Which dental practice would you choose to contact given the following email addresses: info@pearlybrightsmiles.co.za or toothymike88@gmail.com? It's probably safe to assume you'd pick the first one - in a recent Verisign survey, 65 percent of consumers believe a company-branded email is more credible than a business using a free email account1.
Although it may initially seem insignificant, there is a bigger takeaway here than just email. It’s really all about building credibility and branding; essentially, the impression your business is promoting to the outside world. And for small companies in today’s competitive market, branding is how one business will stand out from another.
1. Give The Right First ImpressionIf you’re still uncertain, here are five solid reasons why you should have a business-branded email address for your company:
A branded email shows the world your company is established and professional. A generic email may project inexperience – or even worse, raise doubts on whether you’re a real company at all. But when you use a branded email, your audience feels you’re here to stay and serious about your business.
2. Create A “Bigger” Image
A generic email address can convey that your business is new, or small, or part time. Having a branded email creates a more “corporate image” and can help prevent awkward situations where potential clients may not want to compensate you as fairly. Additionally, setting up multiple email addresses for different segments of your business (e.g., billing@pearlybrightsmiles.co.za. info@pearlybrightsmiles.co.za, support@pearlybrightsmiles.co.za, etc.), will support that established, professional image you need.
3. Build Credibility And Trust
Unfortunately, scam artists do exist, so many consumers won’t be comfortable emailing personal information to toothymike88@gmail.com. But when you have a branded email address, you’re providing a sense of security and reassurance to your customers that your business is legitimate.
4. It’s Inexpensive…And Easy
You can set up a branded email address with minimal effort through a domain name provider or web hosting company for free or at a reasonably low cost. Or if you currently run Microsoft Office 365, you can easily set this up through the Office 365 admin center. The great advantage of registering a domain name now is how it can grow with your business – use it for your branded email today and for your website in the future.
5. Promote Brand Awareness
The best benefit of using branded email is every time you send out an email, you’re promoting your business, not Gmail or Hotmail. It’s a valuable, cost-efficient way to market your company without having to spend a lot of money.
So if you, like many other small businesses, think that branding was only meant for large enterprises with big advertising budgets, think again. You’re never too small to start building your brand, and you can get started today with branding your email.
