Updated August 22, 2019.

That wolf shirt you love to wear is pretty cool, isn’t it? Fits like a glove, too.

That said, your wolf shirt has no place in an interview or meetings with your customers and clients.  (And no, it’s not because we’re trying to cramp your style.)

In the business world, presentation matters. You wouldn’t want to lose potential high-value customers just because they didn’t take your shirt (and therefore you) seriously, would you?

The same thing holds true for email addresses.

If your customers and clients can’t physically see you to size you up, they’re going to make their assumptions and decisions based on the things they do see — like your email address. Your email address is one of the first impressions people will have of you as it has a prominent spot in their inbox. You want that email address to represent you well and show that you mean business.

A Professional Email Address Matches Your Domain Name

What do we mean by “professional email address?” A professional, business-minded email address is one that matches your domain name (i.e., [email protected] vs. [email protected]). And why is that?

Let’s take a look at the following scenario as it should shed some light on the matter. 

Look Professional, Establish Credibility, Support Your Digital Identity

Arya spent the last 2 years getting her fencing teacher’s license so she can open her own studio. She’s got an email sign-up form on her website (take note: that’s a really good idea all around) and has been working on growing her list of potential clients. She’s ready to email them and let them know that her studio, Winterfell Fencing, is finally open! But instead of getting an email address to match her domain name, she sends it from the account she’s had since grade school, [email protected].

Now, I don’t know about you, but if I saw an email address like that in my inbox, I’d steer clear from clicking on it because it looks spammy. I like my personal information staying personal, and am in no rush to click on an email that looks like it might be carrying a virus.  

But what if she had emailed from [email protected]? I’d recognize her email address and trust it because I’m familiar with her website, winterfellfencing.com. Her professional email address matches her domain name and helps reinforce her business and professional identity. There’s no sending her email to spam this time around because I know exactly who sent it and I trust her business.

via GIPHY

Is it really all about appearances?

There’s more to life and business than appearances, right? We think so, too.

Having a professional email address that matches your domain name isn’t just for looks — it’s also to provide you with the productivity tools you need today to prepare and plan for future growth.

Productivity tools that come with your professional email address

When you purchase a professional email address, you’re also getting access to a host of tools to help you organize, streamline, and get more done efficiently.

What are these tools exactly? They range from cloud storage and file sharing to team calendars and even customer invoicing and estimating tools.

Here at Domain.com we offer two different professional email products. Maybe you’ve heard of them … Google’s G Suite (it’s Gmail for business) and Microsoft’s Office 365 (O365)?

Let’s take a look at the specific tools each of them offers.

G Suite: Where your domain meets the power of Gmail. Enjoy the benefits of having a business email address with 30 GB of storage, shared calendars, multiple communication tools, and more.

Office 365: Adding your domain to Office 365 provides an all-in-one productivity solution for your business. You’ll experience cloud-based access to the suite of Office 365 tools, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and more.

With automatic updates and cloud storage for your files, you can collaborate on projects with your team from across the room or across the globe, without worrying about losing files or needing to update any applications. You’ll even be able to stay on track with the included bookkeeping and appointment tools.

Since you’re likely familiar with Microsoft or Gmail already, there shouldn’t be much of a learning curve when getting started. And connecting your domain name to a professional email address is a breeze. For example, if you have a custom domain name with us and choose Office 365 as your email tool of choice, the first step would be to log in to your account. From your domain dashboard, select the domain name you want your email to match, and on the next page, click the Office 365 tab to the left of the page. Follow the prompts, and you’re good to go! Learn more about connecting professional email to your Domain.com account here.

Reinforce the connection between your website and email with a professional email address

Stranger danger is a real thing, especially online. You don’t want your customers ignoring your emails, and they don’t want potential spam landing in their inbox. Match your email address to your domain name to present yourself as a professional, stand out among the competition, and help customers decide that you’re the right business to work with. Save your personal email address (and your wolf shirt) for the weekend.