A few weeks ago, I was amused to find myself described as part of  ‘the aristocracy of the internet’. Am I a venerable sort  who’s been instrumental in developing amazing widgets? Er, not quite. I have, though, got my own domain name.

In her column in the Times Online, Caitlin Moran recently talked about the assumptions she makes about people from the type of email address people have. Yahoo! and Hotmail email addresses are described as ‘a trifle… shabby’, there’s a faint whiff of ‘must try harder’ for those who have an email address associated with their internet service provider, and poor old AOL email address holders don’t fare terribly well in her assessment at all.

Now, I’m sure Ms Moran would be the first to admit that these assumptions are entirely subjective but she does have a point. People do make quick judgments about others. We know that first impressions count, which is why few people turn up to job interviews or first dates in tracksuit trousers and trainers. So why not give yourself the opportunity to create a strong first impression online too?

With your own domain name, you tell people a little something about you or about your business, which has got to present a better front than if you just tell them who you get your internet from (and that 37 other people with your name also do, which is why you’ve got the number 38 after your name). You’re also suddenly immune to having to change your email address if you find a better broadband deal elsewhere, and you can still pick up your email via webmail if that’s easier for you (you can forward it to Gmail and have the best of both worlds, too, if you like). Frankly, there aren’t really any down sides – and isn’t a few quid per year worth it to save yourself the hassle of changing addresses and create a good impression when you apply for that job?

You get email services free with any domain name registration, but if you need a service with more features and flexibility you can always use your domain with one of our specialist email packages.

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If you’d like to read the column that inspired this post, here it is. Be warned, though – Ms Moran does not mince her words! Her views, of course, are her’s and not necessarily Daily’s. Some of us couldn’t help laughing in places, though…