Are you still using the free Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail account, simply because you set it up 5 years ago and that’s what everyone uses to contact you? Afraid to make the change because you’ll miss those important messages and Spam? Now’s the time to make the switch, or at least make an addition, because you’re losing important website traffic at a cost of just about $1.00 (or less) each month. You can keep focusing on that, or you can focus on two important points:

1. The new email address is an automatic promotion of your website, and I guarantee you that you’ll get more web traffic as a result.

2. NO MORE SPAM!! At least temporarily. A new email address is guaranteed to be spam free for a while, and you can even take measures to keep it that way… a different article.

How To Make the Transition
First of all, stop whining about the fact that everyone who knows you uses your Gmail account. Are you thinking about the past or planning for the future?

#1 – Make the Announcement – I guarantee you that about 75% of your contacts simply go back through their inbox until they find your most recent message, and then simply reply to it. If the most recent message that they receive is a note saying that you’ll be using a new email address, such as damian@laymondesigns.com, then the majority will remember that, add the new address to their contact list, or simply use that message for their next reply. This is also an EXCELLENT WAY to announce to your clientele and contacts that you’ve got a new website, or remind them about your existing site.

#2 – Start replying to ALL correspondence through this new email account. Keep checking your old account, then simply forward that message to your new email and reply to your subject this way. It’ll take a few extra seconds, but think of the extra publicity that you’re giving your site. And best yet, all of that spam that clogs your inbox WON’T be forwarded.

#3 – Update the email address on your business cards, letterhead, and email account. Pretty self explanatory.

#4 – Send a friendly reminder after a few weeks. Most of your contacts will have made the switch by that point, but for the few who are slow on the upkeep, send them a friendly reminder, and remind them that you sent your original message. It’ll work…. trust me.

Finally, keep checking that account. Email clients like Outlook, Thunderbird, even your smart phone email will allow you to keep multiple accounts at once. There’s really no downside, so stop being afraid of change and make the switch. Your web hosting company will be glad to help you add that extra service, and if you don’t currently have a domain, check out www.ckyhosting.com to get it set up.