How to create a business email address: step-by-step guide

Alongside creating a business website, having a company email is an absolute necessity for starting a business, but you can’t just use any old email address.

Instead, an official business email address featuring your company name will always give a more professional impression when contacting your customers, versus using a standard Gmail or Hotmail account.

Taking the time to select a well-chosen business email address can result in a higher email open rate, better ROI for your marketing campaigns, and strengthened customer trust.

We’ll take you through how to create a business email address in four easy steps. To do so, we’ll focus on setting up a business email address with Google Workspace. This is a simple, trusted platform from one of the biggest names around, and it’s as easy to use as a personal Gmail address.

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CHEAPEST PLAN
Business Starter	Business Standard	Business Plus	Enterprise
Cost £5 per user, per month for a one-year commitment	Cost £10 per user, per month for a one-year commitment	Cost £15 per user, per month for a one-year commitment	Cost Contact sales
Features Custom and secure business email 100-participant video meetings 30GB storage per user Security and management controls	Features Custom and secure business email 150-participant video meetings and recording 2TB of storage per user Security and management controls	Features Ediscovery and retention 500 participant video meetings and attendance tracking 5TB storage per user Advanced endpoint management	Features S/MIME encryption As much storage as needed Advanced security, management and compliance controls Noise cancellation and in-domain live streaming

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Tips for creating a business email address

Creating a professional-looking email address is a simple way to build credibility and make communication easier. Here are some tips to set up a solid business email address:

• Use a professional domain: Avoid free providers like Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail for business emails (for example, yourbusinessname@gmail.com) as they can appear less professional.

• Keep it simple: Use a clear and professional format for your email address. For example, you could use firstname@yourcompany.com, firstname.lastname@yourcompany.com or initial.lastname@yourcompany.com. Remember to keep it as short and readable as possible to make it easier to remember.
• Use role-based emails for teams: Many businesses use role-based emails for general or team-wide addresses. For example, info@yourcompany.com for general inquiries, support@yourcompany.com for customer service, sales@yourcompany.com for sales inquiries and billing@yourcompany.com for payment and invoicing matters.
• Avoid numbers or special characters: Don’t use numbers or special characters unless necessary. For example, if your company operates in multiple locations and uses numbers or codes to denote different regions or offices.
• Implement security measures: Make sure you set up two-factor authentication (2FA) on your business email accounts to prevent any unauthorised access. You should also educate your team on the best security practices for work emails, such as recognising phishing attempts and creating secure passwords.

Why do you need a business email?

Having a business email creates a trustworthy, professional-looking account for customers and clients to reach out to you. There are numerous benefits of using a business email address, versus a personal email account:

• Gives you more control: A single business email makes it easier to keep track of all your communications. It also gives you admin control, through which you can create new staff accounts, remove old ones, and set up email forwarding.
• Establishes credibility: When customers can reach you through an official company email address, it gives you a degree of legitimacy as it shows you’ve done the work to register and set up your business.
• Better security than a personal account: Providers like Google Workspace are set up with enhanced security features that keep your internal and external communications safe.

Can you get a business email for free?

While there are ways you can technically create a free business email address, you’ll end up paying for other costs along the way.

There are a few different website hosting providers and email platforms that allow you to set up a business email account as a free add-on, but only if you purchase a website hosting or server hosting plan. For example, you’ll have to pay for domain hosting to get a free email included when using Bluehost or HostGator

We explain the process in more detail in our video below:

With most webmail providers, you can’t get a business domain address without paying. For example, with Google Workspace, the costs are up to £15 a month when paid annually.

If you want to set up your hosting separately, you’ll first need to choose your web hosting setup. This could be a shared, VPS, or dedicated hosting plan, depending on the scale of your website and its likely traffic.

After this, you’ll need to register your domain name. If you choose one that’s already been taken, the registrar will show you closely related alternatives. Once you’ve chosen your domain name, you can fill in the payment information and get started.

At this point, you might be able to add a “free” business email address. However, with the hosting and domain costs included, it certainly isn’t a free process from beginning to end.

Conclusion

Having a business email address is vital to building your business’s trust and authority. After all, would you trust a business that doesn’t have its domain name in its email address?

Having a recognisable domain email will make it easier for your customers to reach out, drive successful email campaigns, and ensure you’re on people’s radar in general.

Although there are plenty of options out there, the easiest, most affordable, and – for Gmail users – the most familiar way of setting up a business email is via Google Workspace. You’ll have access to a user-friendly platform that’s integrated with a host of other apps that will make it easier for you and your team to stay in contact.