Using a generic email address for your business is like turning up at someone\u2019s door in a Subaru Impreza and sweatpants carrying a trowel, and trying to convince them you\u2019re a legitimate landscaping service. How many people will employ you? How many people will even open the door?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But what if you turn up in branded overalls and a truck with your logo emblazoned on the side? Instant legitimacy and customer trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clearly, not all email addresses are created equal. Generic email services like Gmail and Outlook miss opportunities to strengthen brand recognition in every customer interaction, and they hurt customer trust. After all, anyone can have one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the other hand, a custom email domain connected to your brand has a big impact on everything from email open rate to online credibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So whether you\u2019re strategizing an email marketing campaign<\/a> or seeking to improve customer service with a range of contact emails, you need an email domain that\u2019s unique to you. Let\u2019s find out how to get a custom email domain for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An email domain is the part of an email that comes after the @. Common email domains are outlook.com, @gmail.com, and @yahoo.com. But when you receive an email from a business, you usually expect to see a custom email domain \u2014 one that\u2019s unique to that business\u2019s brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a business owner, a custom business email<\/a> is yours and yours alone: yourname@yourbusiness.com<\/a> is a powerful tool for establishing trust and credibility among your customers, while yourname@yahoo.com<\/a> is likely to end up in the spam folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sure, there are a few freelance masseurs and cowboy carpenters operating on an Outlook email address, but as of 2024, most businesses are engaged in brand-building projects that require standing out from the crowd. A custom email address means your brand is at the heart of your email address, and your connection with your customers is strengthened through every communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A custom email address also establishes trust and credibility among your audience. Anyone can create a Gmail email address in a few minutes, but a custom email domain requires a domain name, something that legitimate businesses are founded on. A recent survey found that 75% of Americans consider a custom email domain a key factor<\/a> when trusting an ecommerce business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because the root of your custom email domain is the same as your website domain, the first step in getting a powerful custom email is choosing your domain name. Some general rules are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Atom\u2019s AI-powered domain name generator<\/a> can get the ball rolling with a few keywords based on your business idea and brand tone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ready to get your hands on a custom email address? Here\u2019s how to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Get your business off the the best start by following our complete guide to choosing a domain name<\/a>. Your email domain must inspire trust and build your brand, and ideally, your domain name should be an exact match for your business name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With over 350 million domain names already registered and with only a handful of top-level domains perceived as trusted, many of the strongest domain names are only available on domain marketplaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These domains are available starting at $2,000, and most premium domains are found in the $5,000 to $10,000 range. For a small business, this can seem like a lot, but a premium domain name is an asset that offers returns for years to come and provides the best platform for your business to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Atom’s Premium Domain Marketplace<\/a> is curated by experts to ensure every offering combines powerful brandability and a trusted extension. Shop with confidence and find a great domain name and custom email address for your brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Every domain name has to be registered with domain registrars. Registrars manage domain name records on behalf of ICANN, which oversees the domain name system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Domain registrars offer various services, including security certification, privacy protection, and automatic domain renewal to protect your ownership, and many also offer web hosting and email hosting. Learn how to choose the best domain registrar<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Domain registration typically costs between $10 and $20 per year, and email hosting may be included in the price. Domain registration can be significantly more expensive for certain domains <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve chosen a domain registrar that offers email hosting, the decision is already made. Many domain registrars offer a complete package of services to get your website online and your custom email domain running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Google Workspace<\/a> also offers paid email hosting if your web host or domain registrar doesn\u2019t provide this service. This lets you use Google\u2019s mail servers with your own custom email domain, providing substantial storage space and seamless UI. If your team is using Microsoft 365<\/a>, then you have access to free email hosting services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider the number of users you\u2019ll have, and the storage needs to determine which provider and plan is right for you. If you choose an email hosting provider outside of your domain registrar, you may need to update the MX records in DNS settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you\u2019re registering a domain with a registrar that offers email hosting or using Google Workspace as your email provider, you\u2019ll need to input your credit card details and pay for the service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Choose the term length you want your custom email domain to be valid for and input your credit card details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Expert tip:<\/strong> Turn on automatic renewal at your domain registrar and keep your credit card details current. If you miss a payment at the end of your registration term, your website could go down, and you\u2019ll be locked out of your emails. You could even lose your domain entirely if you neglect renewal and the domain is sold to someone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The final step is to create your email address or address. These will end with @yourdomain.com, but can begin with anything you want. Don\u2019t forget that this is another important part of your branding: tom@yourdomain.com is friendly and personal, and tsmith@yourdomain.com takes a more professional tone, while a general email hello@ is more approachable than enquiries@.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Choose a format and keep it consistent across all users. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Create the distinct email addresses for you and your employees using your chosen format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An alias is a forwarding email address that your customers can use for specific purposes. Emails sent to these addresses will be forwarded to a main inbox. For example, questions@yourdomain.com<\/a> and hello@yourdomain.com<\/a> could be aliases that forward to yourname@domain.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Most email hosting providers offer a certain number of aliases for free. With your custom email domain and a range of personalized email addresses, you can now set up additional aliases. For example, you might create email addresses for \u201cdepartments\u201d such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aliases are more affordable than setting up independent email addresses, and they are more manageable as you have fewer inboxes to check. Set up forwarding and aliases in the help center of your email hosting provider, and you\u2019re all set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before you select your email provider, here are a few things to know and features to consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A unique domain name is virtually essential for a business operating today. Whether you\u2019re in ecommerce or offering a firmly offline product, your website is how many customers will find and connect with your brand. The next step is to ensure your communications reflect the same level of professionalism. That\u2019s where an HTML email template builder<\/a> comes in\u2014it\u2019s an easy way to design clean, on-brand emails that reinforce your business identity every time you hit send.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Setting up a custom email domain is easy once a domain name is established. Your domain registrar will provide the tools to do so, whether you opt for their integrated email hosting or choose Google or Microsoft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The big question is, what will that custom email domain be? Once you\u2019ve set up your email address, changing it will cost you business, harm customer service and confuse your brand identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is an Email Domain?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why You Need a Custom Email Domain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Choosing Your Custom Email Domain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How to get a Custom Email Domain in 6 Steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 1: Choose and buy your domain name<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 2: Choose your domain registrar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 3: Choose an email hosting provider<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 4: Pay up<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 5: Create your email address<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Step 6: Set up forwarding and aliases.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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What To Consider From an Email Hosting Provider<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Wrapping Up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n