What feels better, bobh3452@hotmail.com or bob@paintgurus.com? I run across email addresses for businesses and business owners all the time that come from free, or generic, email services. I'm talking about yahoo, hotmail, gmail, msn, aol, comcast, roadrunner, qwest, and the list goes on. Don’t get me wrong, these are great companies and they provide a solid service. I am talking about their use by businesses; specifically small and micro businesses. If you are using one of these email addresses you are missing a huge branding opportunity.
Email addresses are a major means of contact in today's age. For 84 cents a month you can brand what your customers and other contacts see (meaning, you@yourbusiness.com). If this isn't the definition of a "no brainer", somebody call Webster and submit a change request. I will tell you exactly how to do this in just a minute, but I want to talk a little bit about the benefits first.
Branding and marketing is about leaving and keeping a spot in the mind of your prospects. Then, when they are ready to buy, they will think of you. Instead of sending the name of your current email provider to everyone you know, start sending your business name.
You might be thinking, "I'm set, I have paintgurus@yahoo.com". That is certainly a step in the right direction, but there are 2 additional reasons to move to a custom domain. 1) Many of the free email services include advertisements with each of your email messages, or at the very least add their brand to your messages. You don't want to send that junk to your clients. 2) Many corporate email servers block email from free service providers. So, your messages may not even make it to the recipient.
There is one prerequisite to having a branded email; you need a domain name (i.e. the paintgurus.com part of the email address). That's easy, and costs less than a fast food combo meal. There are a ton of good articles out there on how to select a domain name, so I am not going to cover it here.
To setup your new email account, head over to GoDaddy and check out their email packages. As promised, you can get started for 84 cents per month. You can also search for and setup your new domain there as well, if needed. If GoDaddy is not your thing, there are many great domain and email providers out there. We like them because their stuff is simple and simply works.
If you are currently using a generic email provider, stop. Quit supporting their brand and start supporting your own. Leave your mark.
09.08.08 05:56 by Nate
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