Pro, but use hotmail etc for email?

[mattmorgan44]

Originally Posted by cdifoto

There are two that apply to me actually:

1. Gmail pushes to my Android phone like my Blackberry used to with my domain email.
2. Gmail filters spam more effectively than my domain email ever did.

Instead of being an IT admin constantly setting up spam filters and dealing with Exchange, I'm a photographer again. If I lose some people over it, that's fine. I don't want to work with someone who nitpicks about my email address. Email is dying anyway.

Did you read the second part of that quote?

Originally Posted by mattmorgan44

That is probably true, but there is no down side to using a business address over a hotmail/gmail one. It only needs to lose you one client over your whole lifetime to be worth changing! To your first point, if you read earlier in the thread you can use your gmail account with all of its simple to use features and have it pushed through your business address. No difference for you at all.

[cdifoto]

Originally Posted by mattmorgan44

Did you read the second part of that quote?

Yeah I did. But I'm already using gmail and my clients don't care that I do. I don't care about people who care about my email address.

[mattmorgan44]

Originally Posted by cdifoto

Yeah I did. But I'm already using gmail and my clients don't care that I do. I don't care about people who care about my email address.

Ok. I said in my first post that if you don't care and you have all the clients you could ever want then by all means use gmail. But not many photographers have all the clients they could ever want, and it is obvious some people do care what email you use. It shouldnt matter but it does.

I think gmail is better than hotmail, but you can't often get your firstnamelastname@gmail. matt_morgan287@gmail.com obviously doesn't look professional. I think firstnamelastname@mail.com is better, but the server seems slow. In the end if you are seeking new clients, a business address is the best way to go. There are no downsides if you push your business address to gmail other than possibly a small fee.

Originally Posted by cdifoto

There are two that apply to me actually:

1. Gmail pushes to my Android phone like my Blackberry used to with my domain email.
2. Gmail filters spam more effectively than my domain email ever did.

Instead of being an IT admin constantly setting up spam filters and dealing with Exchange, I'm a photographer again. If I lose some people over it, that's fine. I don't want to work with someone who nitpicks about my email address. Email is dying anyway.

[cdifoto]

I got cdifoto@.

I don't want to push the domain to gmail because the spam would also get pushed. I don't know how gmail would handle it. I suspect they'd let it all through to the inbox since it's being pushed intentionally. Spam filtering was one of the big selling points for my switch, and I don't want my phone being lit up with spam.

[mattmorgan44]

Originally Posted by cdifoto

I got cdifoto@.

I don't want to push the domain to gmail because the spam would also get pushed. I don't know how gmail would handle it. I suspect they'd let it all through to the inbox since it's being pushed intentionally. Spam filtering was one of the big selling points for my switch, and I don't want my phone being lit up with spam.

That's a good point, someone earlier said gmail will still filter the spam however I have not tried so I don't know for sure.

[cdifoto]

Originally Posted by mattmorgan44

That's a good point, someone earlier said gmail will still filter the spam however I have not tried so I don't know for sure.

Yeah my phone is currently quiet unless it's legitimate mail so I'm not really inclined to change anything. I still keep that email address alive for stragglers but it's only checked manually a couple times a week...99% of the time it's junk.

[ShotByTom]

Anyone using hotmail or gmail had trouble with clients not getting your email? Any spam that I get has come from those type of email accounts so I have them blocked. Probably not the best way to deal with spam, but it seems to work ok.

[cdifoto]

Originally Posted by ShotByTom

Anyone using hotmail or gmail had trouble with clients not getting your email? Any spam that I get has come from those type of email accounts so I have them blocked. Probably not the best way to deal with spam, but it seems to work ok.

Most folks don't block entire domains...

[Patrick]

Personally, I think mail @yourdomain, which I use, looks better than a free service.
I also know successful people who use free email services.

[CrayonNinja]

I'll admit when I see an @hotmail, @gmail, @yahoo etc. I don't take the business seriously, I had a hotmail account when I was like 9, and so did all of my 9 year old friends.

[cdifoto]

Originally Posted by Patrick

Personally, I think mail @yourdomain, which I use, looks better than a free service.
I also know successful people who use free email services.

I think it depends. If your email is ilovepuppies0982@earthlink.net, you might want to change things.

It's like cell phones really. Back in the day (when few people had cells), if you only had a mobile phone number you were looked at as possibly shady. You NEEDED a landline to show your legitimacy. Nowadays mobiles are the primary or only phones many people have, including small businesses, and few people give it a second thought; the stigma is gone.

I feel like anyone who gets hung up on the email address is living in the stone age and probably isn't going to be my kind of client anyway.

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by cdifoto

I think it depends. If your email is ilovepuppies0982@earthlink.net, you might want to change things.

It's like cell phones really. Back in the day (when few people had cells), if you only had a mobile phone number you were looked at as possibly shady. You NEEDED a landline to show your legitimacy. Nowadays mobiles are the primary or only phones many people have, including small businesses, and few people give it a second thought; the stigma is gone.

I feel like anyone who gets hung up on the email address is living in the stone age and probably isn't going to be my kind of client anyway.

I don't think ilovepuppies0982 at any domain looks good even if your business is puppies.

I, again, personally don't care what domain people use for their email. I do take into consideration what potential customers might think.

[cdifoto]

Originally Posted by Patrick

I don't think ilovepuppies0982 at any domain looks good even if your business is puppies.

I, again, personally don't care what domain people use for their email. I do take into consideration what potential customers might think.

If my email address is what turns them away, so be it. I'm in business to photograph people who like my style at my prices. It's as simple as that. A person would be pretty silly to like everything about me but not hire me solely because my email doesn't use my domain.

[CrayonNinja]

Turning away customers because they don't see everything the same way you do, great business model!

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by cdifoto

If my email address is what turns them away, so be it. I'm in business to photograph people who like my style at my prices. It's as simple as that. A person would be pretty silly to like everything about me but not hire me solely because my email doesn't use my domain.

I agree.