Uncategorized | MIN READ

Does your business email address sound professional?

Over 70 percent of consumers would rather communicate with companies via email. In a recent survey that compared audience preference rates, email emerged as the most favoured channel of communication, beating social media, text messages, and direct phone calls. What this means for your business is that email is the way to go…but what email address have you given your clients?
Consider this; your business @gmail, @yahoo, @outlook.com. Does this really sound professional? To enhance the credibility, security, and perception of your business, you need a professional email.

Credibility

Owning a professional email will give your business instant credibility/validity because, to the consumers, it portrays the image of a company that is well established in its industry. Before they agree to purchase a service or product from any company, consumers will evaluate its legitimacy. Regardless of the product in question, they will actively look for signs that show the provider can be trusted. Since professional email portrays an image of competence and trustworthiness, it will help your business meet its consumers’ trust requirements.

Security

When you own a professional email address, it is managed by a dependable business that also hosts your website. In essence, your web address is linked to your professional email address and vice versa. This means your email is protected by an SSL certificate and any other security features your hosting company may provide.  Many public email providers are vulnerable to hacking, a weakness that leaves important business information such as financial details open to cybercriminals. Also, depending on the nature of your business, the privacy or anonymity of your customers may very important. Owning a hosted domain (personalized email) means the security of your data can be guaranteed.

Perception

If customers are already familiar with your domain name (i.e. www.mybusiness.com), it goes without saying that they would instantly recall a professional email address tied to the same domain. Instead of having them reach you through [email protected], it would be easier for them to use [email protected] – a highly convenient business name encourages consumer engagement and builds brand resonance.
Furthermore, people are often unwilling to respond to an email from an unknown sender. Messages received from free accounts such as Hotmail or Gmail might look like spam and prompt users to treat them accordingly. If your company is contacting clients for the first time (through a marketing email or website form), you may want the clients to know who is reaching out to them. Clients feel reassured by such details and are more likely to respond when the senders are known.
In summary, a professional email address is a highly essential customer engagement and marketing tool that is vital for all business owners. It will leverage your business as a credible authority in its industry, and improve audience response to your marketing campaigns. However, it is important to remember that such email addresses should only be created if your business has a functional website. If you own a business but do not have a website, it would be better that you create one before opting for a professional email. This is advised because your clients will search for your email’s domain name on the internet for additional information. The absence of an official website may affect their decision to purchase your company’s product or service.