When I made a blog post about business cards, I briefly touched on having things simple and having your name on your email and websites. Perhaps I was a bit too vague because I'm still running into emails and websites with "foo foo".
Your email should always be your name. I cannot express enough how important this is. If you're starting out and can't get or afford a domain name that will let you have your name as a dot com you're allowed to temporarily have a gmail or yahoo or whatever makes you happy.
Acceptable:
janesmith@gmail
jsmith@gmail
janes@gmail
janesmithbeauty@gmail
janesmithmakeup@gmail
And so on...
UNacceptable:
sparklesofglitter@gmail
ghettoliciousmakeup@yahoo
Anything that isn't your name is absolutely just a NO!
Your name is not sparklesofglitter. If it's not on your birth certificate, it should not be used in your email or website.
Some may have free websites where you can't help but have that particular websites name all over it. I used to have bridal site through wix.com (that I've left up as an example) but guess what's in between all that? My name! (It's http://yisellsmakeup.wix.com/yisellsmakeup). I can't help that "wix" is in there but I made it a point to implement my name in there so clients can remember. For my updated and permanent bridal website, visit www.yisellsantosmakeup.com.
If you already have a domain name that allows you to have your name as a dot com, then that's fantastic! You're on the right track. My pro site is www[dot]yisellsantos[dot]com along with my pro email which is contact[at]yisellsantos[dot]com.
Acceptable:
info@yourname.com
contact@yourname.com
yourname@yourname.com
The point is, your name is on it!
Please always keep in mind that this is how your client will always remember you. Don't think that just because you're starting out that this is ok. That you can probably just change it later. 2 things can happen, you either don't ever change it because now all your clients have this particular email and to change it now will be a pain in the behind OR you do change it and have to email every single client that you've changed your email and we all know that sometimes that doesn't work. You'll have no choice but to keep the old email just in case someone emails you there. If you disable it, you could possibly lose jobs and/or clients and no one wants that. So now...you're managing two emails. If you ask me, that's just way too much work and your client will forever know and remember you as ghettoliciousmakeup. This is not professional in any way, shape or form.
If you want to be treated and paid like a professional, you need to conduct and handle your business like a professional. I find it difficult to take anyone seriously who doesn't have a professional email or site.
Moral of this story:
Act as a pro
Be a pro
Conduct business as a pro
And please, I beg you, stop with the ridiculous email and site names.
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