How to Set Up a Custom Domain and Business Email Address

Let's be honest – if you want customers to take your business seriously, you need to look the part. And nothing screams "hobby project" quite like sending invoices from coffeeandcandles@gmail.com or directing people to yourshop.myshopify.com.

The good news? Getting a professional custom domain and matching email address isn't complicated or expensive. In fact, it's one of the simplest ways to instantly upgrade your business's credibility. Here's exactly how to make it happen.

Why Your Domain Name Actually Matters

Before we dive into the technical stuff, let's talk about choosing the right domain name. This decision will stick with you for years, so it's worth getting right the first time.

Your domain should be your business name – plain and simple. Resist the urge to add "shop" or "online" or your location to the end. Your customers won't automatically remember those extras when they're trying to find you later.

Keep these tips in mind:

The domain ending matters more than you think. If most of your customers are in the U.S., go with .com – it's what people type automatically. Canadians often use .ca as well, but .com still works great for Canadian businesses too.

Avoid creative spellings like "Kreations" or "Candlez." Sure, it looks cute on Instagram, but it's a nightmare when someone only heard your business name at a farmer's market and tries to google you later. Plus, search engines won't connect misspelled words with what people are actually searching for.

Shorter is better. The longer your domain, the more likely someone will mistype it or give up halfway through.

Buying Your Domain Through Google Domains

Head over to Google Domains and type your preferred domain name into the search bar. You'll immediately see which domain endings are available and what they cost – usually around $17 per year.

If your first choice isn't available, Google will suggest similar alternatives. Sometimes these suggestions are actually better than your original idea, so keep an open mind.

One smart move: buy multiple versions of your domain (.com and .ca, for example). You can redirect them all to your main website, which means customers will find you no matter which ending they try. It also prevents competitors from nabbing those variations and confusing your customers.

When you're ready to purchase, click through to your cart. You'll see a few important settings to configure.

Privacy protection is turned on by default – leave it that way. This keeps your personal contact information out of public domain records and saves you from spam. Some registrars charge extra for this feature, but Google includes it free.

Auto-renew should also stay on. If your domain expires and you forget to renew it manually, someone else can snap it up. That's a business nightmare you don't want to deal with.

Choose how many years you want to pay for upfront. There's no discount for buying multiple years, and you can always renew annually, so one year at a time works fine for most people.

Enter your contact and payment information, double-check everything, and hit buy. Congratulations – you now own a piece of the internet.

Setting Up Your Professional Email Address

Now comes the fun part: creating an email address that matches your shiny new domain. This is where 👉 Google Workspace transforms your business communications from amateur to professional.

Instead of that clunky Gmail address, you'll have something like sarah@yourbusiness.com. But you're getting way more than just a custom email – you get access to Gmail, Google Drive, Google Sheets, Google Docs, and all the other Google tools you probably already use personally. The difference is now they're branded for your business and can be accessed by your whole team.

The best part? If you're already familiar with regular Gmail and Google Drive, there's zero learning curve. You can even switch between your personal and business accounts on the same device with a single click.

Choosing your email format is straightforward. The part after the @ is your domain – that's already decided. You just need to pick what comes before it.

Most small business owners use their first name (sarah@coffeepluscandles.com) or a generic term like hello@ or info@. Avoid anything too clever or hard to remember. Write out a few options and say them out loud to see what sounds best.

Managing Multiple Email Addresses

As your business grows, you might need multiple email addresses for different team members or purposes. 👉 Google Workspace makes it easy to add users and create professional email addresses for your entire team, with each person getting their own Gmail account and access to all the collaboration tools.

Each additional user gets their own login and email address. You can use first names for actual employees or role-based names like shipping@, wholesale@, or support@ depending on your needs.

Email aliases are another useful feature if you're working solo but want to appear more established. Aliases are different email addresses that all route to your single inbox. When you send emails, you can choose which alias to send from.

This works great if you want separate addresses for customer service versus wholesale inquiries, or if you need a memorable address specifically for receiving payments. All the emails show up in the same inbox, but to the outside world, it looks like you have a whole team.

To set up an alias, log into your admin console, click on Users, select your account, and choose "Add Alternative Emails" from the left menu. Type in your new alias, and you're done. You'll still use your main email to sign in, but you can send and receive messages from any of your aliases.

You're Ready for Business

With your custom domain secured and professional email address set up, you've taken a major step toward building a credible online presence. Your customers can now find you easily, and when they receive an email from you, they'll immediately recognize you as a legitimate business.

These foundational pieces will serve you well whether you're just starting out or scaling up your operations. The small investment in a custom domain and business email pays dividends in customer trust and brand recognition for years to come.