DOMAIN REGISTRATION & E MAIL HOSTING
A domain name is essentially your website’s equivalent of a physical address. In the same way that a GPS needs a street address or a zipcode to provide directions, a web browser needs a domain name to direct you to a website
WHY SHOULD YOU GET A DOMAIN NAME?
A domain Name has Authority. One of the first challenges that a small business owner faces is to establish a firm foundation of credibility. To be viewed by potential customers as a real business is absolutely critical.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MAKE PEOPLE SEE A BUSINESS A REAL?
The most common expectation is that a company will have a business name, some level of branding (like marketing materials that include the company name and logo), and a website. Fifty years ago, the first item on that list would have been a brick-and-mortar business address, but today, a company needs to have a website in order to appear legitimate. Your website will be your domain name—something like yourbusiness.com.
In many ways, that domain name is the face of your business. It includes your company’s name, it’s how people find you on the web, and there’s one more place it can work for you every day: at the end of your business email address.
Here’s how using a business domain for your email will play a huge part in establishing your business’ credibility.
PROJECT PROFESSIONALISM
Unlike many business decisions, choosing between a business domain email and free email is black and white. Using a business domain email address is a baseline requirement if you want your company to come off as professional.
When you provide your business email address to customers and prospects, don’t expect them to be all that impressed by the fact that you use business domain email. Doing so is more about avoiding the alternative—using a free email account for your business purposes is a terrible mistake.
Which of the following email addresses seems more professional?
john@abcplumbing.com
or
abcplumbing@gmail.com
Using a Gmail/yahoo account makes customers and prospects wonder if your business is more of a side project than a serious business. Using a business domain account gives people the impression that you take your business seriously and have set up a dedicated communication channel to serve your customers.
PROJECT PROFESSIONALISM
Using a free email account for business looks bad. That’s common knowledge. But there will always be a few companies that didn’t get the memo.
By using business domain email, you can differentiate yourself from all your less savvy competitors. They may have figured out ways to engage prospects in an attempt to generate new business, but their use of a free email account will be a red flag, raising questions about how seriously they take their business.
For some people, seeing that generic email address is what will make them move on to a different company—one like yours, that has a professional image, complete with a domain email address.
