Let’s face it; it’s just about impossible to conduct business these days without an email address. But if you are using an unprofessional email address, it may be impossible for your prospects to take you seriously.
So is it time for you to retire your @Hotmail account, or bid adieu to your @Aol address? Yes. Here are some key reasons why.
First impressions can mean engaging with a prospect or losing them to a competitor. Email signatures like @Gmail, @Hotmail, and @Yahoo can make your business appear inexperienced and unprofessional, something that can definitely damage your email marketing efforts overall. Using a professional email shows that you are a part of a real business and you offer legitimate services.
It should come as no surprise that free email services are prone to spam and are susceptible to continuous hacking and malware attacks. Preventative measures should be taken to protect your business and customers from these attacks, including secure email hosting, and using a secure email server.
Another risk you take when using an unbranded email is that you’re not in full control of your own email, thus it is not suitable to be used for confidential operations of your business. You wouldn’t want your email to a potential customer to end up in the spam folder or even worse, the trash bin.
Trust is the bedrock of any good business relationship, and an unprofessional email address could be making it hard to trust you.
Think about it, are you more likely to trust badassmachinist432@hotmail.com or john@machinistpros.com? Communicating with customers, potential buyers, and suppliers via a professional email address sends a signal that they are dealing with the right person.
Your company’s manufacturing website is the epicenter of both your brand and your digital marketing efforts. Utilizing your domain name in your email address helps paint a clearer, more unified picture of your brand.
With a professional email address, you don't have to worry about data storage limits, changes to terms and conditions, or your ability to save and export your contacts. Imagine having your contact list disappear randomly? It happens. Some marketing technology tools won't even allow you to register or sign up without a branded email address.
Branded email addresses are more professional and secure, and they help paint the right picture in your customers' minds. So trust us when we say that it’s best to keep your business and personal email separate.
When it comes to marketing your manufacturing business, there’s probably no channel more important than email. Now you know that you can’t just open a Gmail or Yahoo account and call it a day. Whether you are new to email marketing or have been doing it a while but need to improve results, check out our guide, “Step-By-Step Guide To Creating A Winning Email Marketing Campaign.”