Although there are lots of free email services like Gmail, outlook.com and Yahoo!, setting up a domain name and customised email address is much easier than it sounds
It’s really worth doing this if you’re in business. It makes you look more professional, it’s cheap and it means that your email address won’t change if you swap your Internet provider. It also means that you can set up multiple email addresses for different purposes.
For a standard .co.nz address expect to pay around $30-$40 per year to keep the domain registered and email hosting can be had for around $30-$40. So for less than $80 per year you can have your own email address and having your domain registered gives you the option of having your own website in the future
An overview of the process:
Step 1 – Register a Domain Name
A domain is a unique name that’s used to identify internet resources. When you look at a web address it will be in the form www.yourdomain.co.nz. The domain name is the “yourdomain.co.nz” part.
To claim or register a domain name, you need to go through one of the companies that has been authorised to hand out domain names. This company is called a registrar. There are lots of different registrars to choose from. And although they are all selling similar products, they all offer different extra services and, therefore, charge different prices.
A good local site such as www.1stdomains.co.nz is a good place to start. Also be sure to check out the new extensions that are available (e.g. .builders, .caterers, .contractors) a great way to set your email address apart from the rest.
Step 2 – Set up the email service
Once the domain is registered, you’ll need to create an account with an email provider. A web search for “free email hosting” will reveal lots of options and leads.
If you intend to stay local to NZ then www.1stdomains.co.nz and www.openhost.co.nz are reliable providers and have similar email hosting plans
Once you have created an account and chosen the plan that suits your provider will provide you with access to create your email address
Step 3 – Putting the domain and email service together
This involves altering the DNS record of your domain to direct it to your Email hosts. In brief the DNS record that tells the world where the mailbox for your domain is so that email is delivered correctly
The process should only take a few minutes to do but up to two days to take full effect
Although it may seem daunting it really is an easy process and something your Local IT support person could facilitate for you with the minimum of fuss!
