Would you use a cell phone built in the 1980s? Of course not. In fact, you probably couldn’t find a cell phone from the 1980s that would work on today’s networks. So why in the world would you use an email address that’s been around since the 1980s?
This week I’ve received emails from several attorneys whose email addresses ended in @somethingotherthanthefirmname.com.
That’s bad for business because it sends a message that, well, you’re stuck in the 1980s. That is not a message you want to send!
There is no reason for any attorney to have an email address that is not linked to their own domain name. Domain names are inexpensive and easy to obtain. Check out www.namecheap.com. And you can use your domain name for your email, even if you don’t have a website.
So, put away that leisure suit, disco ball and your old email address. You’ll be glad you did.
3 Comments
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Nora:
We will have to disagree on this one. I have a vanity domain address: rgeorges@futurelawyer.com. However, I prefer to use my Gmail account for everything. rickgeorges@gmail.com is not, in my opinion “stuck in the eighties”. In fact, judging someone by their email address is as efficacious as judging someone by their height or weight. Anyone who would think less of me because I use GMail isn’t someone I want to know anyway. Just my two cents.
Rick
Rick, I hear you, but here’s my thinking on this. You only have one chance to make a first impression, and a Gmail (or Yahoo, etc.) email address for your professional exchanges just doesn’t make a good first impression. Granted, once people know you and know the quality of your work your email address will not be as important. But – like it or not – some really great potential clients might make the assumption – based on an email address – that an attorney is stuck in the ’80s and go no further.