You need two things: a domain name (such as yourbusiness.co.uk) and an email plan that uses it. Register the domain, add a Professional Email mailbox, choose your address, and sign in on your phone or computer. With both from RhinoReg, the technical settings are connected for you, so most people are up and running within an hour.
Why use an email address with your own domain?
Customers notice the difference between yourbusiness@gmail.com and hello@yourbusiness.co.uk. A matching address shows you're an established business, and it carries your brand into every message you send.
Benefits
- Looks professional on invoices, quotes and websites
- Builds trust, so your emails are less likely to be ignored
- Promotes your website in every message
- Stays yours if you change email provider later
Free webmail risks
- Can look less established to new customers
- Your address is tied to someone else's brand
- Harder to add team members with matching addresses
What you need
- A domain name. This is the part after the @. If you don't have one yet, read our guide to choosing between .co.uk, .com and .uk.
- An email plan. This gives you the mailbox itself: storage, spam protection, calendar and contacts. Professional Email starts from £3.99 a month per mailbox.
- About 30 minutes to set it up and add it to your devices.
Choosing your address
The part before the @ is up to you. Keep it short, easy to say on the phone and hard to misspell. Common choices for small businesses:
| Address | Best for |
|---|---|
| hello@ | A friendly main contact address for most small businesses |
| info@ | A traditional general enquiries address |
| yourname@ | Sole traders and anyone who wants a personal touch, such as david@ |
| sales@ / orders@ | Online shops handling orders and enquiries |
| accounts@ | Invoices and supplier payments, kept separate from customer emails |
Save money with aliases: you don't always need a separate mailbox for every address. Many email plans let you add extra addresses (aliases) that deliver into one inbox, so hello@, sales@ and accounts@ can all land in the same place until you grow.
Setting it up, step by step
- Register your domain. Search for your domain and add it to your cart. If you already own one, you can still use it.
- Choose an email plan. Pick a Professional Email plan and the number of mailboxes you need. You can add more later.
- Create your address. After checkout, open your account, go to your email products and set up your first mailbox, such as hello@yourbusiness.co.uk, with a strong password.
- Let the settings connect. When your domain and email are in the same account, the technical records that route your email (called MX records) are usually added for you. If your domain is elsewhere, you'll be shown the records to copy across.
- Send a test email. Sign in to webmail, send a message to a personal address and reply to it, so you know both sending and receiving work.
Changes to email settings can take a little while to spread across the internet. If a test doesn't arrive straight away, wait an hour and try again.
Using it on your phone and computer
You can read your email in a web browser from anywhere, but most people also add it to the apps they already use:
- iPhone and iPad: Settings, then Mail, then Accounts, then Add Account.
- Android: open your email app, such as Gmail or Outlook, and add a new account.
- Outlook or Apple Mail on a computer: add a new account using your full email address and password.
Many apps fill in the server settings automatically. If yours asks for them, you'll find them in your email account's help pages, or call our 24/7 product support line on 020 3014 1446.
Tips for small businesses
Include your name, business name, phone number and website. Keep it short and avoid large images.
Use a unique password for your email. If someone gets into your inbox, they can reset other accounts.
Set your old webmail to forward to your new address for a few months, and tell regular contacts about the change.
Change it on your website, invoices, social profiles, Google Business Profile and business cards.
Common questions
Can I get a professional email address without a website?
Yes. You only need a domain name and an email plan. Many businesses set up email first and build a website later.
Can I use my business email in Gmail or Outlook?
Yes. You can add your professional email account to most email apps, including Outlook, Apple Mail and the Gmail app, so everything is in one place.
How many email addresses can I have?
Each mailbox has its own inbox and password. You can add as many mailboxes as you need, and many plans also let you add extra addresses that deliver into an existing inbox.
What happens to my emails if I change provider?
Because the address uses your own domain, it stays yours. You can move to a different email provider and keep the same address, which is not possible with free webmail.
How long does it take to set up?
Usually under an hour. Creating the mailbox takes minutes, and the settings that route your email normally take effect quickly, although some changes can take a few hours.
Keep reading
More plain-English guides for getting your business online.
See all guides →Get your professional email address
Start by finding your domain, then add Professional Email from £3.99 a month per mailbox.
