Can an email address really impact on how people see my business and brand?
The quick answer – YES. But whether that impact is positive or negative depends on which email address you use. I promise you, having a custom branded email address as a voiceover is one of the smallest and cheapest steps you can make to improve your brand. This is why…
1. It gives the right first impression
As a huge proportion of your contact with clients, agents or customers is via email. It’s important to your brand to have an email address that matches it. It shows a cohesive, well thought through brand.
If you have a logo, website, and social media channels dedicated to your business, then why not the email address too?
Quite simply, a custom email address looks more professional.
2. It builds trust
Who would be more likely to trust to do your accounts?
accounting@hotmail.com or helen@youraccountant.co.uk
I bet it’s not the Hotmail address.
Having a custom email address helps earn your customer’s trust, seeing you as a legitimate business owner. The @hotmail, @btinternet, @gmail email addresses do the opposite. Many potential clients will not be comfortable replying to karenthevoice@yahoo.com as they are more likely to be spam and scam emails.
Your email address does help to validate your credibility, and that has an impact on how people view your business overall. It’s important that the impression your clients and customers have of you is not marred by a free email address.
3. It builds your brand
Your email is like a digital business card – it allows clients to find out more about you and what you do.
Have you ever Googled someone’s website from their email address to find out more about them their services? I have. This is not as simple when you’re using a free email address.
Every email you send with your business name in the email address reinforces your brand. Every email sent promotes your business and reminds people of your name. Every email sent is an opportunity to attract more business.
A branded email address is a simple way to market your company without it costing you lost of money.
4. Your emails are less likely to send up in a spam folder
This is a really important point.
Free email addresses are far more likely to end up in the spam folder of your potential (or even worse, current) client.
ISPs (Internet Service Providers) prefer to see domains that have been registered – it means they can trackback to an individual sender – a real human, not a bot or scammer. Free emails don’t allow this and are often abused by people deliberately sending spam and scam emails.
Sending from a branded email address lets other people’s inboxes know they are lower spam/scam risk and it’s ok to accept them. Emails being sent from free (Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail etc) accounts are more likely to end up in a spam folder and never be seen. This risk happens even if the recipient has your email in their contacts list, although the risk is reduced. But why risk this happening at all?
5. Chances are you’re already paying for one
If you already have a website domain name, chances are you’ll also have an email address. Most hosting companies bundle web addresses and email addresses together. So – if you have a custom website but not a custom email address – get in touch with your provider or web developer and check if you also have an email address in your domain package.
6. It’s cheap
Our B Double E business email addresses cost around £40 each per year. That’s 77p per week. Now, if that’s not a cheap investment in your business and your brand I’m not sure what is.
I’ve (hopefully) convinced you it’s time to ditch your free email account and get a custom email address. But where to begin?
If you have a website domain name, check with your provider or developer if you also have a custom email address included in your package (you should do!). If not, get one added!
There are a lot of places you can buy an email address – there are various costs, usually based on the features of each service – there are lots on offer including Google who offer a custom email service.
All email providers will give you a set-up guide (some offer set-up support too), showing you how to add email addresses to your computer and mobile phone.
A few statistics for you
I’m quite a fan of data. I actually like looking at analytics. Looking at our mailing list stats. and based on subscribers that are voiceovers, here are some percentages for who uses a custom email address over a free email.
Based on our current* newsletter subscribers:
- 62% have a custom email address
- 38% use a free email provider, of those:
- 11% use Gmail (non-custom)
- 9.5% use Hotmail
- 5% use Yahoo
- 5% use BT
- 7.5% use other free email providers
* data correct as of 27/09/19
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