Ever been handed a business card only to find a Gmail or Hotmail address in the contact details? It doesn’t leave a good impression of the business. People like to deal with businesses that appear trustworthy and professional; a generic email address can damage this image. In fact research shows that 92% of small businesses feel a branded email makes their business look more credible.
Your potential customers may find your generic email id on a listing site like JustDial or IndiaMart, but choose to talk to another supplier who has a branded email id on recognized domains like .com and .net. It may seem like a very minor point to focus on but in the fast moving world of the internet where consumers are offered a wide range of choices, a moment’s hesitation or doubt can be the difference between sales conversion and a missed opportunity. What’s worse is that once they leave a listing site, you are rarely given a second chance to capture them again. So it’s important to get it right the first time.
What is surprising is that 63% SMBs around the world without branded email are unaware that they can get a branded email id even without owning a website.
Do you think getting a business email id is a tedious process? Quite the contrary, in fact! All you need to get started is a domain name. Here are two simple ways to make it happen:
1. Redirect to your existing email
You can create a branded email id once you have registered your domain name. While it may seem like a small point, the choice of domain name is also a critical one. It is important to register your domain name with recognized extensions like .com and .net, which will give your brand credibility and trust. You can redirect it to your existing email account like Gmail, Yahoo or any other generic email address. It is not only simple but also a cost effective and smart way to create a branded online identity. While your contacts see your incoming email from a branded email id, you have the comfort of continuing with your generic email at the backend. This option also allows you to manage both your personal and professional emails from a single email account.
2. Managed Email Services
There are two ways to obtain these services. Your domain name or website hosting service provider may offer a branded email service for a nominal subscription fee. This allows you to use services of web and email hosting from a single vendor. It typically comes with customer support. Affordable and easy to set up, this is a convenient and comprehensive way to manage your professional emails. However, you may get limited features and functionalities of your mailbox, and may need to pay more for extra storage.
Alternatively, you can use one of the several popular online business tools like Google Apps for Work or Office 365 Small Business etc. to set up your business email id. These tools offer integrated business solutions. So, you can either start with your branded email and later upgrade to get other features like online storage, document editing, video conferencing, and secure file sharing – or buy the entire package. A business-class email tool with 99.9% uptime it lets you create unlimited email addresses and sync up your email and tools to all your digital devices. Moreover, it offers superior security features to protect your valuable business data and communication.
You should consider factors like the frequency of email communication needed, number of email ids required, financial limitations etc. before selecting any of the ways discussed above. Choose the option which suits your needs best. After all, you know best what suits your business.
Whichever option you choose, the first step is to register the right domain name, which reflects the purpose of your business on a trusted domain extension. .com and .net have been domains of choice for the last 15 years. So, register your domain first to get your branded email id!
