

Sometimes a statement sounds like a question so it is hard to decide what to use. :)

If I started the sentence with "I wanted to request" would you consider that a question or a statement.

I would appreciate your thoughts.

[wheel]

I wanted to request if you could please include a link to my site from the links page of your site

Read that out loud. It sounds stilted.

[gouri]

Are you saying that it sounds too serious?

[johnblack]

I'm with wheel, it just doesn't quite sound right.

I would change the sentence to

I was would like to ask if you could include ....

Still not perfect but 'request' sounds unnatural and at best very formal whilst 'please' sounds as if you're begging.

I guess it depends on your audience though.

Just my 2c.

[gouri]

I appreciate your guys feedback.

The sites being written to would be about working out.

Would not using the words "request" and "please" be better in this case?

[johnblack]

It's not so much the niche as the individual you are addressing. Using your niche, if the email was going to someone who say owns a small gym and you're asking for a link to a site with work out tips, I'd go for an informal laid back approach. If it was going to a university professor who had written a PhD on the affects of body building on the human body, for example, then I may use a slightly more formal approach.

Of course, the gym guy might prefer a formal request, yet the professor prefer a relaxed email.

Probably the only way to know for sure is to test by sending out emails in different styles and seeing which one works best in your niche/audience.

BTW I agree with jDMorgan re your original question

[gouri]

I agree with you.

Looking at what I wrote, I think "request" might be ok to use but maybe not "please."

I was would like to ask if you could include ....

I am pretty sure you meant "I would like to ask if you could include ...."

but I just wanted to ask if that is what you meant?

[johnblack]

Yeah, sorry about that. I'd only just got up!

Indeed,

I would like to ask if you could include ....

was what I had meant to type.

I've had a coffee and the brain's functioning well now :)

[gouri]

I appreciate your suggestion.

I think that is a good way to begin.

Another question that I had, and I meant to ask this in the OP was, is it better to say links page or links section when requesting a link?

The reason I ask is, on a website, the links to other sites will appear on one page, but in the link request letter, it will often ask for a link in the links section.

I know it may not really make a difference but I wanted to ask what would be the right thing to say.

[wheel]

Give 'em a link in the email to the exact page you want a link from.

And in terms of approaching university profs, I always use the term 'Dr.', i.e. Hi Dr. Smith,. It's like you can't be overdressed, in this case using Dr. (if they are a Dr) is always best. Either they care and you got it right, or they laugh and say 'Hey, I'm just plain old Bob'. Then you've got some rapport.

[gouri]

Give 'em a link in the email to the exact page you want a link from.

Thanks for the suggestion. I think that is a good way to mention the links page.

For one of the sentences that I wrote in a letter, however, the sentence structure is the following so I may have to mention the word "page" or "section":

"I would like to ask if you could...from the links page at example.tld/links."

In the above example, would you say links page or links section?

Thanks.