What is a Branded Email?
This is a professional email account that uses your own website's domain.
Why is a branded email account important?
Each type of email says something about your business. You can communicate professionalism or a lack thereof by the type of email account you use for business interactions. There are three different classifications of business email addresses.
1) PERSONAL
The username and domain don't relate to your website in any way. This can make you look like a scammer or a hobbyist.
Examples: sdmerrill12@aol.com, shaundm@msn.com, shaun@gmail.com, sdm375@hotmail.com, shaundmerrill@comcast.net
2) OFF-BRAND
The username mentions your business, but the domain is not yours. This is usually because you don't know how to set one up, but is less professional and diminishes customer confidence. You also advertise someone else's website with every email you send.
Examples: bnbwebsites@gmail.com, bandbwebsites@aol.com, bbwebsites@msn.com, bnbwebsites@hotmail.com, bbwebsites@comcast.net
3) BRANDED
The username is informational and the domain is your own. This makes your business look professional and legitimate.
Examples: smerrill@bnbwebsites.com, info@bnbwebsites.com, support@bnbwebsites.com
If you're just starting a business, or if you want to increase your professionalism, a branded email account may be just what you need. Zoho offers this kind of email address for free.
If you've seen the difference that changing to a branded email makes, or if you have other tips for improving professionalism, tell us about it in the comments.