Choosing a Professional Email Address
We all know how important it is to get your logo designed just right. And of course your business cards and letterhead need to be just right. This of course is important because you want to present yourself and your business with a professional image.
But how much effort did you put into choosing your email address? Did you give it more than the slightest thought? Very few do. Your email address may actually be more important to your image than your logo, letterhead or business cards combined! Think about it. How many letterheads did you use last week? How many business cards did you hand out? How does their combined total compare to the total number of business emails that you sent out? So, which projects your image more often and how professional is it?
PART 1: Your Email-Name
People tend to pick there email-names out of thin air, without much thought of what it may convery to the recipient of their email. Here are a few examples of poor email-names:
tjv@somedomain.com - I wonder who has these initials?
admin@somedomain.com - Great personal touch!
staff3@somedomain.com - Who is this and who is staff1 & staff2?
Bill_and_Jen@somedomain.com - How can you be two people!
The problem with these email-names is that it’s unclear who you’re dealing with. People want to know:
- That they’re dealing with a real person,
- It’s not the impersonal administration department,
- That you’re not one of a number series,
- It’s not just anyone in the department or firm,
- It doesn’t go your spouse or anyone else.
We recommend you simply use the name you’re known by. That way the recipient has no doubt about who it’s from.
Good examples are CatherineHarbin@somedomain.com, Bob.Barns@somedomain.com, dthompson@somedomain.com, or simply Sam@yourdomain.com. Hyphens and underlines are tough to remember, so try to avoid them. Many people even have problems with periods.
Think about it. If you want to be considered a professional, your image must reflect it in every way. Don’t let your email-name dull your image, or confuse your clients.
Part 2: Your Domain Name
The second part of your email address, your domain name, is as important as your office address. If your image requires a prestigious downtown office, then your domain should reflect it. Ditto if you seek to indicate that you’re unique, and special in some way, or a totally independent advisor.
When we start emailing, or to email friends or relatives, a commonplace domain, such as: telus.net, sympatico.ca, hotmail.com, yahoo.com, aol.com, etc., is usual, but it tells recipients of your email either that you are new to digital communication, or that this is not a business message.
On the other hand, while a domain of a large firm such as: clarica.com, freedom55financial.com, assante.com does indicate a business message, it also implies that you’re not an independent advisor.
Because of this, many advisors advertise their independence by registering their own domains, so you’ll see domains such as johnsonfinancial.ca, jackjohnson.com, rrspguy.com, etc. The key here is something that uses your name, your business name, or something readily associated with you.
Domain names are easy to get - but they have to be unique to get registered.
If you already have a domain name, make sure you are using it! Using an email address thats associated with your domain is also a great promotional tool for your website. Most people realize that the end of your email address is a website domain name that can be accessed with a web browser. Why would you promote somebody else’s website in your e-address?
What Does Your Email Address Tell People About You?
If you are interested in creating a new more professional domain name contact us and we’ll help you set up everything you need!
