Increase Your Online Success: Top Reasons to Have a Business Email Address

Your digital presence speaks loudly to how well you are perceived. As an entrepreneur and real estate professional, having a business email is part of the cost of operating your business.

Many real estate agents will place their priorities on creating a website, brochures, direct mail pieces and business cards. Then, the momentum stops when it is time to include a paid business email address.

A well thought-out business email address serves you in many ways. Your business email address can increase your credibility, as well as your email open and response rates. A business email address also improves brand recognition, decreases unsubscribes, and more easily passes through spam filters.

(By the way, are you checking your spam filters every day? Many important emails can be found there from prospects as well as those of current clients.)

Who is sending the email is just as important as your email address. If the other party does not have a business email address either, it often goes to spam – even when they are in your contacts.

There are many free email services, but here is why you may want to consider a paid version:

1. Creates a Professional Appearance

It takes an average of seven seconds to make your first impression.

This is has been a widely accepted statistic for years. Whether it is five, six, or 7.3 seconds, this can make a significant impact to your business. Your first contact with a potential client, past client, current client or anyone you speak with is your front line of communication. In a widely digital, as well as visual, online and offline world, this is your opportunity to dress for success.

2. Email Is Your Calling Card

Every email you send is your direct calling card.

Take a look at your current email address. How well are you perceived? Use each and every email as a tool to encourage and create a positive experience. Each email you send is a building block for ongoing success in your business. You often get only one shot at making a good impression. Also, remember to keep it friendly, yet formal and read through your email before sending it to make sure there are no typos or incorrect grammar.

3. Reduces Your Risk of Being Sent to Spam

Wondering why you have not heard from a prospect or client?

Remember to have them opt-in when sending out marketing campaigns. Ending up in spam also applies to deals that you are working on. Many emails—even when they are in your contacts and added as a safe sender—can get caught up in spam depending on the email provider you are using.

4. Accelerates Your Marketing

Link your email domain name directly to your website.

Many searches are being done online before a potential client contacts you. When they find a property that may interest them, the search begins for a real estate agent. They may find you online or through a referral. Be assured that one of the first things they will do is check you out by putting your name into a search engine.

Creating a professional email address using your domain name makes it easy for potential clients, as well as referrals from other real estate agents and brokerages, to look for you along with your company and your website.

By seeing your positive presence online, this also contributes to reassuring them that you are active and legitimate. Whether you are a new or seasoned agent, your domain name and website show that you work for an established brokerage. This is the starting point towards engendering trust.

Let's not forget the marketing aspect also. Any email you send, or any time you leave your contact information with someone, you're also giving them an easy link to your website and social media outlets.

Tips to Make Your Business Email Effective

Keep your business email address strictly for business

Manage your workflow and create a system for managing your emails. Looking at all the email received on a daily basis can be daunting. There are more positives than negatives to keep your business email strictly for business. Set up a separate email address for personal emails that does not flow into your business emails.

Some of the positive results you can receive with a paid business email provider include:

• Improved focus on your business: Fewer personal distractions and separates your business from your personal life
• Protects your business from potential security threats
• Effective with creating mailing campaigns to your specific audiences
• Easier to manage all your business contacts in one place.

Create a business email address with a .com TLD

.com is still the most well-known, top level domain that is used in search engines. If your name is already taken online, consider using a middle initial to identify yourself. You can also go with .realtor or .realestate. These are also great domains to separate yourself from the competition.

Business email address examples

Here are some examples of how you can structure your professional email address.

• First Name, Last Name
• First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name
• First Name, Last Name Initial

Avoid nicknames or numbers in your business email address. Do you go by a nickname? Your nickname can be incorporated into your marketing on your website. Unless the world knows you by your nickname, we recommend you use your proper name on your real estate license.

Top Business Email Providers

There are many reputable email providers. Here are a few:

• GSuite
• Office 365
• Zoho

Keys points to remember: Keep your business email address separate from your web host provider. If the server for your website goes down, with a separate business email provider, you can still access your emails.

Having a business email address also is a line of protection in case your email gets hacked. It is important to keep your clients information as well as your own safe at all times. Having a business email is one of your first lines of defense.

Janice Zaltman is a Realtor, LEED AP, marketing coach and writer with more than 20 years of experience in the sales, marketing and media fields.

To view the original article, visit the Form Simplicity blog.