Business email, explained
Everything you need to know about setting up, managing, and troubleshooting professional email for your business.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Professional email is the backbone of your business communications. These guides cover everything from choosing an email platform to keeping your inbox secure and your messages out of spam.
Whether you're just getting started or need to fix a problem today, you'll find clear answers here.
Quick summary
Business email uses your own domain (you@yourbusiness.com) and is a separate service
from your website — usually Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, and usually a different
company from your web host. Your domain's DNS records are what connect the two. This
section covers choosing a provider, setting up addresses, staying out of spam, and
fixing problems.
If you only read three things
- Why not use a free Gmail/Hotmail for business? — the case for professional email.
- Professional email options compared — Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 vs alternatives.
- Why your emails land in spam (deliverability) — the issue most people don't know exists.
Where email sits
Email is the fourth piece of the chain that runs domain → DNS → hosting → email.
The important part for you: email is a separate service that simply happens to share your domain name. Some hosting plans do bundle a mailbox, but for the businesses we work with the email lives somewhere else entirely — and either way, moving your website does not move your inbox. What links your domain to your email provider is a set of DNS records called MX records — see Email DNS records.
If any of that is fuzzy, Why email & your website are separate is the short version.
Choosing a provider
Almost every business we work with ends up on one of two platforms. Decide first, then follow the setup guides for whichever you picked.
Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365: how to choose
The decision page — features, price, and which suits your team.
Google Workspace — the complete client guide
If you chose Google: Gmail, Drive, Calendar, and admin.
Microsoft 365 — the complete client guide
If you chose Microsoft: Outlook, OneDrive, Teams, and admin.
Basics
Why not use a free Gmail/Hotmail for business?
Why your business deserves a professional address.
Professional email options compared
Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and more — side by side.
Why email & your website are separate
A common source of confusion, clearly explained.
Email terms, explained simply
Plain-English definitions for every email term you'll encounter.
Setting up & accessing
Setting up a new email address
How a new address gets created on your domain.
Email aliases & forwarding explained
Send and receive using multiple addresses from one inbox.
Shared mailboxes (like support@) explained
Let a team share one inbox without sharing a password.
Accessing email on the web
Log in to your email from any browser.
Setting up email on your phone
Add your business email to iOS or Android.
Setting up email in a desktop app
Use Outlook, Apple Mail, or Thunderbird.
Creating a professional email signature
Make every email look polished.
Out-of-office & auto-replies
Let senders know when you're away.
Group & distribution lists explained
Email multiple people with a single address.
Deliverability & DNS
"Deliverability" is whether your email actually reaches the inbox rather than the spam folder. It has a natural reading order — work through these four in sequence and you'll have covered almost everything that goes wrong:
- Setting up a new email address — get the mailbox created correctly in the first place.
- SPF, DKIM & DMARC for email senders — the three DNS records that prove your mail is genuinely yours.
- How to improve email deliverability — the habits and settings that keep you in the inbox.
- Email not sending or receiving? — where to go when something has actually broken.
Why your emails land in spam (deliverability)
Understand the root causes of deliverability problems.
How to improve email deliverability
Practical steps to land in the inbox.
SPF, DKIM & DMARC for email senders
The DNS records that prove your emails are real.
Transactional vs marketing email
Why they need different tools.
Email sent from your website explained
Forms, notifications, and order emails.
What is SMTP (and why your site needs it)?
The protocol behind sending email.
Security
Email security basics
Keep your inbox and your data safe.
How to recognize a phishing email
Spot the red flags before you click.
Email storage & archiving
How to manage your inbox long-term.
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting email problems
A guide to diagnosing common email issues.
Email not sending or receiving?
Step-by-step fixes for the most common problems.
What happens when we migrate your email
What to expect during an email platform move.
If you need us to help with your email
Give us Google Workspace admin access
So we can add users, fix routing, and check your email records.
Give us Microsoft 365 admin access
So we can manage mailboxes and settings in the admin center.
Give us access to manage your DNS
Needed for MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records.
Related guides
- Why email & your website are separate
- Email DNS records (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
- Hosting vs email: why they're separate
- Domain vs hosting vs email
- Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365: how to choose
- Migrating your business email
Need a hand?
Last updated
Domain & DNS terms, explained simply
A plain-English A–Z glossary of every domain name and DNS term you're likely to encounter, from A record to WHOIS.
Professional email options compared
A plain-English comparison of Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and other professional email platforms to help you choose the right one for your business.