Just curious as to thoughts here. I am not sure if one answer is right or wrong but more of just seeing what others think.

Does it matter to clients if you have a yahoo account or whatever other free service there is? I don't have one for business just for my personal email. But does it matter?

For that matter what about the Vista Print business cards and such?

I don't know, and I certainly don't want to start a flame war but does it matter if you use these things? I don't but not because I think it matters one way or the other, I just never have is all.

Personally, I think a generic email used to matter. I think that its ok now a days though.

That is based on how I used to feel, and currently feel when I see business people with these types of emails.

I don't think it's make or break by any means but I opt for consistent branding. My website is trulymagic.com and my email is @trulymagic.com. I like the consistent branding, I like that somebody could infer my website from my email address if they so chose.

I also have a gmail account (in fact, all my email accounts forward to my gmail account - before I had a system for keeping track of all my clients and communications, gmail's conversation view and search were a godsend) Occasionally an email may get sent to a client from Michael...@gmail.com or "on behalf of me@trulymagic.com" but it doesn't bother me.

If my email was something like pLaYaP1mP2001@aol.com it might turn off a few clients but I guess it all depends on your market.

As for the business cards, personally I wouldn't put a free email address on there. I see it as being up there with the perforated edges you get on the print-at-home business card kits. Did I notice it every time? Yes. Has it ever convinced me not to work with someone I would have otherwise done business with? Of course not.

If you own a domain name, it's free or just a few bucks to create an address that forwards to your current email, there's no reason not to do it.

Free email accounts are regularly used by people who want to remain anonymous. In a serious business interaction, free email accounts should be avoided. Almost everyone has a a "real" email address provided by their ISP, or even better, one associated with their web site domain. Now, whether this is an issue for your customer or not will depend entirely on who you are dealing with. If this is a corporate client, it may raise red flags. This does not mean it will necessarily hurt you, but it might. I can tell you that in the corporate world, with respect to those who intend to provide a professional service, those who use free email accounts are not taken seriously by many companies out there. If you are doing a birthday party for someone's kid, you are probably fine. Since it's a trivial matter to get email at your web site domain, you should definitely do it.

I mind myself agreeing with Carducci. I like to keep my branding consistent. In the big picture I don't think it's going to be a make or break. In a world with a high noise level, I want my clients to see/hear a consistent message so that I might gain mind share. If my E-mail, name, and act aren't congruent then it just makes it that much more difficult for people to remember your name.

It will also matter how you do business. If you work with a select few clients that you know then it matters even less. I have one friend who only works with a handful of clients that he vets in a very personal manner. So for him it has no effect. If, however, you are marketing to the general public then a consistent brand is much more important.

Yea you hit the nail on the head. I don't want a lot of people to know how to get ahold of me anyhow. Few clients is the order of the day. This is why I ask and am more curious than anything.

I too am with Carducci. I've never understood why someone would have a domain name, but then use a generic email address? The resume I use for my day job (television) lists my domain email, so as Carducci said, people will see that and if they choose to visit my site, they can without me shoving it down their throat. Personally, I just find it to be a more polished, professional approach. It sets me apart from every other generic person using a free email account. I too have my mail forwarded to my free account as it makes it easier to manage, but I reply with the domain address mainly to keep things consistent.

In a world where everyone uses email, I think it's nice to set yourself apart from the crowd. As long as it doesn't complicate matters or annoy people, I think it's an effective way to handle your correspondence.

Danny, you've had that sexythang69@hotmail.com address for too long. Just get a more professional one already.

Looks as if I must indeed do that Dave.

My belief is that a person that has a company with a web domain and posts a something like a Gmail, or a Yahoo email account for a mailing address either does not know enough about business to understand how important it is to get your name out in the public, to lazy put the time to configure a domain address, or does not care and puts little effort into branding, either way, in my eyes it loses creditability that the person is not very serious about how the business being conducted and usually does not get my money.

It’s funny how a little detail can cause loss of business

I guess that is my point. Just HOW MUCH loss of business is there? It is easy to speculate, it is easy to say it is obvious, but I don't see it as by any means automatic. That is sort of what I am trying to quantify.

There probably isn't a way to quantify it. This may be one of those better safe than sorry moments.

Yea I don't do much web marketing in the first place. Well none to be exact so I am just asking out of curiosity is all.

I tend to believe that if I did I would do it with the domain name address, and along the exact lines which Howie mentions would be my thought process.

I too don't know if it would actually cost you business,
but I think many would notice and think why.

Tom

I notice, I think why, and at times I will decline the offer if it's between a similar product and I am weighing the pros and cons of the advertising of each company.

I consider the free email account posted on a website as a company that is not a real business. but in reality does this as a part time hobby.

It’s my opinion and I may be in the minority, but to answer your post, having a free account has cost someone business

How would you feel yourself if someone sent you that type of email? Some individuals would rather see a paid account. It will not matter to some individuals. Some individuals will pay no attention. I guess that sums it up.

I don't print my email address on any of my materials. I would rather they call me first. Or, if they really prefer to email, there is a submit form on my website.

So, they have either emailed me through the website, or called me on the phone, by the time they get some sort of reply via email.

At that point I decide whether to use my free email address, or the one linked to my website url.

I don't do a lot of "cold" email lead generation.

When putting your free email address out there "up front" I think it might make a bit of difference, but not as much difference later on. But that's just my opinion.

- Donald

P.S. When I get offers through my submit form for SEO services, etc., having a free email address to reply to, is a turn off. However, they also don't include any sort of website address in their initial email, so it's hard to take them seriously as professionals.

My sentiments exactly

So you have a guy at a restaurant, he wants to hire you and has a free email address. Naturally you are so offended you turn down the job I assume right?

Perhaps this is a comment on something I said above? I'm unclear.

To clarify, what I said, is that when a person or a robot fills out my submit form on my website, and they are selling me SEO services, then I'm not interested in responding because of (1) they don't include website info to show they are professionals, and (2) they use a free email address, and give that as the only way to respond. I can't "check them out." In short, they make a negative first impression, when trying to sell to me.

I get a few of these SEO sales attempts through my website submit form each week.

However, rest assured that if it's a genuine show inquiry, then I respond to their inquiry with a call or email back. Regardless of whether they are using a free email address or not.

So, I'm contrasting someone contacting me to SELL ME their services vs. someone contacting me to INQUIRE about my services. I think that this point was clear above.

Also, I don't work restaurants. So, maybe this comment wasn't aimed at me.

- Donald