How Long Does It Take To Set Up A Domain And Email?

Setting up a new business or brand can be a rapid process. If a gap’s been identified, and competitors are circling, being first to market represents a significant advantage. It positions you as an originator, not an imitator. It also means you enjoy a status (even temporarily) as the only company focusing on this particular niche.

Prioritise professionalism

Being quick out of the blocks usually requires registering a website and a matching email domain. It’s no good having a slick, professional website allied to a Gmail account. Not only does a generic email domain carry unfortunate associations with spammers, a Gmail address does nothing to promote your brand or infer professionalism.

Fortunately, email domains can be registered very quickly. Once you’ve chosen a domain name – yournamehere.co.uk – you can select one or more email domains to accompany it. Some startups prefer a generic info@ or hello@ account, which isn’t person-specific and can potentially be accessed by more than one individual. Other companies give key staff members their own firstname@ accounts, while it’s not uncommon to see sales@ and enquiries@ email accounts registered for different departments.

Up and running in minutes

Creating an email account takes a matter of minutes, while you specify passwords and basic account settings. However, a few things ought to be borne in mind before you start distributing mail to all and sundry:

1. A new email address has no reputation, and will often be dismissed as junk by recipient email packages. This is an unfortunate legacy of the actions of spammers. It’s best to leave a new account to bed in for a week or two, before starting to use it.
2. When you’re ready to start sending emails, distribute a dozen or so to yourself, friends and family. Getting each recipient to mark your messages as ‘not spam’ and send replies will quickly establish the account’s legitimacy among email spam filters.
3. Increase your brand’s profile by composing a detailed signature. This should ideally include your name and job title, plus essential contact information. Social media accounts can be listed as well, encouraging people to follow your brand elsewhere.
4. Add email links everywhere you can. From LinkedIn to online directories, making your address visible is crucial for generating inbound enquiries and communications. People won’t know you have an email address unless you promote it widely.