How to Set Up Gmail for Business Email in 4 Simple Steps
Elizabeth Kraus has more than a decade of first-hand experience building and growing a boutique digital marketing agency and double that in small and mid-size business marketing management. She provides expert answers to marketing questions related to branding, content marketing, web development, email, social media, and SEO.
This article is part of a larger series on Business Email.
Setting up Gmail for business email is quick and easy. Start by creating a Google Workspace account, then follow the prompts to connect your domain name, create a user name, and add your payment info. If you don’t already have a domain name, you can purchase one from Google during the account setup or get one from another trusted domain registrar.
Follow the steps below to set up your Gmail business email in four easy steps:
1. Create a Google Workspace Account to Use Gmail for Business
Go to the Google Workspace page and click on the “Start Free Trial” button. This will take you to a page asking for your business name, number of employees, and region or country where your business is based. Fill out this information and click “Next.” On the following page, add your name, email address, and business phone number. Then, click “Next.”
2. Connect Your Domain (or Buy a Domain Name)
If you don’t have a domain, you can purchase one when setting up Gmail for business email.
Once you have provided your contact information, you can connect your domain name. A domain name is what comes after “www” in a web address (aka URL) and after the @ sign on your email address. For example, the domain name of this site is “fitsmallbusiness.com.” For more details, read our article explaining what a domain name is and how to get one.
How to Use a Domain You Already Own
Verify your existing domain name
If you have an existing domain, click on “Yes, I have one I can use.” Enter your domain name (e.g., yourbusiness.com) and click “Next.”
In the following step, you can verify and give Google access to your domain name. To do this, go to your domain name registrar’s admin console home page and enter the mail exchange (MX) records that Google Workspace provides into your DNS. Follow the prompts from the registrar’s admin console home page.
How to Get a Domain Name to Use With Gmail
Think carefully about choosing a domain name for your business.
If you don’t have a domain name, click on “No, I need one.” Search domain names to see if the domain name you want is available. If it is available, you can use it to register for your Gmail business email.
If not, you can enter another preferred domain name or choose from the alternatives that Google will generate for you. If you want to get a new domain name but don’t want to get one from Google, check out these trusted domain name registrar alternatives.
Pro tip: If you don’t already have a domain name, don’t just pick the first name that comes to mind. Your domain name should be on-brand yet unique and memorable. Learn more about how to choose the right domain name for your business.
3. Create Your Gmail Business Email Username
Input a new username, or use an existing email address you already have on a custom domain.
Create a username and password to use as your Gmail business email. Your username is what comes before the “@” sign and your domain name (e.g., jane@jnzlaw.com, doe@jnzlaw.com, jane.doe@jnzlaw.com, j.doe@jnzlaw.com, or other email address formats). Then click “Agree and Continue.”
Using the same username format keeps your company’s email addresses consistent and easy to organize and remember. When choosing format, consider the size of your organization. Using the first name or last name only can work for small organizations. However, if you are looking to scale, you might have staff who share the same first or last name.
Still not sure how to format your Gmail business email address? Get more guidance in our article with professional email address ideas and examples.
4. Input Payment Info & Complete Account Setup
Google provides a 14-day free trial, so you will not be billed during this period, but you still need to add payment information. The plan is set to Business Standard by default. But you can choose to downgrade or upgrade to the next plan within your free trial. Click “Next” and complete the checkout process to start using Gmail for business email.
Next Steps After Setting Up Gmail for Business Email
Setting up your Google Workspace account and email address is just the start of how you can use Gmail for business email. For example, you can customize your emails, migrate email messages from other accounts, and access the full Google Workspace suite of productivity and collaboration tools.
Get the most out of Gmail for your business with these next steps:
- Customize your email: On your Gmail account, click on the Settings icon in the top right corner. From here, you can customize elements in your email, including your profile picture, email theme, and how you organize your inbox, and create a unique email signature to use for new messages or when replying to emails.
- Migrate other email accounts to Google Workspace: Import emails from other accounts into Gmail. First, prepare the account you want to export. Then, follow Google’s email migration instructions based on your source account. For example, to migrate an existing Gmail account (after allowing data migration), go to your Admin console, then @Account, and then “Data Migration.” Click “Set Data Migration Up” and fill out the fields to start the process.
- Add new users: To add more users to your team, go to the Admin console and select “Home.” Under “Users,” select “Add a user,” and then fill out the fields to create a new business Gmail account.
- Add apps to maximize productivity: Email apps can help you organize emails, track website open rates, and increase sales. To get more when using Gmail for your business’ email, check out our list of the 10 best email apps for small businesses, including the Gmail for Mobile app.
Pro tip: Creating a unique email signature can help you engage prospects and move them along the buying journey. Get inspiration and ideas using the best email signature generators.
Pros & Cons of Using Gmail for Business Email
One of the best things about using Gmail for business email is that it’s user-friendly. It is simple to set up professional email addresses and use Gmail for business correspondence. But there are additional reasons to consider creating a Gmail account for business, including the following pros and cons.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Comes with the whole suite of Google Workspace business apps | No free plan |
| Branded email builds trust and establish brand credibility | Emails are automatically filtered, so you need to monitor your spam folder so as not to miss improperly categorized emails |
| Easy to set up | Some Workspace apps aren’t as advanced or intuitive as counterparts; for example, users say Microsoft Word has more advanced features than Docs, and Zoom is more intuitive than Google Meets |
| Integrates with Google Workspace apps and other third-party applications | |
| Privacy and security features included | |
| Budget-friendly, no-commitment plans from $6/month | |
| Scalable plans to grow with | |
Based on popularity, most U.S. businesses find that Google Workspace (and Gmail) is the best option for business email, productivity, and collaboration. In 2020, it enjoyed a market share of 59.4% compared to 40.4% for Microsoft 365. It’s designed for collaboration, and all of its features are available on both desktop and mobile beginning in the base plan (unlike Microsoft 365), so it’s also more cost-effective for distributed teams and remote-hybrid work scenarios.
Gmail Pricing (With Google Workspace)
To use a Gmail account for business requires the purchase of a Google Workplace plan. It’s free for the first 14 days, then Google bills you based on your chosen plan. All plans are billed monthly, and there’s no option to save with a 12-month or longer-term contract. However, unlike other providers, there’s also no obligation to sign a long-term contract.
Each plan is for one user, and you can add a maximum of 300 users for the Business Starter, Business Standard, and Business Plus Plans for an additional monthly cost:
Business Starter | Business Standard | Business Plus | Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Monthly Cost per User | $6 | $12 | $18 | Contact sales for pricing |
Per-user Storage Space | 30GB | 2TB | 5TB | 5TB (expandable) |
Custom Email Address | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Third-party App Integrations | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Video Meetings (up to 24 Hours in Duration) |
|
|
|
|
Security & Management Tools | Standard | Standard | Enhanced | Advanced |
Here’s the breakdown of the four Google Workspace plans that allow you to use Gmail as a business email solution:
- Business Starter Plan: This is a great plan for small businesses as it includes a professional Gmail email and access to Google’s productivity and collaboration tools. Plus, it’s relatively affordable at $6 per user each month.
- Business Standard: At $12 user/month, this plan provides more storage at 2TB cloud storage per user and allows you to record video meetings. It also allows more meeting participants.
- Business Plus: Upgrade to Business Plus for $18 a month to get 5TB of cloud storage per user, record conferences, and track attendance for video meetings. You can also allow up to 500 meeting attendants.
- Enterprise: Google Workspace’s custom-priced enterprise plans are intended for businesses with more than 300 users. It offers 5TB of pooled storage for each user, and additional storage is available by request. In addition to video meeting recording and attendance tracking, you also get noise cancellation and in-domain livestreaming.
Found the right Google Workplace plan for you? Get started using Gmail for a business email with a free 14-day trial.
Start Using Gmail for Business
Looking to use Gmail for your business email but don’t have the budget? Get a free email address from your web host or email provider and then connect and access it through Gmail at no cost (without a Google Workspace subscription). Here are the legit ways to get a free business email address.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a business email?
A business email is a custom email address that uses your company’s domain name, as opposed to a personal email address you might create on Hotmail or Yahoo. Having a branded business email builds credibility, trust, and brand awareness with prospects and customers alike. Check out this complete guide on how to create a business email, including popular ways to format business email addresses.
What’s the difference between Gmail & Gmail for business?
Gmail is a free email service on the Gmail domain (e.g., jane@gmail.com) meant for personal use. To use Gmail for business, you can connect a domain name to your email address (e.g., jane@yourdomainname.com) or purchase a domain while setting up your account.
Paid plans start at $6 per user monthly as part of the Google Workspace ecosphere, and if you purchase a domain during setup, it will cost $12 to $15 per year. Alternatively, if cost is a top concern, check out our list of the best cheap email hosting providers at $6 per month or less.
What are the best Google Workspace alternatives for business email?
Gmail is a leading business email provider for businesses of all sizes. However, there are others you can choose from based on your budget and business needs. Some of these include Microsoft 365, IONOS (low-cost email hosting from $1 per month), DreamHost (unlimited business emails with the Unlimited shared hosting plan), and Zoho Mail (up to five free email accounts for those who already own a domain name).
Alternatively, to see whether Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace is the better solution for your small business, read our expert Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 comparison.
Bottom Line
Creating a business email with Gmail is easy. You can get a branded email that your customers recognize and trust in just a few steps, and your Gmail business account includes access to Google Workspace’s all-in-one email, communication, and productivity software suite. Visit Google Workspace to set up your account and start your 14-day free trial today.
