| You only get one opportunity to make a good first | | | | spammed by the scam artist with a personal plea to |
| impression, so here's some web design advice for | | | | send emergency funds as if "the real owner" was |
| your website about making a great first impression | | | | emailing them from a foreign country where they |
| with email. Consider the downside of a website | | | | just lost their wallet, cash, and credit cards. |
| design with links using free email accounts like | | | | What this client suspected about being scammed, as |
| Hotmail, AOL, or Gmail for online business | | | | he was going through the steps of entering details |
| correspondence before deciding to make free email | | | | that became more and more personal, turned out to |
| service your first choice. | | | | be horribly true. A few clients confirmed his suspicion |
| While using a free service may be convenient for | | | | when they forwarded the spam emails begging for a |
| those users who want transportability to read or | | | | temporary $1000 loan "until I get back to the states |
| write email from a variety of desktop or mobile | | | | next week". |
| devices, the first impression you create may be less | | | | Thankfully no one fell for the scam, yet needless to |
| than ideal. This is especially true if you actually use | | | | say the loss in reputation and credibility was |
| that free service email link on your website instead | | | | significant. Think again before you decide on a free |
| of one to match your domain. | | | | email account in your web design. The solution is |
| The free email services are fine for personal | | | | inexpensive and easier than most people realize. |
| accounts for family or friends. When a person selects | | | | Here's an explanation. |
| an email link on your commercial website to make an | | | | Email service that matches your website domain is |
| inquiry, the reply should be from an email address | | | | often free with the domain or your purchase of |
| that matches your www domain. Besides having a | | | | hosting. For bigger companies who need many more |
| web design that creates a sense of trust, that | | | | email addresses you may have to pay for the |
| matching email shows sophistication, too. | | | | additional accounts. Either way, use your service |
| If all things are equal comparing your web design to | | | | provider's help files to learn how to setup a direct |
| your competition, the professional touch of an email | | | | email user name and password that allows you to |
| address to match your domain could make the | | | | write and reply to email. |
| difference when that visitor decides who to contact. | | | | The same user name and password for each |
| Besides first impression, why is direct email that | | | | account is transportable to your home or mobile |
| matches your domain so important? It is more | | | | devices, so ask your provider if you need help with |
| secure than free email services. As a case in point, a | | | | getting it working in a variety of locations. My advice |
| web design client chose to use one of the free | | | | is write down the password and memorize the user |
| services in all their business correspondence. After | | | | name if you travel frequently and need remote |
| years without incident they replied to an urgent email | | | | access to your email from a hotel, library, internet |
| to re-register their email address or risk losing all | | | | cafe, or customer's place of business. |
| previous email and address book with their list of | | | | You may need more than one set of instructions |
| contacts. | | | | depending on the email client used at work, home, or |
| The email message was a phishing scam, yet in a | | | | in your mobile devices. Any inconvenience climbing the |
| panic the client immediately followed the link and | | | | learning curve to get up to speed is time well spent |
| entered their sensitive security details for that free | | | | to help maintain your reputation while you make a |
| email account. As a result their entire client base was | | | | great first impression with email. |