How to Create a Professional Email Address in 4 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.
Hazel Emnace writes content for small businesses in the USA, Australia, South East Asia, and New Zealand, from engaging copy to marketing tips for business owners.
This article is part of a larger series on Business Email.
Using a branded email address on your domain sets you and your business apart from competitors. Learning how to create a professional email might seem technical, but it’s quite simple. First, pick an email provider and then get a domain name. Next, decide on the format you want to use for email addresses and create one or more for business purposes.
Get reliable, secure email with an affordable business email plan for Gmail from Google Workspace as low as $6 per month.
1. Choose an Email Provider
To create a professional email address, you’ll need a business email hosting service that allows you to use a custom domain. There are many different options depending on your budget and business needs. For example, consider if you want to access email mainly from desktop computers or if you will also need mobile and web-based access, and which email client you plan to use (e.g., Gmail or Outlook).
To find a provider, read our list of best business email providers for small businesses. They cover most of the tools and features small businesses need as well as the best value for the money. Or simply go with our top pick: Google Workspace, to get Gmail business email.
To learn more about Google Workspace and top alternatives, pull open the tabs below:
Pros
- Plans from $6 per user, per month with Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, and more
- Intuitive to use, reliable, and secure
- Get a domain during checkout
- Thousands of business app integrations
Cons
- Domain isn’t included, unlike Bluehost and IONOS
- Not as cheap as Zoho Mail or IONOS
- Fewer advanced features than Microsoft 365 (and Outlook)
Paid Google Workspace plans allow you to host business email on Gmail on your own domain. If you don’t have a domain, you can get it directly from Google during the account setup process. When you do, it’s automatically connected to your account, making it even easier to set up professional email addresses on your domain. Check out some of Gmail’s key features in our Gmail tips and tricks article.
Per-user pricing starts at $6 a month, and it’s best for those who want to use Gmail for business email. It also comes with the complete suite of Google Workplace business collaboration and productivity tools most companies need, such as Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, and Google Meet.
Trying to decide whether the Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 software suite would be better for your small business? See how they stack up and what makes each unique in our Google Workspace vs Microsoft Office comparison.
Pros
- Create up to 5 free email addresses on a domain you own
- Workplace plans comparable to Google and Microsoft from $3 to $6
- Integrates easily with all Zoho business software
Cons
- No plans include a free domain
- Limited storage and small attachment limits in free and base plans
- Lacks advanced phishing and spam filters, unlike IONOS, Microsoft, and Google
Businesses looking for ways to get free professional email addresses can try Zoho Mail. While you need to get a custom domain name through a domain registrar separately, Zoho Mail allows you to create up to five free business email accounts on your domain.
If you need more email addresses or higher storage limits, Zoho Mail offers paid plans for as low as $1 per email address, per month. To get more business features and tools, opt for Zoho Mail’s Workplace plans ranging from $3 to $6 per user, per month.
Workplace plans come with both individual and shared storage, and Professional subscribers get email attachments up to 1GB. This is a must for creative freelancers and companies that send large files (e.g., construction, architects, marketing agencies, real estate, and others). Workplace plans also include Zoho Office’s productivity tools (word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations), collaboration tools, and even video conferencing.
Want to get a Zoho business email? Set up your free addresses by following our step-by-step instructions on how to create a free Zoho email account.
Pros
- Email hosting comes with a free domain and SSL
- Plans from $1 per month
- Scalable options including more storage and multi-account plans
- Intuitive webmail app and easy to connect to your preferred email client
Cons
- Only 2GB storage in base plan (but can be expanded)
- Most advanced security requires highest plan tier ($5 per month)
- Doesn’t come with productivity and collaboration tools, unlike Google and Microsoft
You can get an email account for your business with IONOS’ email hosting, website builder, and web hosting plans. Standalone email hosting starts at $1 per user, per month and includes a free domain, making it one of the best cheap email hosting providers for startups and small businesses. Plans are also scalable in that you can add more storage and email addresses.
IONOS offers the widest range of plan options for creating a professional email address. It has three standard business plans ranging from $1 to $5 per month, Google Workspace (Gmail) plans, and Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Exchange plans. You can also add email archiving and eDiscovery to ensure your data is protected and restorable, starting from $2.50 per month.
Pros
- Plans from $2.95 per month with 5+ email addresses, web hosting, domain, SSL, and a WordPress website builder
- Free domain for the first year
- Intuitive webmail app or easily add your email to your favorite client
Cons
- No month-to-month options
- Price increases after the first year
- Lowest pricing requires a 3-year commitment
- No productivity or collaboration tools like you get with Google and Microsoft
If you plan to build a WordPress website, you can set up five email accounts for free in Bluehost WordPress website plans. Learn how easy it is to set up Bluehost webmail and make a business email.
Bluehost is a top WordPress-recommended web hosting platform, and you get web hosting starting from $2.95 a month with a free domain and SSL certificate, five free email accounts, and a WordPress website builder. If you need more email addresses, upgrade one tier to the Plus plan and get unlimited email addresses and storage.
2. Get a Domain Name
After choosing a provider, the next step is getting a domain name. First, check if your provider offers a free domain. If you already have one, you simply have to verify your domain to connect it to your account. As with email providers, you have many options for getting a domain, including getting a free email domain through your preferred web host or email hosting plan.
Main Ways to Get a Domain for Professional Email
If you already have a domain or web hosting, you might already be able to create a professional email address for free. If not, here are the best use cases for each of the main ways to get a business domain name for email:
Domain Options | Use Case | Top Providers | Starting Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
Free domain for one year in web hosting plans |
| $2.95 per month | |
Free domain for one year with site builder and hosting plans |
| $12-$16 per month | |
Free domain with email hosting plans |
| $1 per month | |
Registering a domain separately from other products |
| $9.99 per year |
Learn more about each of these options in our guide to getting a free domain name.
Maybe you’ve chosen a provider and know how you plan to register your email domain, but you’re struggling to find an available domain name that fits your brand. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Finding one that’s both available and ideal for your business can be difficult. To help, check out this article for guidance on choosing a domain name.
3. Choose a Format
Before you create a professional email address, you’ll need to choose a format for your username and display name. The username is the first portion of an email address, such as the “JDoe” of “JDoe@dowlaw.com.” The recipient sees the display name, such as “John Doe.”
Sample username and display name as seen by email recipients
Be consistent in using a standard email format for all company email accounts for branding and organization. This is crucial as branding statistics show that brand consistency alone can increase revenue by up to 20%.
Username Format | Examples for User John Doe |
|---|---|
First name only | john@yourdomain.com |
Last name only | doe@yourdomain.com |
First name, last initial | johnd@yourdomain.com john.d@yourdomain.com |
First initial, last name | jdoe@yourdomain.com j.doe@yourdomain.com |
Full name (first and last) | johndoe@yourdomain.com john.doe@yourdomain.com |
When choosing an email username format, consider your company’s size and the perception you want to make. Using only a first name is nearly impossible for large companies, so it may give the impression that your business is small. On the other hand, the longer and more complex an email address format is, the harder it is for prospects and customers to remember.
Outside of generic inboxes (e.g., support@yourdomain.com), we recommend businesses use an email format variation that includes the first and last name of the sender, or first initial and last name. For more guidance, check out our article on professional email address ideas.
Display Name Format | Example: John Doe |
|---|---|
Full name (first and last) | John Doe |
First name and company | John @ Super Pets Supply |
Company name | Super Pets Supply |
Now that you have all the tools and know how to make a professional email address, it’s time to get to the next level. In addition to creating custom email addresses for employees, you may also want to create generic email addresses, alias forwarding emails, or shared email accounts for teams or departments.
Examples include email address usernames for customer support, sales, recruiting, public relations, media contacts, and more, such as:
- General inquiries: e.g., contact, info, questions, inquiries, hello
- Customer service: e.g., support, returns, billing, service
- Sales: e.g., sales, demo, team, members
- Marketing: e.g., press, media, public relations, news
- Human resources: e.g., jobs, careers
When displaying an email address on your website, use a generic email address like “support@yoursite.com” or “info@yoursite.com.” It looks more professional and helps reduce spam to individual inboxes by keeping them private. At the same time, it’s easy to remember. Once you have created a generic email address, set up email forwarding or access to a shared inbox so that incoming emails from prospects and customers aren’t missed.
Email forwarding automatically sends emails sent to the generic inbox to a specific person or a group of people, such as a department. It will be set up directly through your email provider, so the steps will vary. Alternatively, managing a shared inbox is made easier when you use business email tools to automatically route incoming mail.
Learn about more ways to use team and alias email addresses in our guide for creating a custom email address.
4. Create Your Professional Email Address
Now you have all the essential elements needed to create a professional email address: a provider, domain, and a chosen username format. Follow the steps outlined by your chosen email host (and potentially your domain registrar) to connect your domain and make a custom email address to use professionally.
Here are instructions for creating business email addresses for each of the providers recommended above:
- How to set up Gmail business email
- How to create free Zoho email accounts
- How to create email addresses on IONOS
- How to get started with Bluehost webmail
Creating Business Email Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How can I create a professional email for free?
You can make a professional email address for free on Zoho Mail provided you own a domain. Otherwise, the best way to get a free business email address is by purchasing a domain from IONOS. For $1 the first year, you get a domain and 2GB email address. Alternatively, you can set up multiple email addresses for free in web hosting plans through Bluehost, starting under $3 dollars per month for the first year.
What should I include in my business email signature?
A business email signature should have your name, job title, company, website, and contact details. You can also include a logo, your headshot, a motivational quote, company tagline, links to social media, and a call to action, such as “Watch the demo” or “Start your free trial” in your professional email signature.
Get more ideas on what to include and how to design one by looking at our roundup of the best email signature examples.
Is Gmail a professional email address?
Personal Gmail email addresses, which are free and use the domain gmail.com, aren’t professional. However, Google Workspace plans come with Gmail business email, which allows you to create a professional email address on your own domain. Find out how to use Gmail for business email in our guide, including an easy, four-step setup process.
Bottom Line
Learning how to create a professional email address is easy and can be completed in a few minutes. If you want seamless integration of business email with productivity and collaboration tools, Google Workspace is the best option. You can register your business domain during the checkout process and set up a professional email address in a few simple steps.
