I recently did an online search of health and wellness professionals’ websites and social media profiles, and found over 50% percent listed Comcast, Bellsouth, GMail, Yahoo, and similar addresses.
Yikes! Are you guilty of this?
If you’re using a Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL, or similar e-mail address, it’s killing your credibility. Unfortunately, I see it all the time. My instant impression of you? “Cheap.” “Unprofessional.”
Think I’m being too harsh?
Yes, People DO Notice!
No, I’m not overstating this.
Visible Logic, Inc., a branding firm based in Portland, Maine, did a survey on how people perceive free e-mail addresses. An overwhelming 70% of respondents felt that a non-domain-level e-mail address looks unprofessional. (The survey results were published in their white paper Your Business E-mail Address Matters More Than You Think.)
And they ask a good question: “Would you hang somebody else’s sign in front of your business?” That’s essentially what you’re doing if you’re using a GMail, Comcast, Yahoo, or similar address.
You Can’t Afford This!
This faux pas is even more egregious when a health or wellness professional commits it. Educated professionals like chiropractors, health coaches, personal trainers, and massage therapists need to position themselves as experts in their field. Everything they do needs to communicate confidence, professionalism, authority, commitment to their profession, etc.
If you’re just getting started in business and don’t know any better, it’s understandable. But it’s incredibly cheap and easy to buy an appropriate domain name (approximately $9), hook it up to a free WordPress blog and pay just $10 a month for hosting.
(If you’re REALLY just getting started and have nothing else, re-direct your domain to your Facebook business page until you can get a WordPress site up.)
If you’re guilty of this, commit to ditching the free e-mail address this week. Buy a domain name from a company like HostGator and finally get serious about your business.
I hope you found this helpful. Please let us know if you have any questions at all.
Supporting you for your success,
Michelle Nightengale
Founder & CEO
