Having the right email address can get your business moving.
Stephanie Northcott on Canva
We all rely on email daily (note this came by email lol.) While social media grabs the spotlight, email quietly gets the job done, day in and day out. For small business owners, maximizing the potential of this essential tool is crucial.
The first step? Pay attention to how you come across in your emails.
Here are two common mistakes I often see when working with solo professionals and small businesses:
1. Vague or Confusing “From” Lines
Most people focus on the “subject” line, but the “from” line is even more critical. It tells the recipient who the email is from. If it’s from someone they know, they’re likely to open it, regardless of the subject. If the sender is unrecognizable, it might be mistaken for spam and deleted.
For example, I recently received an email from “Janice” with no subject line. I almost deleted it since I don’t know any Janices. At the last moment, I remembered a "Janice" who worked for one of my clients. It turned out to be important information. This made me wonder how many of her emails are regularly ignored.
Another mistake is when the “from” line is simply an email address. That’s okay if your full name is part of your address, but not so good if your e-mail address is something like hotchick576@gmail.com. Instead, use a format like First and Last Name | Company. This makes it easy for recipients to recognize who you are.
2. Not Using a Custom Domain for Email
If you own a domain (e.g., www.mycompany.com), you can create email addresses that use that domain (e.g., name@mycompany.com) at no extra cost. Yet, I often see small businesses using generic providers like Gmail or Yahoo. For example, companyname@gmail.com.
Using a custom domain for your email presents a professional image and subtly advertises your website with every email you send. It’s a simple way to make your business look more polished and credible.
As an example, my email address is info@stephanienorthcott.com (my name is long enough hence not adding it before the @.)
Like any tool, email is only as effective as how well it’s used. Refine your approach to get the most out of this powerful business asset!
Disclaimer: All names and emails in this newsletter are fictitious, except for my own. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased) is intended or should be inferred.
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