How to Create a Professional Business Email Address

The Complete 2021 Guide for Entrepreneurs

Email remains an indispensable communication tool for every business. But using a generic @gmail.com or @yahoo.com email fails to convey professionalism and establish credibility.

As a webmaster with over 15 years of experience, I always advise entrepreneurs to invest in a proper custom email address tied to their company domain.

In this comprehensive 3000+ word guide, I‘ll explain step-by-step how to create professional business emails using Gmail or Google Workspace.

Whether you‘re just launching a startup or managing an enterprise, this article will help you:

• Understand why you need a professional email
• Choose the best email provider for your needs
• Follow simple instructions to get set up
• Secure your inbox and promote your brand
• Write emails that effectively represent your business

Let‘s dive in and get your company the business email it deserves!

Why You Need a Professional Business Email Address

Let‘s start by looking at the key reasons entrepreneurs and companies need to use custom professional emails for their business communication.

1. Credibility and Trust

Emails from addresses like [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected] instantly look more professional and legitimate compared to emails from [email protected] or [email protected].

In fact, a survey by ReportLinker found 70% of consumers said an unprofessional email address hurts a brand‘s credibility.

Your company‘s name in the email conveys that customers are contacting an established business, not just an individual. This promotes trust in your brand.

2. Brand Recognition

Emails from your custom domain serve as mini advertisements, reinforcing brand recognition every time you communicate.

Seeing your company name reminds customers who the message is from. This helps build brand awareness and mindshare by associating your emails with your products or services.

3. Improved Deliverability

Generic email providers like Gmail and Outlook sometimes get flagged as spam since anyone can use them.

But emails from your own domain suggest you‘re a legitimate business not sending spam. This results in higher inbox placement and less messages filtered as spam.

4. Provides Authority

An email like [email protected] signals that your business has been around for a while and made a substantial investment in its online presence.

This lends your brand instant authority and gravitas, making you seem like the established player in your industry.

5. Unified Team Communication

Shared inboxes like sales@, support@, contact@ allow your team members to collaborate seamlessly when communicating with customers.

No matter who responds, the email comes from your company domain and represents your business consistently.

6. Cost Effective Branding

Using your domain instead of a website logo or branding within your email provides cost-free advertising.

Your business gets promoted with minimal design effort every time an email is sent or received.

As you can see, the benefits of using a professional custom email address go far beyond just looking reputable and corporate. It‘s a smart long-term branding investment.

Statistics Showing the Importance of Business Email

Don‘t just take my word for it. Here are some revealing statistics that highlight how vital it is to have proper business email in the digital age:

• 93% of customers said a branded email domain increased their trust in the company according to a [Return Path survey](https://returnpath.com/resources/infographics/do-branded-domains-impact-email– sender-reputation-and-recipie/).

• 70% of office workers consider a generic Gmail or Yahoo email unprofessional according to research by Formate International.

• Brand recall improved by over 37% when using an email with a company domain versus a generic address according to an Experian study.

• Emails from addresses using domains like Gmail had spam complaint rates 8x higher than professional domains in a 250ok analysis.

• Emails from .edu addresses had open rates over 100% higher than generic providers according to research by ReturnPath.

The data clearly shows that using a professional custom email address provides significant benefits for credibility, deliverability, open rates, and brand recall.

Now let‘s look at the best options for creating a business email address for your company.

Top Providers for Professional Business Email

When choosing an email provider, you want to look for features like custom domains, business productivity tools, security, storage space, and ease of use.

Here are some of the top solutions to consider:

1. Gmail

• Cost: Free to use with your own domain
• Pros: Widely used, highly reliable, easy to set up
• Cons: Lacks advanced business features beyond basic email

2. Google Workspace (Formerly G Suite)

• Cost: $6 – $18 per user / month
• Pros: Gmail integration, additional business apps, unlimited storage
• Cons: Slightly more complex setup, paid plans only

3. Microsoft 365 (Formerly Office 365)

• Cost: $5 – $20 per user / month
• Pros: Outlook email and Office apps, 50GB – 1TB storage per user
• Cons: Email not as robust as Gmail, requires monthly payment

4. Zoho Mail

• Cost: Free plan available but limited to 5 accounts
• Pros: Integrates with other Zoho apps, has a free tier
• Cons: Separate logins for email and other products

5. ProtonMail

• Cost: Free basic plan, paid plans $5 per user / month
• Pros: Very secure and private email, based in Switzerland
• Cons: Lacks some convenience features of Gmail

There are also options like Amazon WorkMail, FastMail, Rackspace Email and more. But Gmail and Google Workspace tend to be most popular for their familiarity, reliability, and features.

For a new startup or side business, it‘s hard to beat Gmail since you likely already use it daily. Let‘s go over how to configure it for custom business email addresses.

How to Create Free Business Email with Gmail

One of the easiest ways to get a professional business email address is to simply add your own domain to your existing Gmail account.

You likely already have Gmail, so you can upgrade it to use your company‘s domain with just a few tweaks. Here‘s how to do it:

Step 1: Buy a Domain Name

First you need to purchase a domain name for your business. I recommend choosing a .com extension for best credibility.

Some popular registrars include:

• Namecheap
• Bluehost
• GoDaddy

Domains typically cost $12 – $15 per year. The registrar will become your domain name provider going forward.

Step 2: Verify Ownership of your Domain

Next, log into your Gmail account settings and navigate to the "Accounts and Import" tab.

Under "Add another email address" click the link for "Add a custom address".

Enter your domain, like [email protected] and click Next.

Google will provide instructions for creating a TXT record through your domain registrar‘s DNS settings which verifies you own the domain.

Follow the steps to add the TXT record, associating your domain ownership with your Gmail account.

Step 3: Configure MX Records

Upon verifying domain ownership, Google will specify MX records to be added to your DNS settings.

This tells your domain where to route emails, directing them to Google‘s email servers. Again follow the steps to add the MX records in your registrar‘s control panel.

That‘s the basics! Google will confirm when your custom address is ready to use for sending and receiving emails.

Step 4: Set Up Useful Gmail Features

Some helpful options to configure your new Gmail business address include:

• Email aliases – Create aliases like [email protected] without needing separate accounts.

• Conditional forwarding – Automatically forward emails based on sender, subject keywords, etc.

• Canned responses – Save template replies for common customer questions to save time.

• Custom "From" name – Change how your name appears in the "From" field.

Take advantage of Gmail‘s powerful features to save time and look professional.

And best of all, you can create unlimited email aliases and custom addresses for free with your domain!

Using Your Custom Gmail on Mobile and Desktop

Once configured, your Gmail business address will work seamlessly across devices.

On desktop, log into Gmail as usual and send mail through your browser.

On mobile, download the Gmail app for iOS or Android and sync your account.

Use the app to conveniently send and receive emails from your professional domain on the go.

Now let‘s go over how Google Workspace can provide additional features for businesses.

How to Create Business Email with Google Workspace

If you want more powerful tools beyond basic email, Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is a great solution.

Starting at $6 per user / month, you get business class Gmail along with Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Calendar and custom domains.

Here‘s how to get set up:

Step 1: Sign Up for Google Workspace

Go to the Google Workspace website and click Start Now. Select your plan and enter your business and billing details to create your account.

You can register a new domain during signup or use a domain you already own if you have one.

Step 2: Add User Accounts and Emails

Your first account will use your domain, like [email protected]. Next, go into your Google Workspace admin console to add additional users.

This allows you to create multiple business email accounts like:

• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• [email protected]

Add as many professional accounts as your team needs to collaborate.

Step 3: Configure Domain and MX Records

If you registered a new domain through Google, the setup is done automatically.

But if you opted to use your existing domain, you will need to modify the DNS records to point your domain to Google‘s servers.

Follow the steps to verify domain ownership with TXT records first. Then add the MX records provided to route your email through Google.

This connects your domain‘s email to Gmail for sending, receiving, and accessing messages.

Step 4: Manage Business Class Features

The Google Workspace admin console makes it easy to configure powerful options including:

• Custom email signatures
• Advanced security protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
• Email encryption and two-factor authentication
• Enhanced spam monitoring
• Email auditing and tracking
• Team permissions and controls
• File/email retention policies
• And much more

Take advantage of enterprise-level email tools to communicate professionally and securely.

Google Workspace grows with your company, supporting unlimited custom users and emails as your team expands.

Securing Your Business Email Address

It‘s important to keep your company email secure, especially when dealing with sensitive information. Here are some key steps to lock down your inbox:

• Use two-factor authentication – Enforce 2FA so accounts can‘t be accessed without approval on your mobile device.

• Create a secure password – Use a randomly generated 15+ character password for your email account.

• Setup SPF, DKIM, and DMARC – These email authentication protocols verify your domain and prevent spoofing.

• Check activity logs – Monitor your email inbox access logs to watch for suspicious behavior.

• Enable encryption – Encrypt email in transit and at rest to prevent snooping.

• Use secure networks – Only access your email over secure Wi-Fi and never on public networks.

• Deploy email filtering – Use automated filters to isolate suspicious senders and contents.

• Educate team members – Train employees on email security best practices to avoid phishing.

With a few preventative measures, you can keep your business email locked down and prevent compromises.

Email Best Practices for Customer Service

Once your professional address is ready, be sure to utilize it effectively by following these email etiquette tips:

• Include a signature – Sign off with your name, title, company info and contact details.

• Respond promptly – Strive to provide at least an automated response within 24 hours and personal replies within 48 hours.

• Proofread carefully – Double check for typos, grammar issues, unclear language, and tone.

• Avoid oversharing – Don‘t discuss private company information over email that may go public.

• Honor unsubscribe requests – Remove addresses from your lists if users choose to opt-out.

• Organize conversations – Use features like labels, folders and filters to save important messages.

• Write clear subject lines – Summarize the topic so users can scan their inboxes quickly.

• Stay friendly but professional – Adopt a warm but business-appropriate tone.

Following email best practices helps ensure you communicate effectively while providing a positive customer experience.

FAQs About Creating A Business Email Address

How much does a Gmail business email cost?

Gmail business emails powered by your own domain are completely free. The only cost is purchasing your domain name (typically $12-15 annually).

What is the difference between Gmail and Google Workspace?

Gmail allows you to use a custom domain with your existing free account. Google Workspace provides premium business features like shared drives, video conferencing, managed accounts, etc.

Can I use my professional Gmail address on my phone?

Absolutely. Just download the Gmail mobile app for iOS or Android and sync your account.

How many email addresses can I create?

With Gmail you can create unlimited aliases on your domain at no cost. Google Workspace allows unlimited users/emails within your plan‘s limits.

How do I configure business email on my website?

To send email from your website, install an SMTP plugin and use your Gmail/Google Workspace SMTP settings. This will properly deliver email from your domains.

Can I switch between email providers later on?

Absolutely. You control the domain, so you can switch between Gmail, Outlook, Zoho, or any other provider while keeping your professional addresses intact.

Take Your Business Communication to the Next Level

Email remains an essential tool for reaching customers and presenting a professional brand image.

But generic @gmail.com and @yahoo.com style addresses simply won‘t cut it anymore.

This guide showed you how easy it is to create custom business email powered by Gmail or Google Workspace in just a few steps.

Whether you‘re a startup or enterprise company, invest in a proper email address tied to your domain.

Kick your business communication up a notch and start presenting your brand credibly to win more customers.

Your inbox is standing by. Now get out there and send some professional emails!