Can I get a business email for free?

Free email services give you an address at their domain, not yours. A business address at your own domain usually costs a few dollars a month per person, plus the yearly domain fee.

Do I need a website to have a business email?

No. You need a domain, not a website. But since you own the domain, it's easy to add a website later at the same address.

What's a good business email address?

Your first name or hello@ at your own domain. Short, easy to say on the phone, with no numbers.

Can I use my business email on my phone?

Yes. Every major business email provider works on phones, so you can answer customers from the job.

Starting a business

How to get a business email address with your own domain

By the Storyhand Studio team

An email like sam@yourbusiness.com tells customers you're a real business. A free address with numbers in it does the opposite. Setting one up is easier than it sounds. Here's how.

Why it matters

Trust: people are more likely to reply to, and pay, a business address.
It matches your brand: the same name as your website, cards and truck.
It stays with the business: if you hire help or sell someday, the email goes with it.
Fewer missed messages: business mail stays out of your personal inbox.

What you need first

You need a domain, your web address, like yourbusiness.com. You rent it by the year from a domain company. Buy it in your own name with your own login. If you don't have a name yet, start with how to name your business.

The steps

Pick an email provider. The big office suites and many domain companies sell business email, usually a few dollars a month per person. Pick one that works with the phone and computer you already use.
Connect it to your domain. The provider gives you a few records to add in your domain account. Most walk you through it step by step.
Create your address. See naming tips below.
Add it to your phone so you can answer from the job.
Send a test to a friend and ask them to reply, so you know mail is going both ways.

What to name your address

Your first name (sam@) feels personal and works great when it's just you.
hello@ or info@ works as a shared address you put on your website and cards.
Keep it short and easy to say over the phone.
Avoid numbers and hyphens.

Many owners use both: their name for conversations, and hello@ on printed materials.

Mistakes to avoid

Letting someone else own the domain. If a web designer registers it in their account, your email depends on them.
Forgetting to renew. Turn on auto-renew so your email doesn't stop working.
No signature. Add your name, business, phone and website to the bottom of every email.
Skipping the security settings. Turn on two-step sign-in.

Where it fits

Business email is one of five things every new business needs online. See the full list in what a new business needs online.