Hey there, fellow entrepreneur! 👋 When you‘re getting your new business off the ground, you‘ve got a million things on your to-do list. But there‘s one small task that can make a big impact on your credibility and professionalism: setting up a custom business email address.
Think about it – which company would you trust more: one that emails you from johnsmithplumbing382@gmail.com or one that reaches out from john@smithplumbingpros.com? 🤔
Having a branded email address that matches your website domain signals that you‘re running a legitimate operation, not a fly-by-night side hustle. In fact, a study by GoDaddy found that 75% of consumers say a professional email address is a key factor in building trust with a small business.
The good news? You can set up a custom business email address in just a few minutes, without spending a dime. In this guide, I‘ll walk you through two options:
- Creating a free business email with a web hosting account
- Forwarding emails to Gmail with a custom domain
No tech skills required. Let‘s dive in! 🤿
Why You Need a Custom Business Email Address
Before we get to the tutorial, let‘s talk about why having a professional email address is so important. Sure, you could just use a free Gmail or Yahoo account for your business communications. But that generic email could be costing you customers.
Consider these statistics:
- 💼 A survey by the email company Titan found that 90% of consumers prefer to interact with businesses that have a domain-based email
- 🙋♀️ 65% of consumers believe a company-branded email is more credible than a free email account
- 🛒 Customers are 9 times more likely to choose a business with a professional email address over a competitor with a generic free address
Plus, a branded email helps you promote your business with every message you send. It‘s like a little billboard for your brand that reminds people what you do and how to find you online.
Here‘s a quick comparison of how a generic free email stacks up to a custom domain email:
| Generic Free Email | Custom Domain Email |
|---|---|
| Looks unprofessional and suspicious | Shows you‘re a credible business |
| Forgettable | Memorable and reinforces your brand |
| More likely to get caught in spam filters | Ensures messages get delivered |
| No control over your email address | You own it as long as you own the domain |
The verdict is clear: if you want to be taken seriously as a business, you need a branded email address. Luckily, you‘ve got options for getting one set up quickly and affordably (or even free!).
Option 1: Create a Free Business Email with Your Web Hosting Account
The simplest way to snag a custom email address is to create one through your web hosting account. Most web hosts include free email hosting with their plans, so you can set up professional email addresses for you and your team at no extra cost.
For this tutorial, we‘ll use Bluehost as an example. They‘re one of the largest hosting providers and include free business email with all their plans, starting at just $2.75/month. Full disclosure: I‘m an affiliate for them, but only because I use them for my own sites and recommend them to my web design clients.
Here‘s how to create your free business email in 5 steps:
Step 1: Sign up for web hosting
If you haven‘t already, head to Bluehost and choose a hosting plan. You‘ll also register the domain name you want to use for your website and email addresses.
Choosing a hosting plan on Bluehost
Step 2: Log in to cPanel
Once your account is set up, log in to your cPanel dashboard. Under the "Email" section, click "Email Accounts."
Creating an email account in cPanel
Step 3: Choose your email address and password
In the email account field, type in the email address you want to create. It will automatically populate with your domain name after the @ symbol. For example, if your domain is yourbiz.com, you could use john@yourbiz.com.
Choose a secure password and note it down somewhere safe. You can select "Generate" to create a strong password automatically.
Step 4: Connect your email to your devices
Now your email account is ready to go! To access it, you‘ve got two options:
- Use a desktop email client like Outlook or Apple Mail
- Log in through webmail in cPanel
Most people prefer to use an email client since it‘s more convenient than logging in through cPanel every time. To connect your email account to your computer or phone, open your email app and add a new account. Here are guides with the specific steps:
- Set up Bluehost email with Outlook
- Set up Bluehost email on iPhone or iPad
- Set up Bluehost email on Android
Enter your email address and the incoming/outgoing mail server info from Bluehost. For the password, use the secure one you just created in cPanel.
Step 5: Send a test message
Your email should now be up and running! Send a quick test message to a friend‘s email address to make sure everything is working smoothly. If the message lands in their inbox, you‘re all set. 🙌
Option 2: Forward Emails to Gmail with Your Custom Domain
Already have a custom domain name but no web hosting? No problem. You can still use your domain to create a business email address – you‘ll just need to take an extra step of forwarding those emails to a free account like Gmail.
It‘s a simple 3-step process:
Step 1: Set up email forwarding with your domain registrar
Sign in to your domain registrar account (where you originally purchased your domain name) and look for an option called "Email Forwarding" or "Forwarding." The steps vary a bit depending on the registrar, but the goal is to forward any emails sent to your custom domain email to your Gmail address.
For example, if you want to use hello@yourdomain.com as your business email, you‘ll set up forwarding so that any emails to hello@yourdomain.com automatically get redirected to yourpersonalemail@gmail.com.
Step 2: Configure Gmail to send from your custom domain email
By default, when you reply to a message in Gmail, it will show your Gmail address as the sender. But you can tweak your settings to change the "From" field to your custom domain email instead.
Here‘s how:
- Open Gmail and click the gear icon, then "See all settings"
- Go to the "Accounts and Import" tab
- Under "Send mail as", click "Add another email address"
- Type in your name and your custom domain email address
- For the SMTP Server, type "smtp.gmail.com", use port 465 and choose SSL encryption
- Enter your Gmail username (your full Gmail address) and password
Adding a custom domain email in Gmail settings
Step 3: Verify the email address
Gmail will send a verification message to your custom domain email. Since you‘ve already set up forwarding to your Gmail, the message should show up in your Gmail inbox. Open it up and click the verification link to confirm you own the email address. Now you‘re verified! 🕵️♀️
To send a new message from your custom email, just compose a message as usual and click the "From" field to select your business address.
I walk a lot of my WordPress clients through this setup because it lets them keep using the familiar Gmail inbox they‘re used to while still getting the professional appearance of a branded email address. Win-win! ✌️
FAQs About Business Email
Still have questions about setting up a custom email for your business? I‘ve got answers to some of the most common ones I hear from clients:
What if I don‘t have a website?
While you don‘t technically need a website to use a custom domain email address, I highly recommend setting up at least a basic one. Think of it like your virtual business card. ✨
When people get an email from your branded address, the first thing they‘ll do is look for your website to learn more about what you do. If they can‘t find it, they might question your credibility.
These days, you can build a professional-looking site in an afternoon using beginner-friendly tools like WordPress. Check out my guide to building your first WordPress site to get started.
How many email addresses can I create?
With Bluehost, you can create up to 5 email accounts with the Basic plan and unlimited email accounts with the Plus and Choice Plus plans. With email forwarding, you can create as many forwarding email addresses as you want, as long as you‘re willing to manage them all from your main Gmail inbox.
I typically recommend setting up a separate email address for each employee, plus a few general ones like info@, billing@, hello@, etc.
Can I use my business email with other email apps?
Yep! You can connect your custom domain email to any device or email app that supports IMAP/POP, including:
- 💻 Desktop apps like Outlook, Apple Mail, or Thunderbird
- 📱 Native mail apps on iOS and Android devices
- 💌 Third-party mobile apps like Spark or Edison Mail
Is a free business email address secure?
Most free business email options are reasonably secure, with industry-standard encryption and spam filtering. However, I always recommend using a strong, unique password and enabling two-factor authentication on your accounts for an extra layer of protection.
It‘s also a good idea to regularly back up your email messages and contacts just in case something happens to your account down the line.
Start Sending Emails from Your Custom Domain Today
Listen, I know that in the grand scheme of all the tasks on your new business checklist, setting up a custom email address might not seem like a top priority. But trust me on this one: it‘s a small action that can have an outsized impact on your perceived legitimacy and trustworthiness.
By following this guide, you can get your professional email up and running in less time than it takes to make a cup of coffee ☕. Whether you go the web hosting route or use email forwarding, the important thing is to make the switch from your generic Gmail or Yahoo account to a branded email that puts your best foot forward.
So carve out a quick 5 minutes, knock this task off your list, and start building credibility with every email you send. Your future self (and customers) will thank you! 💪
Still have burning questions about business email best practices? Hit me up on Twitter @yourtwitterhandle – I‘m always happy to help.
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