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I can't believe I just did that. I, a person who takes pride in being a careful proofreader, sent a client an email full of grammatical errors. My excuse: I was answering from my phone in the carpool line at my kids' school instead of waiting until I was back at my desk. I send hundreds of emails a week, and plenty of them go out from a phone or tablet.

Nearly two decades into my career, I made a rookie mistake. Fortunately I have an easygoing client who gave me the benefit of the doubt.

Email from the road deserves the same care as email from the desk.

I first wrote this post a couple of years ago and decided today was a good day to bring it back.

We marketers are expected to be available anytime, from anywhere, and it's easy to see a message come in, tap out a quick reply and hit send while it's fresh. It feels good to keep the inbox clear, and our bosses and clients appreciate business as usual while we're out of the office.

With on-demand email such a normal part of the day, here is how to keep messages professional and clear in the mobile era.

• Spelling, grammar and punctuation still matter. Use proper sentence structure. Avoid !!! and ???. Watch your case: ALL CAPS LOOKS LIKE SHOUTING and all lowercase looks lazy. Always spell-check before sending; emails with typos aren't taken as seriously. Read the message aloud to check the tone.
• Keep it professional. Never email angry. Skip shortcuts, emoticons, jargon and slang. Use acronyms sparingly.
• Answer every question the sender raised. Don't make people ask twice.
• Always include a full signature with phone, mobile and email so it's easy to reach you, plus your LinkedIn and other relevant social profiles.
• When forwarding, add a personal note so the next reader understands why they're receiving it.
• Remember email travels. Unintended readers may see what you've written.
• Never reply to an old email to start a new topic.
• Don't use email for last-minute cancellations of meetings, lunches or interviews, or to deliver bad news. A phone call is still best.

So if you're like me and determined to keep up with email on the go, learn from my mistake and take a few extra seconds to proofread.