For many small businesses in Nigeria, Gmail is usually the first choice when creating an email address. It is free, easy to set up, and works perfectly well for everyday communication.

But there is a difference between sending a business proposal from [email protected] and sending it from [email protected].

Both addresses can send and receive email, but one carries the business's identity and makes its communication look more professional.

That is where a custom business email comes in.

Contrary to what many people might think, creating one doesn't require a big company, an expensive website, or technical expertise.

Today we will be explaining and showing you how to create a professional business email using your domain name, the different providers available to Nigerian businesses, what they cost, and how to set everything up step by step.

A professional business email is an email address that uses your company's domain name instead of a general email provider's domain.

For example:

The difference is the name that comes after the @ symbol.

Instead of promoting Gmail every time you send an email, you are promoting your own business name.

And you can create different addresses for different purposes. A customer might contact [email protected] for help while a potential partner sends a proposal to [email protected].

These addresses can help make your business easier to recognise and organise.

The main difference is ownership of the domain name used in your email address.

With a regular Gmail account, Google provides the address, such as [email protected].

With a custom business email, you register or already own a domain name and connect it to an email hosting service.

For example, if your business is called Ada's Cakes and your website is adascakes.com, your email could be [email protected].

You can still use Gmail to manage a professional email address. Google Workspace allows businesses to use their own domain names while keeping the familiar Gmail interface.

So, Gmail and professional business email are not necessarily two different applications. The difference is whether you are using Google's free gmail.com address or a business email service connected to your own domain.

You generally need two things:

Think of the domain as your business address and email hosting as the service that receives and delivers your mail.

If you already own a domain name, you do not need to buy another one just to create a professional email.

You only need to connect the domain to a suitable email service.

If you already have a website such as yourbusiness.com, you may already have everything you need for this step.

But if you do not own a domain, you will need to register one.

Some popular platforms where you can buy domain names include:

You can also work with a web development or IT agency to register and configure your domain and email on your behalf.

Before buying, search for your preferred business name to see whether it is available.

For example, if your business is called Ada's Cakes, you could check whether adascakes.com or adascakes.com.ng is available.

Choose a name that is easy to spell, closely matches your business and is easy for customers to remember.

Also, check the renewal cost before paying. The amount advertised for the first year may differ from what you will pay in subsequent years.

After getting your domain name, you need a provider that will handle your emails.

You do not necessarily have to purchase email hosting from the same company where you bought your domain.

For example, you could register your domain on GoDaddy and use Google Workspace to manage your email.

Here are some options to consider.

Google Workspace is useful if you already enjoy using Gmail and other Google tools.

It allows you to create addresses such as [email protected] while accessing your messages through Gmail.

You can also use Google Drive, Docs, Meet, and other tools depending on your subscription.

Google Workspace Business Starter has a standard annual-commitment price of about $7 per user per month, although promotions and billing options can change.

Microsoft 365 is another option, especially for businesses that prefer Outlook, Word, Excel, and Microsoft's other productivity tools.

Its Business Basic plan includes professional email alongside cloud storage and access to web and mobile productivity applications.

Microsoft lists Business Basic at around $7 per user per month with annual billing, excluding taxes, with other billing options available.

Zoho Mail is worth considering if you run a small business and want to keep your email costs low.

It offers a free plan for up to five users with one custom domain, subject to availability and plan limitations.

The free plan includes 5GB of email storage per user but does not include features such as IMAP and POP access.

Paid plans are also available if your business needs additional storage and features.

If you are buying your domain through GoDaddy, you can also purchase professional email hosting there.

GoDaddy offers email plans that use your business domain, including Microsoft 365-based options.

This can be convenient if you prefer buying and managing your domain and email through one company.

For Nigerian businesses that prefer dealing with a local provider, Upperlink is another option.

Upperlink offers domain registration, professional email hosting, and corporate email packages.

Its professional email plan starts at ₦7,500 per year with 5GB of storage.

You can visit the Upperlink Domain Page to compare the available packages and contact the team if you need assistance.

Once you have chosen a provider and subscribed to an appropriate plan, you can begin creating your email.

The exact dashboard may look different depending on the company, but the process is generally similar.

Depending on your provider, you may create different mailboxes for employees or general enquiries.

For example, a business could use [email protected] for enquiries, [email protected] for orders, and [email protected] for customer service.

Remember that separate mailboxes may cost extra. If you want several addresses to deliver messages to one inbox, check whether your provider supports email aliases or shared mailboxes before paying for multiple accounts.

This is the part that may look technical, but the idea is simple.

You need to tell the internet which email provider should receive messages sent to your business address.

That is done through your domain's DNS settings.

For example, if you bought your domain through GoDaddy but want to use Google Workspace, you need to connect the two services.

Here is the general process:

You may come across these terms during setup.

You do not need to memorise these terms, but they are important for making your business email work properly.

After completing the setup, do not assume everything is working immediately.

Send a message from your new business email to a personal Gmail or Outlook address.

Then reply to it.

Check whether:

DNS changes can take time to become active, so if your email does not work immediately, check your provider's setup status and instructions.

You should also add a professional email signature with your name, role, company, and website.

Finally, enable two-factor authentication and keep your account recovery details secure.

Yes, but there are some conditions.

Zoho Mail offers a limited free custom-domain email plan for eligible users, so it may be possible to create a professional email address without paying a separate email-hosting subscription.

However, you still need a domain name, which usually costs money to register and renew.

You may also find web-hosting packages that include email accounts as part of the subscription. This does not necessarily mean the email is completely free because you are already paying for the hosting package.

If you are just starting a business, compare the available options before choosing a service. A free or bundled plan may be sufficient at first, while a growing team may need paid email hosting with more storage and management features.

First, register a domain or use one you already own. Then choose an email-hosting provider, create your preferred address, verify your domain, and configure the required DNS records. Once the setup is complete, test that you can send and receive messages.

You need to own the domain mybusiness.com and connect it to an email-hosting provider. Once your domain is verified, you can create the address [email protected] through your provider's dashboard.

Yes. Google Workspace allows businesses to use custom domain email addresses through Gmail. However, this is different from using a regular free Gmail account and generally requires a paid subscription.

It depends on the provider and how many mailboxes you need. Some providers offer free plans with limitations, while others charge monthly or annually per user. Domain registration may also be a separate cost.

Till next time,

Team Thrive

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