Smart business owners know that branding goes to the heart of everything they do. Even something as simple as an email address says a lot about a business owner. You should take this into consideration before you print a Gmail address on your business cards.
If you own a domain name, you can configure a free email address to be associated with your domain instead of using Gmail or another free email service provider. Doing so says you are serious about your business. This is something that all businesses can benefit from, but is particularly true for sole proprietors and individuals looking to build a personal brand.
There are a number of reasons why getting a vanity email address like johnsmith@greatbusiness.com is preferable to a free address like john.smith4768@gmail.com:
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A vanity email establishes trust. Anyone can create a free email address. Spammers and con artists create email addresses all the time. It is virtually impossible to authenticate the identity of the sender. However, the address johnsmith@greatbusiness.com is attached to the domain name John Smith registered. It is also easily verifiable because the names and contact information of people who register domain names is a matter of public record. John Smith is making the effort to reach out and connect with his contacts on a more personal level, creating trust.
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A vanity email address is easy to remember. Millions of people have registered Gmail accounts, so it is virtually impossible to find a simple email address that consumers will be able to remember. If you have your own domain, you can create a personalized email address that people will recognize and be able to recall more easily.
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It shows the owner takes pride in the business. The vanity email address listed above shows that the owner prides himself on the fact that he is a business owner. Other businesses want to work with someone who is passionate about their work and pays attention to small details. Registering a vanity email address takes more of an effort than setting up a Gmail account and your business contacts will appreciate that you took the time to do so.
The process of setting up a vanity email address is relatively straightforward. You will need to register a domain name and find hosting for it. There are many options, including some just for email so you don't need to go through the hassle of building a website. However, you will still need to own the domain and be able to send email from it.
Setting up a vanity email address is an easy way to connect with your business contacts and show that you are serious about your business. It's a small investment, but it yields big rewards.
