When you search the internet these days, it seems like you’re almost always prompted to enter your email address. Having a launch page that collects email addresses is one way that companies drive traffic and increase sales.[1] The deal is almost always the same, they offer you a useful download or exclusive content in exchange for your precious personal information.
While I can’t fault people for working to grow their businesses by collecting email addresses, my overflowing inbox has become a point of contention. When I log in to find over 100 messages, many of which I have no interest in reading, I cringe. The torrent of emails becomes an even bigger problem when you give your information to aggressive marketers who send messages daily. If you’re like me, you tell yourself that you’ll unsubscribe from those emails, but it seems like they never stop coming.
An overabundance of emails is stressing you out
You know that email has revolutionized the way that you work, but most of us have too much of a good thing. A recent study suggests that around 89 billion business emails go out per day.[2] We may be spending 25-50% of our work time on email, and chances are, we’re checking messages outside of business hours too.[3]
Every time you get an inbox notification, it breaks your concentration. Sometimes, you’ll receive an important message, but more often, it’s junk. Now you not only feel anxious when you open your cluttered inbox, but you also have interruptions from useless messages exacerbating your stress levels and decreasing your productivity.
You may have agreed to receive emails from certain entities, but it was likely because the site offered to give you access to an useful resource. Now you’re wading through spam, which makes it tough to see meaningful emails. Unless you have a system for starring important emails, unsubscribing, and filtering messages into different folders, you’ll be overwhelmed. In fact, even with such a system, it can feel like you’ll never clear your inbox.
Stem the flow of incoming emails with 10 Minute Mail
Instead of giving up on web pages that require you to hand over your email address, or relying on the “unsubscribe” button, you could try 10 Minute Mail. The service provides you with an authentic email address that you can use in the place of your regular email. You’ll have access to the content that you want without paying for it later in the form of junk mail.
Decreasing your incoming emails is easy
Using 10-Minute Mail is simple. There is no fancy sign-up process to access their service. Start by going to the 10 Minute Mail website.
You’ll automatically get a temporary email address like the one above. Just copy and paste that address where you would usually put your regular email address.
The countdown timer to the right of the address tells you how long you’ll have access that email before it self-destructs. After the address disappears, it’s gone for good. If you need to use your temporary email for more than ten minutes, click the arrow icon to the far right. That will reset the countdown to ten minutes. You can reset the timer as often as you’d like.
Many companies require you to click a verification link to access their exclusive content. You can receive emails at your 10 Minute Email address as long as you keep your temporary address active by refreshing the countdown timer.
You can also forward valuable information from your temporary email to your personal email so that you can take what you need without enduring unwanted messages.
When you’re finished with the temporary address, allow the countdown timer to run to zero. The email, and everything associated with it will cease to exist.
Stay focused and save time
Avoid handing out your personal email to sites that you don’t know. You’ll save yourself from a barrage of unwanted messages, which means less stress and fewer interruptions for you.
The 10 Minute Mail service is also excellent if you aren’t sure how trustworthy or valuable a page is. Since many sites won’t let you preview a product or page without giving an email address, you can check whether the site offers what you want without contributing to your spam problem.
One of the best features of 10 Minute Mail is that it’s easy to use and doesn’t require a membership fee. You can donate to the site via Paypal if you’d like, but you can try the service without spending a dime. You’ll only be able to receive a limited number of email addresses per hour, but if you want a hassle-free way to access a page or exclusive product, this tool is perfect for you.
Try 10 Minute Mail‘s free service, and you’ll think twice about giving out your personal email to access a web page or get a free download.
Reference
| [1] | ^ | Smashing Magazine: Elements of a Viral Launch Page |
| [2] | ^ | Mashable: Did You Know 144.8 Billion Emails Are Sent Every Day? |
| [3] | ^ | Forbes: 5 Ways Email Makes Your Employees Miserable |
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