Yesterday, I got a feedback mail from Charles Donner who wanted to know how he can create his own email address. I pointed him to pages which have step by step instructions on how to create a Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo! Mail account. In a few minutes, he replies - "I already have an email account at Hotmail and one at Gmail... these are generic email services... [what] I am looking for is to create my own email address such as charles@charlesdonner.com".
I suppose many readers would be interested in getting a personalized email address - something that's distinctive and attractive. So here are the steps on how to create your own email address.
A brief on email addresses
All email addresses have the format someone@somewhere; for example, wc3mtm@gmail.com is my Gmail account address. What appears before the at (@) sign is the ID (typically, your username) and what follows it, is the domain name. So the first thing you need for creating your own email address is to get a domain name.
How to get your own domain name
The easiest way to get your own domain name is to buy it. Though there are hundreds of companies that offer domain registration services, only a few are reliable. I recommend Network Solutions who were one of the first companies to sell domain names - they have been in business since the 90s and would still be one of the largest domain name registrars in the world.
Important note: Contrary to what you read on the web sites of hosting companies, domain names do not come for free. These companies, if they do offer a "free domain name", bundle it along with their web hosting package. If you stop using their web hosting services the following year you would still need to pay the domain name renewal charges!
Take my word for it; no company gives you a domain name for free. And if they do, there has to be a catch somewhere, right?
However, domain names are quite inexpensive nowadays costing between $10 and $30 per year. An email on your own domain name is like a vanity car plate... you are expected to fork out some money for prestige!
Registering a domain name through NetworkSolutions
A domain name needs to be unique - no two web sites can have the same domain name. Your aim is to search for a domain name that is either your name or describes you or your business in some manner.
Head off to Network Solutions web site. Type in the domain name in the "Find a domain" box. You can enter up to 10 domain names in this box -each in a new line. Don't put the "www" or the domain extension (such as ".com". If you are lucky you may find your desired domain name available on the first try. Else you need to go through this process again. I suggest reading the points below that may just help you in locating a domain name of choice.
Finding a suitable domain name
As mentioned above, domain names need to be unique. And in today's scenario finding a suitable domain name can be quite an exercise. Why? Because all the good ones are apparently already registered!
However, this should not discourage you. From time to time, I too go through this process and am able to get my hands at a "catchy" domain name. How? Patience and persistence. Here are some pointers to help you in your search for a good domain name.
Since this is for creating your own email address first check whether the domain name of your last name is available. This will probably work if you have an uncommon surname - imagine owning an email address like firstname@lastname.com - WOW! You can also try a domain name of your full name or just your first name (in that order).
Domain names can contain dashes which can be used to separate your first and last names. This gives you a little flexibility when hunting for a domain name.
Don't just narrow the search to the .com extension. If you are in the UK, for instance, a .co.uk is more suited. Though .net is kind of OK, I don't recommend .org.
No luck with your name? Hunt for domain names that describe you in any fashion. For example, if hanniballector.com is unavailable, pyschopathickiller.com would aptly describe the evil murderer from The Silence of the Lambs.
Do not use numbers unless, of course, they are a part of your name (???) or describe you in some way (please; not the corny number1dad.com...)
OK, you have the domain name - how do you create your own email address?
The company from where you purchased the domain name will also provide you the email service. You would be able to create not one but multiple email addresses of your own. The charges will be extra, however. Network Solutions gives you a good deal on the domain and email account bundle. Once you get your own email address, you can contact the support at NetworkSolutions to help you in using this service.