Two suppliers send you a quote. One from info@buildco.com, the other from buildco_2019@gmail.com.
You haven’t read either of them yet, and you already have an opinion.
What each one says
An address on your own domain says: we have a website, we have systems, this isn’t temporary.
A free address says: maybe it’s serious, maybe not. And the number at the end (usually a year) says the name they wanted was taken — a small thing that people do notice.
The practical differences
The addresses are yours. If an employee with peter.company@gmail.com leaves, they take the account with them — along with all the correspondence with clients. With your own domain, you simply hand the address over to someone else.
As many as you like. info@, sales@, accounts@ — at no extra cost if you have hosting.
Forwarding. All into one inbox, or each one to the right person — changed in a minute.
The most practical option: both
Many people think they are choosing between their own address and the convenience of Gmail. They aren’t.
You can add info@yourcompany.com to Gmail — you read and send from the Gmail interface, and the address the client sees is yours.
In Gmail: Settings → Accounts → Add a mail account, then “Send mail as” with the details from your hosting.
The detail that spoils everything
When you add “Send mail as”, if you don’t enter the SMTP details correctly, Gmail adds via gmail.com next to your name.
The recipient sees it and the effect is lost. Enter the SMTP server and password from your hosting — don’t leave it on the default.
What it costs
If you have hosting with a domain — nothing. The addresses are included and can be created from cPanel in a minute.
If you have no hosting, only a domain, there are separate email plans. But if you need a website anyway, ask for a package — it is cheaper than the two separately.
The first thing to do after registering a domain
Create info@ and put it on your business cards, your Google profile and your Facebook page.
Every day with the old address is one more day of things you will have to change later.
All our plans include unlimited email addresses, with SPF and DKIM set up.
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