Does your email address make you look like an amateur?

Many wedding industry business cards pass through my hands. Many emails descend into my computer. Recently, I started to notice a disturbing trend in email addresses.

An alarming number of email addresses reek of amateur hour. One wouldn’t show up at a networking event in T-shirt, cutoffs and flip flops, would one? Why would a business use an equally lame email address?

Without busting actual addresses or people, let me construct some fictitious email addresses and then explain their various shortcomings.

• [email protected]: This person shows a website address on her business card as janesbakeshop.com. AOL is something almost all of us started with; however, it is not a business email address. It makes you look as though you are operating out of your garage. Even if you are operating out of your garage, one should move on to [email protected]. Don’t close the AOL account. In fact, it’s good to use an AOL browser to see how people look at your website. AOL now includes email forwarding features.
• [email protected]: I’m glad this person has a private social life or nickname; however, it doesn’t look very cool when filling out an industry order form and doesn’t show well on a business card. This kind of email should be strictly private.
• [email protected]: This person has multiple businesses and is trying to wrap them into one free email address. He should have two websites: joesDJservice.com and weddingofficiantjoe.com – He should maintain them as separate business identities. For that reason, Joe might get a personal domain, such as joesmith.com to use for ALL communication. His standard email might then simply be [email protected]. I recommend having a Google email account (gmail) as a business backup, but it does not support the name or domain of your website, correctly.
• [email protected]: Don’t use the word Diva, unless it is part of your business name or domain name. NEVER use a Hotmail account. Hotmail accounts have a high incidence of being used to send spam. Consequently, your email to a prospect or customer has a much higher chance of being directed to a spam folder or blocked, entirely. If this business has the domain tennesseeweddingdiva.com, then the email should be [email protected].
• [email protected]: Abbreviations are tricky. Is this Green Bay, Tampa Bay, San Francisco Bay, or some other bay? As well, it’s an msn.com account; not a real domain. In the real world, it should be something like [email protected]
• [email protected]: Annoying, long email addresses are counterproductive. Short, sweet, and easy to remember is the way to go.

Your email address should be simple and reinforce your domain name. [email protected] or simplify further by just using your first name. This is about being explicit, memorable and projecting a professional image.

Here’s the deal. If you use a sub-standard email address for your business, change it, today. Then, modify your email listings, everywhere, to the new address. Notify your contacts. It’s not that difficult; just takes some time. Tough!

If this is you, these steps should have taken place long ago. NO EXCUSES!! Just get it done! Amateur Hour is over.

And if one of your friends is a guilty party on this matter, please forward this blog post address to them. They will thank you.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

Andy Ebon

Andy Ebon is a public speaker, writer, and consultant serving the wedding, hospitality, and small business communities.

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