Setting Up A Custom Business Email
A custom email address such as info@yourbusiness.com.au boosts your brand’s credibility and professionalism. Luckily, Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) makes it simple to create and manage your own custom email using the Gmail interface. In this article, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process, offering tips and insights to make the setup process as easy as possible!
"In a recent study, we discovered that emails sent from a company’s own domain had an average open rate of 41.76% . That’s 9.44 percentage points higher than emails sent from free domains"
Source: https://www.getresponse.com/
1. Head to Google Workspace
Go to https://workspace.google.com/ and click the “Get Started” or “Start Free Trial” button.
2. Follow Google's Setup Wizard
The setup wizard will guide you through collecting all of the required information about your business and contact details.
3. Domain Name
If you already have a domain name, enter it. If not, you can purchase one through Google.
4. Create Your First Email
Choose your desired username and password for your primary custom email address.
5. Choose your Google Workspace Business Plan
You’ll get the first 14 days for free, but it’s best to get your plan setup early on, here is an overview of the 3 main business plans available, with a comparison of each.
Verify Your Domain Ownership
1. DNS Setup
This step involves adding a TXT record to your domain’s settings. This is how Google confirms you own the domain.
2. Login to Your Registrar
You’ll need to access your domain registrar’s account (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.) to make this change. If you don’t have access yourself, you can reach out to whoever handles this for your business and get these records added.
3. Google Offers Comprehensive Support
Don’t worry if this sounds technical. Google provides detailed instructions for various registrars. If needed, contact your registrar’s support for assistance.
4. Verification Check
Once the TXT record has been added, return to Google Workspace dashboard and click “Verify My Domain.”
Invite Your Team Members
1. Adding New Users
If you have a team, you can create additional email addresses for them.
2. Alias vs. New User
An alias is an extra email address that delivers messages to an existing inbox (great for “info@” or “support@”). A new user gets their own separate inbox.
If you create info@YourBusiness.com.au as an alias for contact@YourBusiness.com.au, any emails sent to info@YourBusiness.com.au will automatically land in the contact@YourBusiness.com.au inbox. You can make as many of these aliases without it costing extra!
MX Records
MX records are like the address labels of the email world. They tell incoming messages where to go – in this case, your Google Workspace account.
Pro-Tip: Some domain hosts like to see a period at the end of smtp.google.com. Double-check your host’s instructions to be sure!
| Name – Host – Alias * | Priority | Value / Answer / Destination |
| @ or Blank | 1 | SMTP.GOOGLE.COM |
1. Post-April 2023 Users
If you signed up for Google Workspace after April 2023, you typically only need to add one MX record. The Google Workspace setup wizard will provide the exact details.
2. Pre-April 2023 Users
If you signed up earlier, you’ll likely need to add five MX records. Again, Google will give you the specific information on what you need to do during setup.
Final Activation
If you signed up earlier, you’ll likely need to add five MX records. Again, Google will give you the specific information on what you need to do during setup.
Final Thoughts
Congratulations! You’ve successfully set up your professional custom email with Google Workspace. Enjoy the benefits of a branded email address that reinforces your business identity and streamlines your communication.
Don’t forget to make sure you update your Google Business Profile with your new contact details, if you haven’t created one yet, go and do it! A Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) account is a vital asset to your local SEO and local business’s online visibility. Here is a free article with a step-by-step guide on how to set up a new Google business profile in 2024.
