A professional business email address with a clear and simple naming structure, using a bespoke domain, is important for any business which is serious about building trust with customers. Over time, trust translates to a solid brand reputation and better sales, so it’s something that every business should take seriously.
The following three simple rules for creating a business email address will help you to start developing your brand reputation now.
Use your own domain name in your business email address
Using your own domain name is the number one way in which a business email address can help a business improve its professional image. Using name@yourbusinessname.com increases trust and lends your business an air of respectability. It’s also a great way of publicising your business name and of keeping control of your brand. Let’s delve a little further into why using a custom domain name is so important for businesses.
- Avoid an unprofessional image – using a generic email host such as Yahoo or Gmail automatically makes you look unprofessional and dilutes your credibility
- Email address availability – when you use your own domain, any handle (the bit before the @) that you want is available. It’s unlikely, for example, that john@gmail.com is available, so you would likely need to insert numbers and characters into your handle which. This is a problem as it makes you look unprofessional to customers.
- Continuity – brand continuity is important in business. When you have your own domain, you can set up all your staff email addresses in the same format, e.g. j.bloggs@yourbusinessname.com. This helps you to cultivate an organised, clean brand image.
- Memorability – customers are far more likely to remember a simple email address, such as john@yourbusinessname.com, compared to one filled with special characters and numbers that you’d need to use if you were using Yahoo or Gmail.
- Better control – businesses using an internet service provider (ISP) for their email accounts don’t have any guarantee that their provider will continue to operate in the future, or continue to provide the kind of email account service they want. Using a custom domain means that you can maintain your email account, even if you choose to switch to a different web host.
Standardise your display name and email format
Your domain name is only half the story when it comes to setting up your business email addresses. Standardising the handles you use for all of your team is also key to developing your brand. Make sure this is decided before you start setting up your employee email addresses. In general, the most professional formats are full name, a combination of name and initials, or first or last name only.
Here are some ideas to help you:
- First name and last initial: joeb@yourbusinessname.com
- First initial and last name: jbloggs@yourbusinessname.com
- Last name: bloggs@yourbusinessname.com
- First name: joe@yourbusinessname.com
- Full name: joebloggs@yourbusinessname.com
You could even set up a general email account such as info@yourbusinessname.com. It’s important to take into account the username length, and your business’ size, when setting up your business email addresses. For example, a first name only policy will not work for larger companies as there will almost certainly be multiple Johns!
Display names are also a very important part of business email address creation. This is the name that displays on the email snippet when the email lands in your customer’s inbox. Commonly, this will be your first name and last name, but there are other options that might be more suitable. If you’re using a generic email address, you may want to change the display name to your company name, for example, Your Business Name Here <info@yourbusinessname.com>.
Set up specific business email addresses for use on your website
Setting up a special business email address for use on your website, such as contact@yourbusinessname.com, is beneficial. It’s easy to remember and will never go out of date (if you use an employee’s email address, they may leave, which means you’ll have to update all your webpages with the new contact information).
It’s important to set up email forwarding if you use specific business email addresses in this fashion. This ensures that the emails get to the right people in your company. Business email providers usually make email forwarding very easy to set up, so it’s worthwhile exploring this as an option for your business.
In summary, using a business email address that makes use of a custom domain name lends far greater credibility to your business and makes you seem more professional. Furthermore, it helps you to develop, publicise and control your brand. Customers will be able to easily contact you and your contact details will be easily recognisable and memorable.
Put simply, it’s the best option if you want to build trust with your customers and be taken seriously. View our email package options.
What makes a business email address look professional?
A professional business email address is fundamental to building credibility in the digital marketplace. This is because you get:
- Use of a custom domain that matches your business name
- Consistent formatting across all company email addresses
- Clear, simple structure without numbers or special characters
Your email address is your digital business card, so it is essential to keep it polished and professional.
How do I choose the right email format for my business?
Selecting the appropriate business email address format requires careful consideration of your current needs and future growth. Here’s three factors to think about:
- Consider your company size and growth plans
- Evaluate the clarity and memorability of different formats
- Think about your future scalability as you add new team members
The right format will serve your business well both now and as your organisation expands.
Why shouldn’t I use a free email service for my business?
Free email services might seem convenient, but they can significantly impact your business’s reputation. Here’s why:
- Free services can damage your professional credibility
- You have limited control over email features and settings
- You’re at risk of your preferred usernames being unavailable
Investing in a professional business email address shows commitment to your business and helps build customer trust.
What role-based email addresses should my business have?
Role-based business email addresses are crucial for streamlining communication to and between teams in your business. Here’s three areas where role based address can be useful:
- Department-specific addresses like sales@ and support@
- Team-specific addresses for larger organisations
- General contact addresses like info@
These structured business email addresses ensure fast communication flows and keep you looking consistent and professional across your organisation.
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