The Cost & ROI of Branded Email Domains.

In Digital Marketing there are guaranteed 'trust signals' or standards of practice across the board for businesses online that trigger trust -- and therefore, conversion -- for users. One of these trust signals is a 'branded domain', or what we in email marketing call the custom company-specific address name which follows the "@" symbol in your email address. This email domain matches your website URL and is often times prefaced with either your name, 'team', 'info' or 'hello' before the break.

Investing early days in a 'branded domain' for your business email is one of the best, small things you can do to help grow trust with your potential and existing clients or customers whether you're a B2B or B2C business. But how much will this cost you and what is the real ROI (Return on Investment)?

Cost:

Once you've purchased your website domain (i.e. your URL) you will be prompted an offer to purchase a 'customized' email branded domain from either your domain host (e.g. '.ie', 'GoDaddy', 'Blacknight Solutions') or your website host (e.g. 'Wix', 'Squarespace', 'Wordpress', 'Shopify'). You will already be charged a fee for your domain name and your website hosting service. The branded email domain feature -- whether you go with your domain host or website host -- is often a monthly additional charge under €10 euro.

ROI:

The Return on Investment (ROI) of investing in a branded domain in the earliest days of setting up your online footprint for your business is priceless. Why? Because no one will tell you that they didn't choose to hire you because they felt your email address was unprofessional. You will never know what sales you don't close or clients you don't book by not having a branded domain. It is such an expected norm that a business operate with a branded domain that when one doesn't it often times acts as a signifier to the client or customer that the business may not be one to trust.

Next Steps:

A monthly cost and an immeasurable ROI? Those sound like two reasons for an entrepreneur NOT to take my advice. But sometimes the best advice is what we don't want to hear. Saving less than €10 euro a month -- 2 coffees! -- might secretly be a 'trust leak' in your customer journey and a branded email domain could be a plug.

If you'd like to learn more about how to set up a branded email domain or you are already using email as a channel and want to switch your generic address to a branded email domain, Litir Marketing can help.