Email Hosting Guide - Setting Up Professional Email for Your Business

A professional email address (you@yourdomain.com) is essential for business credibility. It shows customers you’re serious about your business and helps build trust. This guide covers everything you need to know about setting up and managing professional email.

Why Professional Email Matters

The Impact of Your Email Address

Benefits of Professional Email

• Credibility: Customers trust businesses with professional emails
• Branding: Every email promotes your domain name
• Control: Full ownership of your email addresses
• Flexibility: Create unlimited department/role addresses
• Security: Better spam filtering and security options

Email Hosting Options

1. Web Hosting Email (Included)

Most web hosting plans include email hosting.

Pros:

• Usually free with hosting
• Easy setup through control panel
• Full control over email addresses

Cons:

• Storage limits
• Basic spam filtering
• Fewer features than dedicated services

Best For: Small businesses, personal websites, basic email needs

2. Google Workspace (Formerly G Suite)

Google’s professional email solution using Gmail.

Pros:

• Familiar Gmail interface
• Excellent spam filtering
• Google Drive integration
• Video conferencing with Meet
• Collaborative tools

Cons:

• $6+/user/month
• Ongoing subscription cost
• Data stored on Google servers

Best For: Businesses needing collaboration tools, Google ecosystem users

3. Microsoft 365

Microsoft’s cloud productivity suite with Outlook email.

Pros:

• Full Office applications
• Familiar Outlook interface
• OneDrive storage
• Teams integration
• Enterprise-grade security

Cons:

• $6+/user/month
• Can be complex to administer
• Requires Microsoft ecosystem buy-in

Best For: Businesses already using Microsoft products, larger organizations

4. Dedicated Email Hosting

Specialized email hosting services.

Pros:

• Focus on email features
• Often more affordable than Google/Microsoft
• Good security and reliability

Cons:

• No built-in productivity tools
• Varies by provider

Best For: Businesses wanting email-only solution without bundled apps

Setting Up Email with Your Hosting

Step 1: Access Your Control Panel

Log into your hosting control panel (DirectAdmin, cPanel, etc.) and look for the email section.

Step 2: Create Email Accounts

1. Click “Email Accounts” or similar
2. Enter the username (part before @)
3. Set a strong password
4. Choose storage quota
5. Click Create

Step 3: Configure Email Settings

Note these settings for email clients:

Incoming Mail (IMAP):

• Server: mail.yourdomain.com
• Port: 993 (SSL) or 143 (non-SSL)
• Security: SSL/TLS
• Username: full email address

Incoming Mail (POP3):

• Server: mail.yourdomain.com
• Port: 995 (SSL) or 110 (non-SSL)
• Security: SSL/TLS
• Username: full email address

Outgoing Mail (SMTP):

• Server: mail.yourdomain.com
• Port: 465 (SSL) or 587 (TLS)
• Security: SSL/TLS
• Authentication: Required
• Username: full email address

IMAP vs POP3

Use IMAP unless you have a specific reason to use POP3.

Configuring Email Clients

Desktop Clients

Microsoft Outlook

1. File → Add Account
2. Enter your email address
3. Click “Advanced options” → “Let me set up my account manually”
4. Choose IMAP
5. Enter incoming/outgoing server settings
6. Enter password and complete setup

Apple Mail (Mac)

1. Mail → Add Account
2. Choose “Other Mail Account”
3. Enter name, email, and password
4. If auto-config fails, enter server settings manually

Mozilla Thunderbird

1. Account Settings → Account Actions → Add Mail Account
2. Enter name, email, and password
3. Click “Configure Manually” if needed
4. Enter server settings
5. Click “Done”

Mobile Devices

iPhone/iPad

1. Settings → Mail → Accounts → Add Account
2. Choose “Other” → “Add Mail Account”
3. Enter name, email, password
4. Choose IMAP
5. Enter server settings for incoming/outgoing

Android

1. Open Gmail or Email app
2. Settings → Add Account → Other
3. Enter email address
4. Choose IMAP or POP3
5. Enter server settings
6. Complete setup

Email Best Practices

Creating Email Addresses

Standard Business Addresses:

• hello@domain.com - General inquiries
• support@domain.com - Customer support
• sales@domain.com - Sales inquiries
• info@domain.com - Information requests
• billing@domain.com - Payment/invoicing
• admin@domain.com - Administrative

Personal Addresses:

• firstname@domain.com
• firstname.lastname@domain.com
• f.lastname@domain.com

Email Security

1. Use Strong Passwords

   • Minimum 12 characters
   • Mix of letters, numbers, symbols
   • Unique for each account

2. Enable Two-Factor Authentication

   • When available through your host
   • Use authenticator apps

3. Beware of Phishing

   • Check sender addresses carefully
   • Don’t click suspicious links
   • Verify requests for sensitive info

4. Use Encryption

   • Always use SSL/TLS connections
   • Consider end-to-end encryption for sensitive emails

Spam Prevention

As a Sender:

• Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records
• Don’t send bulk email without permission
• Include unsubscribe links in marketing emails
• Use reputable email marketing services for newsletters

As a Recipient:

• Enable spam filtering
• Never respond to spam
• Report phishing attempts
• Keep your email address private

DNS Records for Email

SPF Record

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) tells email servers which servers can send email for your domain.

v=spf1 mx a include:_spf.google.com ~all

DKIM Record

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to verify emails aren’t tampered with.

Your hosting provider or email service will provide the DKIM key to add.

DMARC Record

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication) tells receiving servers what to do with emails that fail SPF/DKIM checks.

v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com

MX Records

MX (Mail Exchange) records tell the internet where to deliver your email.

For hosting-included email:

Priority: 10
Mail Server: mail.yourdomain.com

For Google Workspace:

Priority: 1  → ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM
Priority: 5  → ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM
Priority: 5  → ALT2.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM
Priority: 10 → ALT3.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM
Priority: 10 → ALT4.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM

Webmail Access

Most hosting includes webmail access, allowing you to check email from any browser.

Common Webmail URLs:

• https://webmail.yourdomain.com
• https://yourdomain.com/webmail
• https://mail.yourdomain.com

Popular Webmail Applications:

• Roundcube - Modern, user-friendly
• Horde - Feature-rich
• SquirrelMail - Lightweight, simple

Email Forwarding and Aliases

Email Forwarding

Forward emails from one address to another:

• Forward sales@domain.com → yourpersonal@gmail.com
• Useful for consolidating multiple addresses

Email Aliases

Create additional addresses that deliver to the same inbox:

• info@domain.com → delivers to → main@domain.com
• support@domain.com → delivers to → main@domain.com

Catch-All Email

Receive emails sent to any address at your domain:

• anythinghere@domain.com → delivers to → main@domain.com
• Useful for catching typos
• Warning: Attracts more spam

Migrating Email

Moving from Another Provider

1. Set up new email account
2. Keep old account active during transition
3. Use IMAP to sync emails to new account
4. Update MX records to point to new server
5. Wait for propagation (up to 48 hours)
6. Verify emails arriving at new account
7. Update email clients with new settings
8. Keep old account for a few weeks as backup

Email Migration Tools

• imapsync - Command line tool
• Thunderbird - Copy between IMAP accounts
• Mail client export/import - PST files, etc.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Can’t Send Email

1. Check SMTP settings (server, port, security)
2. Verify password is correct
3. Ensure authentication is enabled
4. Check if your IP is blacklisted
5. Verify SPF record is correct

Can’t Receive Email

1. Check MX records are correct
2. Verify email account exists
3. Check storage quota
4. Look in spam folder
5. Wait for DNS propagation

Emails Going to Spam

1. Set up SPF, DKIM, DMARC
2. Avoid spam trigger words
3. Don’t use all caps or excessive punctuation
4. Include physical address in marketing emails
5. Build sender reputation gradually

Connection Errors

1. Verify server address is correct
2. Try different ports
3. Enable/disable SSL/TLS
4. Check firewall settings
5. Contact hosting support

Email Storage Management

Tips for Managing Storage

1. Delete old emails regularly
2. Empty trash and sent folders
3. Unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters
4. Archive important emails locally
5. Use filters to auto-delete notifications

Archiving Emails

1. Export emails from webmail or client
2. Store in secure local backup
3. Use cloud storage for off-site backup
4. Keep organized folder structure

Conclusion

Professional email is fundamental to business credibility online. Whether you use the email hosting included with your web hosting or opt for Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, the key is choosing the right solution for your needs and configuring it properly.

Remember:

• Use professional addresses (you@yourdomain.com)
• Set up proper DNS records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
• Use strong passwords and enable 2FA
• Configure email clients correctly using IMAP
• Regularly maintain your email storage

At Hostdeal, our hosting plans include email hosting with webmail access, making it easy to set up professional email for your business.

Need hosting with professional email? Check out Hostdeal’s plans with email hosting, webmail access, and easy setup starting at just $5/month.