Free Email using your Domain | How to integrate Gmail and Godaddy for free!

3/15/2015 update:
Google has made this harder; not impossible, but not easy. I am happy to set email up for you for $25 (one time fee), plus $5 per user. That's a one-time fee vs. Gmail's $5 per MONTH per user!

Set up my email for me

Note: This post is targeted to Waking Girl clients, but, with a little creativity, anyone out there in the web-verse is welcome to use this information!

You've seen the magic of @BUSINESS NAME.com email addresses. It's easy to tell people your address, and you get to promote your website at the same time. It's magical!

But how does it work? How do we set it up? Will it be stable? How much will it cost??? At Waking Girl Web Design we always look for the solutions that are FREE, stable, awesome, AND serve multiple purposes without interrupting your current operations.

Here is what YOU need to do to have your own company email:

1. Get a FREE Gmail account.

You probably already have one. I mean, it's kind of mandatory nowadays to have a Google account!

If not, head over to GMAIL.COM and get started. Your username can be anything you want, but should be your domain name or business name, or as close to that as possible! A good username should be something that won't be embarrassing or confusing if a client saw it!

2. Submit Your Gmail address to Waking Girl, for set-up!

Once you have your shiny new Gmail address, fill out the form to the right.

Then give us 24-48 hours to set up your forwarding address.

That's right, this is just a FORWARDING address.

Why a forwarding address?
With email forwarding, we get to use the stability of Gmail with the versatility of your custom domain. Gmail has gone down about once in my lifetime, and it made national news. It was back up and running in just a few hours (unfortunately!). LOL.

3. Ok, you're set up, now let's configure your address!

Waking Girl has sent you an email confirming you're set up and ready to go.

Now, for the finishing pieces:

• Go to Gmail
• Click on that cute little Gear in the right corner
• Click on Settings
• Click on Accounts and Import
• Click on Add Another Email Address You Own
• Fill out the fields; use the Default settings
  

Once you've entered the verification code (above), then return to Settings >> Accounts and Import, and choose the email address to MAKE DEFAULT. This is the email address that will appear as the SENDER when you send out emails.

4. Test to make sure it's working!

Always test!

Just go ahead and COMPOSE a new email. Send it to another email address you have, or to a nearby friend. See how the email appears on the other end: Does it have the right name? Is the name using the proper capitalization? Is the email address correct?

And then send back. Did it appear in your email inbox?

5. Get Creative!

There are many things you can do with your email addresses to make your business seem bigger and function better. If you're a one-man show, you can still set up multiple addresses all going to the same account. You can send and receive as billing@YOUR BUSINESS.com, or reception@YOUR BUSINESS.com, or sales@YOUR BUSINESS.com.

You can also use forwarders for independent contractors, employees and vendors. If you don't want to remember a complicated email address, just set up a forwarder for them at your domain! If you're only sending to these email addresses (and they don't need to send back with a custom domain), they don't need Gmail addresses.

For example:
mom@YOUR BUSINESS.com forwards to MyMomsSuper-Complicated.AND.long.email.address@???.com

seo@YOUR BUSINESS.com forwards to your SEO company. If you change companies, just update the forwarder (with the form above).

accounting@YOUR BUSINESS.com forwards to your accountant.

foreman@YOUR BUSINESS.com forwards to your current foreman. If your foreman leaves the company, just update the forwarder (with the form above) to forward to your NEW foreman!

STAY IN CONTROL of the communication in your business!

spy@YOUR BUSINESS.com forwards to YOU and whichever employee you want to keep tabs on. If you're not sure about your new hire, and think they may have plans to steal your clients, we can forward emails to your employee AND you. You'll get a copy of every email they receive!

6. Wow! I'm overwhelmed. Anything else I should know?

Yes. Your sending address may not appear properly when you're sending from a phone. And some Outlook programs will see "This email is from you@you.com sending on behalf of you@gmail.com."

That's why we really want that Gmail address to be acceptable for client eyes!

7. And for fun?

Every family should have a custom domain and email! This is a great Christmas gift for the whole family. Request a domain name that has a variation of your family last name or something special for your family. Then set up forwarders for FIRST NAME@SILLY Fam.com.

You'll never be stumped on email addresses again! If your family member changes jobs or schools or last names, it's an easy update to redirect their mail to their new address! No need to announce it to the whole family; just get in touch with Waking Girl, and we'll take it from there!