Email communication has become an essential part of our daily lives, both in personal and professional spheres.
If you have a business of any kind, you should NOT be using a free email address – like one from Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook.
There are several good reasons for this. The first three reasons will help you improve your image, and the last three will help you improve your business.
In this article, we’ll explore six of these reasons.
If you want to be noticed, dress the part.
1. You look cheap.
To most people, a free email address says: “He’s cheap,” “She does this business on the side,” or “They might not be in business very long”.
2. You look like an amateur.
A free email address will not leave a professional impression on anyone. The email tom@allclients.com looks and feels much more professional than tomsm12488@gmail.com.
3. You look lazy.
Free email addresses are, well…free! They take about 2 minutes to get one. If you will take a few more minutes, like maybe 10, you can have a pro email. (Keep reading!)
4. A free email address does not promote your business.
Don’t miss this chance to promote your business with a professional email address. Don’t you think it’s better to have YOUR company name in your email rather than Gmail or Yahoo?
5. Free is not permanent.
What happens when your email provider changes things? Maybe they will retire a domain like @prodigy.net or @sbcglobal.net. Or maybe they start charging for their services. When you have a “free” email address, you are at their mercy, and it might not be yours for long.
6. Your deliverability suffers.
Free email addresses have lower deliverability rates than emails from a company’s domain name. Since anyone can get a free email address, including spammers, content filters are much more likely to block a free email address than one at your website domain.
To make matters worse, in early 2024 Gmail and Yahoo are further restricting the use of free email addresses for marketing senders. These changes will make it almost impossible for you to use a free email address for your business.
So now you know you need a professional email address. Keep reading!
Get a professional email address.
Getting a professional email address is easy and inexpensive, and you can do it in the next 10 minutes.
Step 1: Get your domain
If you don’t already own a domain like MarySmith.com or MyBusiness.com, you can easily get one from GoDaddy, NameCheap, Domain.com, or any other domain registrar.
Step 2: Create your new email address and set up your inbox
Most domain registrars have an option to get an email service directly from them. Some offer free email, and others may charge you a bit.
A great alternative to using your domain provider’s email service is Google Workspace. Google Workspace will give you email and several other professional tools like calendars, spreadsheets, word processing, and more. Google Workspace is fast, reliable, and inexpensive.
Google Workspace can be found here ➝ https://workspace.google.com/
In summary, your email address is more than just a means of sending and receiving messages. It is crucial in establishing your identity, facilitating communication, protecting your privacy, and contributing to your online presence. Now go do it the right way!
