We regularly deal with clients who have large businesses and websites that go with these businesses, but then we find that they use third-party email addresses such as Gmail, Outlook, and others. This just does not look good. Here are some reasons why you need a proper email address.
You already have the domain – for example www.mydomain.com. The hosting option will accommodate email addresses for this name, for example [email protected].
It looks more professional – this email address just looks so much more professional and it forms part of your branding. It is also easier for clients to remember, for example [email protected], than [email protected].
Employees come and go – if your employees use private addresses, such as [email protected], and they leave, who takes care of the incoming email that still goes to this address? If the employee leaves you on bad terms, they can misuse their own email address and cause damage to your business. This is an issue we often come across when we deal with new clients.
The address belongs to the individual, not the business – remember that the third-party email address belongs to an individual, not the business, and claiming it after the demise (possibly death) of the employee, based on the grounds that it was used for business, is going to be a futile effort.
Free accounts carry hidden risk – third-party email accounts are free but they also carry risks. Clients will wonder how your business operates if you cannot afford to pay for a domain-based address. In addition, many service providers are starting to block certain email addresses because of spam generated.
Your IT support cannot manage what it does not control – the web developer, or whoever maintains your Information Technology infrastructure, has access to the web server as well as the various email addresses, so that they can maintain them for you. This is not the case with private addresses.
Rather use job titles than first names – lastly, we would advise against using first names for email addresses, such as [email protected]. Let us assume Joe is the financial manager. What happens if Joe passes away and Mary takes over his position? Does Mary really want to use the email address named [email protected]? Rather create addresses that are specific to the job title, such as [email protected]. Should Joe pass on and Mary take over, the current address can be used without confusion.
What to Do When Your Employees Are Still Using Private Email Addresses
We suggest that, where possible, the owner of a private address should add a forwarder on their own address to a proper domain-based address so that mail can be forwarded to the appropriate mailbox. Then, reply to the original sender, informing them that the third-party address should not be used anymore but the domain address instead. This can work, but still, if an employee leaves your company with official email going to their private address, you are lining up yourself for a technical headache. Do not delay. Deal with this issue today.
If this is your situation and you need assistance, contact us.