The Benefits of a Custom Email Domain for Your Online Business

As you build your own online business, it's worthwhile to get your own email domain. It's a straightforward process—especially with minimal tech savvy, you can set up your desired email address with its own domain name and start interacting with your clients. Here's how.

What is a custom email domain?

A custom email domain is an email address that uses a unique domain name instead of a generic email provider’s domain (e.g., gmail.com, yahoo.com, outlook.com). Custom email domains are particularly useful for business email accounts that use the same domain as the company’s website. So, if the business name is "Stupendous Lip Gloss" and the website domain is stupendouslipgloss.com, each employee’s personalized email address would look like jane@stupendouslipgloss.com.

Email address vs. email domain

The terms "email address" and "email domain" aren’t quite synonyms. An email domain is a component of an email address. Here’s the difference:

Email address: A complete identifier used to send and receive emails (e.g., info@example.com).
Email domain: The portion of the email address that comes after the @ symbol, which can be customized by purchasing a domain name (e.g., example.com in info@example.com).

How to get a custom email domain

Choose and register your domain name Visit a domain registrar to start the process. Use your registrar to find and purchase your desired domain name. This typically costs between $12 and $15 per year for generic top-level domains.

Note that your perfect domain may already be claimed. You can try working around this by choosing a different top-level domain (e.g., if your domain is taken with a .com extension, it may still be available with a .info or .biz extension). If you’re set on a domain that’s unavailable, you’ll need to negotiate with the current owner to purchase it. A domain brokerage service can assist with this.

When you secure your domain, enable domain privacy protection to keep your personal information secure.
Choose your email hosting provider There are two ways to approach email hosting. Services like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or Zoho Mail offer professional email hosting with features like spam filters, contact syncing, and sizable storage plans.
Connect your chosen domain to an email host Regardless of your hosting provider, the next step is to visit your domain registrar’s dashboard. Locate the domain’s DNS settings and add the required MX records (mail exchange records) and CNAME records provided by your email host.

Some providers require SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records in addition to DNS records to create email accounts. These improve email security and prevent spam. Consult with your provider to see what they require.
Set up custom email addresses In this step of the setup process, you can assign a professional email address to anyone on your team. These can be linked to people’s names or to their job titles (e.g., "accounting@example.com" or "orders@example.com").
Test and secure your email system Send a test email to and from your new email address to ensure proper delivery and receipt, and check your security settings. Confirm that your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly configured to prevent email spoofing. Your registrar can give you specific instructions on how to do this. For added security, enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for logins.
Send emails You’re now ready to send emails with your own domain in the return address.

Pros and cons of a custom email domain

A custom email domain can be a powerful tool for establishing credibility and professionalism with potential customers. Here are some key benefits, along with drawbacks to consider before setting one up:

Benefits of custom domain ownership

Strengthened brand identity: Your email address is a constant touchpoint with customers. A custom domain reinforces brand identity with every email, increasing brand recognition and recall.
Projected professionalism: Using a free, publicly available email domain like gmail.com or yahoo.com makes sense for personal use. However, when projecting a professional image to clients, it helps to have your email address feature the same domain name you use for your website.
Full domain ownership: With a custom domain, you have complete control over your email addresses. You can create new employee accounts, manage existing accounts, choose your own email clients, and ensure consistent branding across your organization.
Greater flexibility and scalability: As your business grows, a custom domain allows you to scale your email infrastructure. You can create numerous email addresses for different departments or employees without limitations.
Added layers of security: You can configure your custom email system to use an email server with MX records provided by your web hosting provider. This helps you filter incoming emails, reducing spam and phishing risks. You can also set up two-factor authentication (2FA) and encryption for added security.
Opportunities for increased productivity: Many domain registration services include shared calendars, cloud storage, and collaboration tools, allowing easy access to emails across multiple devices.

Potential drawbacks of custom email domains

Ongoing costs: Setting up a custom email domain involves costs for domain registration services, web hosting, and potentially email hosting if you choose a third-party provider.
Technical requirements: Managing a custom email domain requires some technical expertise. You’ll need to configure email clients, understand MX records, and potentially troubleshoot email server issues.
Security obligations: While a custom domain offers more control over security, it also places more responsibility on the business owner. You’ll need to actively manage email security to protect against spam, phishing, and other threats.

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