You cannot promote your brand or improve business website traffic with a throwaway email address. Gmail, Yahoo!, HotMail and the rest are known as throwaway email addresses. They are great to increase your anonymity and sense of security, but they do not, and probably never will command very much credibility. They do, however, increase the chances your email will end up in the spam folder.

I also use these throwaway addresses when required to provide an email address for ordering something or joining a site of which I am not sure. There are some good reasons to use throwaways. But there is one very important reason for business and flooring professionals to use addresses that belong to your business’ website domain: Brand Recognition.

As professionals, we all want our businesses to be known. We consult marketing geniuses, create effective advertising campaigns, build websites and put our logos and business names on everything from signage to letterhead to vehicles to ball point pens and hand out business cards by the thousands. Why not our email addresses? It amazes me when I see my fellow flooring professionals ignore one of the greatest brand recognition tools we have in these modern times: yourname@your-business.com.

What commands more respect or evokes more professionalism, jim5467@hotmail.com or JM@enterpriseJM.com; jmfloors@yahoo.com or Jim@JMFloorcovering.com; some-guy@gmail.com or admin@TheFloorPro.com? And which of those addresses gives you an opportunity to learn more about the person without having to actually email them?

When I send email to anyone, it is designed to get them to recognize me better and even visit my business’ website. If they forward my email to anyone, it increases the number of people my business name is exposed to. Brand recognition is very important in promoting your business or website. It’s a sign of professionalism. If you don’t use every opportunity, you lessen your chances of success. Using a throwaway address is like throwing good money and opportunity away.

Jim McClain
a Flooring Professional
afloorpro.com
Quincy, Calif.