You run a real business. You have customers, you send invoices, you answer enquiries. And you do all of it from a Gmail address. Or Yahoo. Or Outlook.com. It works, right? Nobody's complained.
So why would you pay for email on your own domain?
I get asked this question all the time, and the honest answer is that it depends on what kind of business you're running and who you're trying to reach. But there are some things worth knowing before you decide.
what a business email actually is
When I say "business email", I mean an email address on your own domain. If your website is acmeplumbing.co.uk, your email would be something like [email protected] or [email protected]. It's not a different inbox necessarily. It's your name, on your domain, running through a proper email system.
The simplest version is a forwarder. That means emails sent to [email protected] get forwarded straight to your Gmail or wherever else you already check. You don't have to learn anything new. You just give out a more professional address. I include a forwarder with every website I build.
The step up from that is a full mailbox, usually through Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365. That gives you a proper inbox, calendar, contacts and the ability to send from your business address too. It's what most businesses end up wanting once they've tried the forwarder and realised they want the full setup.
why it matters more than you think
First impressions. When a potential customer gets a quote from [email protected], it doesn't feel the same as [email protected]. The first one could be anyone. The second one says you have a proper business with a proper website behind it. That matters, especially when you're quoting against someone else.
Trust. People are increasingly wary of scams. A business email on a real domain is a small signal that you're legitimate. It won't win or lose a job on its own, but it contributes to the overall impression. A Gmail address next to a business card and a Facebook page is fine for some markets. But if you're doing work that costs hundreds or thousands of pounds, it looks better to have your own domain behind the email.
Consistency. Your website, your email, your Google Business Profile, your invoices. When they all use the same domain, everything reinforces everything else. Google notices this too. Having a consistent NAP (name, address, phone) and email domain across the web helps with local search visibility.
A business email costs less than a coffee a week. The perception shift it creates is worth far more than that.
what about google workspace?
Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is the Google equivalent of Microsoft 365. It lets you use Gmail with your own domain. It works well and it's a legitimate option. I don't set it up for clients because I work within the Microsoft ecosystem, but if you're already deep into Google's world, it's a perfectly good choice.
The key thing is that you use your own domain, whatever platform sits behind it.
when you probably don't need one
If you're a sole trader doing cash-in-hand work for neighbours and you don't have a website, a business email isn't going to change your life. If all your work comes through word of mouth and Facebook Marketplace, the email address isn't the thing holding you back.
But the moment you have a website, you should have an email on the same domain. Otherwise you've paid for a professional online presence and then undermined it with a free email address in the contact details. It's like wearing a suit with trainers. It works, but people notice.
what it costs
A basic email forwarder is included with every website I build. No extra charge.
If you want a full mailbox with Microsoft Exchange, that's £8 a month per user. If you want the full Microsoft 365 suite (Word, Excel, Teams, OneDrive, the lot), that's £15 to £18 a month per user depending on the package.
For most small businesses, one mailbox on Exchange is all you need. £8 a month for a professional email address that you can use on your phone, your laptop and anywhere else.
how I set it up
I handle the whole thing. Domain records, mail routing, spam filtering, connecting it to your phone and computer. You don't need to understand DNS or MX records. You tell me what email address you want, I set it up, and you start using it. If something goes wrong, you call me.
That's the whole point of having someone manage your IT. You shouldn't have to think about any of this.