Are you that photographer
that hands someone a free Vista Print card, and an email address that says “JaneDoePhotography@aol.com?”
Or worse yet, have you spent hundreds of dollars on beautiful letterpress cards, but have a Gmail address on them?
Shame on you!
Personalized Domain Emails FTW
Just as the way you dress says something about your image, so does your email. And it’s a relatively easy and cheap fix.
Reasons for branded emails:
- Professional appearance (This should go without saying).
- Consistency (Using your domain with your email address drives home that brand).
- Credibility (Gmail addresses are easy to get, making them less reliable).
- Security (Less likely to get marked as spam by filtering software).
- Expandability (Use multiple email addresses for different aspects of your business or additional employees: booking@janedoephotography.com, jane@janedoephotography.com, john@janedoephotography.com)
The Solution
If you don’t already own your domain. Please go buy one. I recommend Name Cat or Omnis.
*Please don’t buy from GoDaddy. The GoDaddy owner kills elephants and I boycott their products and services.
Most domain registrars and hosting companies will have a FAQ on how to incorporate your new email address into the most popular programs such as Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, etc.
If you like using Gmail’s webmail, you can still use it along with your new domain email address by signing up for Google Apps. It provides the same interface, and spam filtering that you are used to, with the ability to use your own branded email address.
Conclusion
With as many photographers as there are these days, you need to do everything you can to set yourself apart. Having your own domain and email address is one of the easiest and cheapest to do. It legitimises your business and provides a professional image. It is quite literally one of the best return on investments you can make as a business owner.
If you have questions or need help in getting your new email setup, please feel free to contact us at Flaunt Your Site.