Build credibility with your own domain

“Yeah, I know, he’s got a Yahoo.com address, but we won’t hold that against him.”

It was just a humorous comment from a graphic designer friend of mine. But it really got me thinking: What impression do your prospects get from something as innocuous as a “freebie” email address?

Not a very favorable one, it turns out.

Many protest that one email address is as good as another. Once your recipients have you in their address book, they say, that’s all that matters.

But with the rise in spam email, phishing attacks, and other Internet fraud, web credibility is becoming more important every day. If your email address isn’t one that your recipients immediately recognize, they may be deleting your email unread to avoid spam or viruses.

Solving this little problem is a lot easier than you think. Most web hosting companies offer packages that allow you to inexpensively register a domain name, then set up POP email accounts (like [email protected]).

Domain registration can cost as little as $1.99 (although $6-12 with yearly renewals is more typical), and email accounts from $10-30 per year, depending on how many email addresses your company needs.

So, for about the cost of one large gourmet coffee each month, your email address can:

• Build your brand – Every time people receive email from you, your address reinforces your company name, your value proposition, or whatever else you want your domain to say about you.
• Drive traffic to your website – If you have a website with that same domain name, seeing your domain name in your email address could prompt your email recipients to visit your website for more information. And that’s another opportunity to sell.
• Enhance your web credibility – Having your own domain name gives recipients the impression you’re in business for the long haul. After all, where would you rather do business – with a store that has a canvas banner out front … or one with a permanent sign?

Isn’t your professional image worth $5 a month?