InternetIdiotFilter: How do I get email addresses for my company?

Pretty much any internet service provider (ISP) can do this for you. You'll need to acquire the domain name (if you don't have it already) and then find someone to host an email server for you. There are lots of companies that will do both of these steps as a package, often throwing in a web site, even if you don't want it. Does your company have internet access already? If so, you might want to check with whoever provides it, because they will almost certainly offer email services too, and this might be simplest. Alternatively, http://www.google.com/search?q=email+hosting, and you'll see there are many many options. http://www.1and1.com is one of the least expensive.

You need to register the domain myparticularcompany.com. (It's the same process whether you want to set up a website or just get email addresses.) There are many registrars you can use for this. Search AskMe for threads about which one to use -- there have been at least a dozen. As ph00dz says, many registration packages will include a certain number of email addresses; if yours doesn't, you'll want to get a cheapo hosting plan for the website that doesn't exist yet and comes with email service.

Step 1: Register your favourite domain name. You can do it through a number of http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=domain+registrar&btnG=Google+Search&meta=. I am told by many sysadmins to reccomend you avoid Network Solutions / Verisign. Step 2: Get a company to accept email for that domain. You basically need an email http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=email+hosting&btnG=Search&meta=. Step 3: Get a company to http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=dns+hosting&btnG=Search&meta= your new domain. You could combine this with step 2, if the same company does both. You will need to put their DNS server's IP address (they will give you this) in the information you provide in step 1, so you might want to do this step out of order (your choice). Now, for this step 3 server, you only need to set up the MX (mail) record to point at the IP address the company in step 2 gives you for their mail server, although I'd probably set the A (main server) record to point to it as well, for now. You'll change that if you run a web site. It would also be smart to set up a CNAME (pointer to an A record server) record that points "mail.yourdomain.com" to the correct server. (wait 3 - 4 days for DNS to propagate) Step 4 (optional): Find a http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=web+hosting&btnG=Search&meta= host that will host your web site! Change your DNS A record to point to this web host and you're good to go (again, you might be able to get the DNS host to host your website too... that makes things easier). Again, consider a CNAME for "www.yourdomain.com". Hope that helps. Most any company worth their salt will be doing this through a web interface and it won't be all that tough.

Your first step is to register your domain. Your domain is yourcompany.com. To check for availability, visit a site like http://www.ajaxwhois.com/ and type in yourdesiredname.com. No spaces, and make sure you include .com at the end. In a few seconds, it will tell you if it's available or not. After you've found a name that's free, head over to a site like http://www.godaddy.com/. GoDaddy is what's known as a domain registrar—they sell name registrations and they're who you go through to secure your rights to yourdomain.com. Here's a lengthy-but-this-only-takes-five-minutes,-honest instruction set for GoDaddy in particular. I chose to use them because they're generally very cheap and because the process is relatively similar across the board. You can use whomever you'd like, naturally. Some of the concepts are a bit intimidating if you have no clue about domain ownership, though, so read along. Now, here's where you should pay attention. GoDaddy sells VERY cheap domain names. They also try to sell you things you do not need. Upon visiting their site, enter the name you wanted in the "Register a domain name" field. (It's pretty obvious.) Hit enter. Now click the giant, orange CONTINUE button. This'll get you just the name that you searched for. Don't bother with any of the others. Now, they'll nag you again. Click "No, thanks, continue to checkout," and move right along. Enter your account information here. Now, they'll ask you to confirm it. Click Continue. Now you get to choose your options. You'll see the domain name you selected. Choose how many years you want to register it for. (You are always given the option to renew each year, before it is released to the public. For the present time, one or two years should suffice.) Choose if you want it to renew automatically, and check the checkbox under the red text, that says "Add Dlx Email & your domain is just $1.99*". This is the good part about GoDaddy. Since you're buying their email package (5 email [email protected]), the name itself is only $1.99 for the first year. The email package is $20 for the year. Keep the Standard Registration radio checked, and here's an important part: Select "Quick Checkout" under the third options tier. Otherwise, they'll pummel you with software you don't need. Click Continue, once again. They'll bug you about private registration, but just click No thanks, continue. Now you're in the home stretch. Select your payment option, say you've read their agreements, and click Checkout Now. The rest of the process will be just like any other online purchase, complete with instructions on setting up your email accounts with them. If you need any other help, feel free to email me (email in my profile) and I'll be happy to assist. Note, of course, that I have no professional connection to GoDaddy whatsoever, and that I simply use them. Some on here dislike them, but if you follow the instructions, they're pretty easy to just get it done with, and rather affordable. Good luck!

One word of advice from someone who has done this a fair amount. Make sure that all the contact information you enter when you register the domain goes to someone at the company, not to you personally. This is especially important for billing information. You'll need to pay by credit card, make sure you use a company card or that the person in charge of the money pays for it. I've done little web sites and email setups for businesses in the past and billed them for the domain registrations which I paid for myself. Then a year or two later when the domain expired and I tried to get paid for the renewal, it was always more complicated than it should have been and I was in the awkward situation of choosing between not paying and shutting down a business's email, or paying and hoping I could get them to pay me back. Keep in mind that the information that you provide when you register the domain is potentially public, so don't use your home address or phone number unless you're comfortable with it being findable online linked to your company domain/email address. Everyone else has given you good advice as well.

shepd: Nice response. I should, however, point out for the original poster that in the past year or so, DNS has changed considerably, and the wait for it to span the 'net is vastly less than 4 days. It's more like 4 hours at this point. In fact, last time I registered a domain name, it was onto zone files and had DNS all over the place within about 20 minutes! Can't guarantee it'll always be that way, but it's definitely far better than 4 days now.

Some MetaFilter people use Dreamhost for http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/30260 and http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/20907. GoDaddy's http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/42906.

I recently used GoDaddy to register domain names and set up email addresses for several relatives. And I've seen that many other hosts share this saving grace: It's easy to make changes after you set up an account. The contact person, the password, the payment method, whether it gets renewed automatically or not...the administrator (or whoever has the password) can change most aspects of the registration. Check the billing carefully after set-up, especially if you've chosen a number of options that have an effect on the cost. I found an error that could have cost me a lot of money over time. (It was easily taken care of with a phone call.)

I also completely recommend GoDaddy. They have a cheap plan for you to get email addresses once you register a domain name. What no one has yet talked about is what to do after registering the domain name and signing up for email addresses. For any of the people in the company who will be recieving an email address, you should standardize the addresses as a command decision, rather than letting people pick their own. Like [email protected] or [email protected]. Set them up for the people at GoDaddy then print GoDaddy's instructions for setting up your email client to get the email. What ewmail client will you all be using? If you are on Windows, everyone probably has Outlook Express on their computer and thats a good (free) place to start. Set it up according to GoDaddy's instructions, then send test emails to and from each person. If you need help don't hesitate to email me chadcrowell [at] gmail.com, I'll be glad to help you if you get hung up.