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Whether you have a website or not, at some point you will be communicating via email to run your business. Email has fast become the communication method of choice as it fits around our working lives better, allows us to send attachments, refer to previous emails on the fly and means we do not have engage in phone calls which, a lot of people dread. With email therefore being a massive importance in your business’s operation, it is important to look professional.
Why are generic emails not ok?
1.They look unprofessional.
You.business@outlook.com does not scream use me. You look like a one-man band. Even if you are, you should still look the best.
2.Lack of great handles
Finding your.business@gmail.com is like finding a needle in a haystack. Most of the time you will have you.business123456@gmail.com Or yourbusinessnameinyourlocation@gmail.com. Do you really want to pass that on to potential customers?
3.Security risks
All emails are hackable but when you are telling them where to look (Gmail, Outlook, Hotmail etc.) you are helping the would-be assailant gain access. Also, these accounts are free. How much security and support do you think you get for free?
What is a custom domain email?
A domain is your websites title. Having www. Or @ dictates whether it is pointing to your website or email server. It is possible to buy a domain from the likes of GoDaddy and say “I want this to be for emails”. You do not need a website to have a domain. By telling the domain to point towards an email server rather than a website it is possible to have your own personalised email you@yourbusiness.com. Not only does this look more professional it comes with better security.
How do you get started?
First of all you need a domain. Go to the likes of GoDaddy and find your perfect domain and purchase it. Most domain companies will offer you to upgrade to have a mailbox. Personally, keep it with them. All in house and easier to manage. If you already have a domain, go back to the company and see if you can tag on a mailbox. If you use Gsuite by Google you can purchase your domain and mail box at the same time.
How much does it cost?
Domains start from 1p and go up from there. Never overpay for a domain. £11.99 a year is the max I would personally pay as having the domain name of your dreams does not really make a difference to the customer or customer experience. However, try and keep it short.
Next you will need to purchase your mailbox. You do not need an all singing all dancing, £40pm mail box. £4.99 a month will do. Yes, you must spend money to host your emails. On average they start at £3.99+vat. If your domain host is more expensive by £1 I wouldn’t bother shopping around, especially if you are not technically minded.
On average you will be spending £75 a year to have your own custom email.
How do I connect to an email service?
With Gsuite, just login to Gmail and you can use their online portal, same for Outlook and Webmail, these tend to be more clunky and I would personally recommend using Outlook Desktop. Once on your preferred service, connect your account using your new custom email and password and start sending professional looking email.
How long does it take?
From start to finish it can take 24 hours for the providers to setup. Most emails will be live within 1 hour. Your personal investment should not be any longer than 30mins – 1 hour even without technical know-how.
I have multiple users, what do I do?
If you have members of staff working for you then they will need their own mailboxes if you require them to have personal emails. This will be an additional price per user per month. If you want everyone replying from the main inbox but with their own email addresses, then you can setup aliases. Their emails will not be private, but they can reply to emails with their own email address. This generally does not cost extra but may have an alias limit.
Hopefully now you understand custom emails better. If you require anymore advice, please contact the team at hello@bladesmedia.co.uk