How to Set Up Gmail for Business in 4 Super-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.
Angelica is a staff writer for Fit Small Business who specializes in marketing content like social media and small business websites.
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 information. You can use your existing domain, or purchase one from Google or from other trusted domain registrars.
To start, head over to Google Workspace and then 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 “Get Started” 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 New Domain)
Once you have provided your contact information, you can connect your business domain name. A domain is what comes after “www” in a web address (aka URL) and comes after the @ sign on your email address. For example, the domain name of this site is “fitsmallbusiness.com.”
How to Use a Domain You Already Own
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 MX records that Google Workspace provides in your Domain Name System (DNS). Follow the prompts from the registrar’s admin console home page.
How to Get a New Domain Name
If you don’t have a domain name, click on “No, I need one.” Search domain names to see if your business name is available. If it is available, you can register it to use 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.
3. Create Your Gmail Business Email User Name
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 formats). Then click “Agree and Continue.”
Using the same username format keeps your company’s emails consistent and easy to organize. When choosing a username 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. Use this guide on how to create professional email addresses for your team.
4. Input Payment Information to 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 business email.
Next Steps After Setting Up Gmail for Business
Once you’ve set up your Google Workspace account and business email address, you can now customize it, migrate your email, and access the Google suite of productivity tools. Get the most out of Gmail 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, how you organize your inbox, and creating a unique email signature.
- Migrate email to Gmail: Go to admin.google.com and click on “Apps.” Navigate to the Setup section, check the box next to “User email uploads,” and click “Save.” Then, go back to your Gmail and click on the Settings icon in the top right corner, where you can start the import process. Use Google’s guide to learn how to turn imports from webmail hosts on or off.
- Add new users: To add more users for your team, go to Google Domains and select “Email.” Under “Add or remove people from Google Workspace,” choose “Add User.” Then enter the new user’s first name, last name, and user name. Then select “Admin” or “User” as their role. Click Add. Google will charge you a prorated amount based on your plan for the new user on your next billing date.
- Add apps to maximize productivity: Email apps can help you organize your emails, track website open rates, or 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
One of the many nice things about Gmail is that it’s user-friendly. As such, it is simple to set up professional email addresses, but there are additional reasons to consider using Gmail for your professional email needs, including the following pros and cons.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Comes with the whole suite of Google Workspace business apps | No free plan |
| Branded email addresses build trust and establish brand credibility | Gmail filters some emails into spam, so you need to periodically monitor your spam folder so as not to miss improperly categorized emails |
| Easy to set up | Some Workspace apps aren’t as good as counterparts; for example, users say Google Docs features are limited compared to Microsoft Word and that Zoom is more intuitive than Google Meet |
| Integrates with Google Workspace apps and other third-party applications | |
| Privacy and security features included | |
| Upgrade or downgrade based on your business’ budget and needs | |
Gmail Pricing With Google Workspace
To use Gmail as your business’ email client requires the purchase of a Google Workplace plan. Workspace is free for the first 14 days; after that, 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. 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 |
Per-user Storage Space | 30GB | 2TB | 5TB | 5TB (additional storage available on request) |
Custom Email Address | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Video Meetings (up to 24 Hours in Duration) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Video Meetings | Up to 100 participants | Up to 150 participants and recording saved to Google Drive | Up to 500 participants, recording saved to Google Drive, and attendance tracking | Up to 500 participants, recording saved to Google Drive, attendance tracking, noise cancellation, and in-domain livestreaming |
Gmail business email pricing plans
(Source: Google Workspace)
- Business Starter Plan: This is a great plan for small businesses as it includes a professional email and access to Google’s productivity and collaboration tools.
- Business Standard: This plan provides more storage at 2TB cloud storage per user and allows you to record video meetings.
- Business Plus: Upgrade to Business Plus to get 5TB of cloud storage per user, record conferences, and track attendance for video meetings.
- Enterprise: Enterprise is 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 business emailing 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 hosting provider you can connect and access through Gmail at no cost. Here are six 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. It builds credibility, trust, and brand awareness with prospects and customers alike. Check out this complete guide to creating and setting up a business email.
What’s the difference between Gmail & Gmail for business?
Gmail is a free email service that contains the Gmail domain (e.g., jane@gmail.com) that’s meant for personal use. To use Gmail for business, you connect your business’ custom domain to your email address (e.g., jane@yourcustomdomain.com).
Paid plans start at $6 per user, per month as part of the Google Workspace ecosphere. 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 (for those who already own a domain name).
Many of the best web hosting companies include several or even unlimited email accounts on your domain in low-cost hosting packages. 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
Setting up Gmail for business email is easy. You can get a branded email that your customers recognize and trust in just a few steps, and your Gmail business email 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.
