What is an email domain?

You often see gmail.com, outlook.com, or yahoo.com for personal emails. But, companies typically have domains featuring their names to ease identification and establish credibility.

The benefits of owning an email domain

Using a free email may seem alluring, but there are many benefits to owning an email domain for your company. Consider some of the following.

1. Builds trust

A personalized email domain makes your message seem more credible, as people will quickly identify its source. The result is trust. They know they won’t get any email threats when opening your message.

2. Drives sales

A higher chance of people opening your email also means a more significant probability of attracting new leads and converting more sales if you want to use email marketing.

3. Gains more traffic

Content marketing is a critical sales tool. You can create a blog and share content that people will find helpful. You can send them your content through newsletters, increasing your website’s traffic and selling more.

How to choose an email domain (plus an example)

A domain email represents your company online, so choosing a good name is critical. The safest bet is to use your business name. For example, at one.com, we’ve chosen initials@one.com. Simple. 

After you’ve chosen your email domain name, it’s critical to check if it’s available. Your name must be unique. Conduct a domain name search to check if anyone else has taken it. Once you’ve found the perfect one, you’ll need to register it.

How to register an email domain name

To register a domain name, you’ll need to find a host. It’s a service provider responsible for ensuring your email is secure and works properly. one.com is an example of a host. We offer several email plans and prices tailored to your business needs.

For example, the “Essentials” email plan features the following:

• Easy migration from your email provider
• Webmail
• Ad-free email
• Spam filter
• 15 GB email storage
• 5 email accounts
• 3 GB mailbox size

Once you’ve chosen the perfect plan for your needs, complete the purchase and start using your email domain. You can even use it to set aliases.

The difference between an email address and an email alias

When people talk about email addresses, they mean any address like email@domain.com. However, the use and operation of email can be more nuanced.

For example, you can use an email alias, a “forwarding address.” It looks like a regular email account but has no associated hosting space. All messages sent to the alias automatically go to someone’s mailbox.

Both mailboxes and aliases can be personal and professional. Business email is often shorthand for a company having their email domain rather than using a free service like Gmail or Yahoo. Companies typically use their domain email for business communications.

Business email: 8 ways you’re using it wrong

It’s easy to get started with an email domain and just as easy to create new email aliases and mailboxes. However, beginners sometimes make these mistakes when they set up their business email:

1. Relying on your ISP’s email solution

These can be company@btinternet.uk or johnshow@verizon.net. Tying your business email to a specific provider can prove difficult, especially if your business relocates to an area your ISP does not serve.

2. Signing up for a free service 

While saving money on your business email, you’re discrediting your new business venture with a @gmail address.

3. Using nicknames

Emails like the_dude@, jameswebdev@, and colin91@ are not great when shaping your brand’s professional image.

4. Skipping aliases

Sometimes it’s as easy as creating a sales@ alias for your website-driven enquiries instead of posting your sole sales manager’s john@ email address. Aliases are usually free and unlimited and are an excellent way for new businesses to look bigger and protect themselves against miscommunication due to staff turnover.

5. Using business email for personal use 

You don’t want your company information associated with off-hour activities. Who knows which party photos will surface one day and damage your brand reputation?

6. Switching the email domain too often

People keep business cards and contact lists around for years. If you jump from one email domain name to another too often without redirecting the email addresses, you’ll likely miss essential leads and conversations.

7. Forgetting to specify sender names and profile pictures

Many desktop email clients and webmail interfaces display the sender’s name in the inbox. It’s an excellent opportunity to signpost your business and brand for the recipient easily.

8. Opting for a long email domain

Unlike web links most users click on, email addresses are regularly typed. Be considerate to your correspondents and avoid typos by choosing a short domain for your business email.

Ideally, you’d like your website and email to use the same domain; however, if the leading site has a long domain name, register a shorter version for your email domain.