What Does Your Email Address Say About Your Business?

Skimming through my email inbox, I realized that those emails from unknown addresses that I am most unlikely to open are the ones where the address is one using gmail, hotmail, aol, sbcglobal, etc.

Even if the subject line looks interesting, I usually do not open these emails.

Why?

Because I do not trust someone for business purposes who has not made the small effort to get a professional email address.

Now I am not saying that the person must have a website that accompanies this email address. For example, my husband has a professional email address for his legal practice without an accompanying website. (He does, though, have an educational website with an accompanying email address.)

I am saying that a business person should have a professional email. And it is even more helpful if the email address provides a clue to the person's business. (My husband's legal practice email does this.)

And if you have a website for your business and do not use an email associated with that website, you are hindering your professional image plus losing out on free marketing.

When I get a professional email from someone I do not know, I often go to the domain name of that email to check out the person's website. In other words, that professional email was free advertising for the person's website URL.

If you are a business person without a professional email – and without a website whose domain name you could use for a professional email – consider getting a professional email immediately.

You can obtain this through those online companies that sell domain names.

Do, though, give some thought to the domain name you get for your professional email.

You want it to be connected to your business, not difficult to spell (do you know how many different ways people spell my first name of Phyllis?), and one that, if you do not currently have a website. will be appropriate for your business website in the future.

If you do get a professional email after reading this blog post, send me a message at pzmiller@millermosaicllc.com using it.

I'd like to see what you have chosen to get.

© 2012 Miller Mosaic, LLC

Phyllis Zimbler Miller (@ZimblerMiller on Twitter) has an M.B.A. from The Wharton School and is the co-founder of the marketing consulting company www.MillerMosaicLLC.com, which is now WBENC certified.

Visit Phyllis' Google Plus profile.

Check out Phyllis' books and other projects at www.PhyllisZimblerMiller.com