Domain name and business email: the basics for a small business
How to choose a domain name, .sk or .com, why a business mailbox beats a free one, what DNS records are and what SPF and DKIM do, in plain words.
Your domain is the address of your website, and it is also the part of your email address after the @ sign. You will live with this choice for years, so think before you register.
Choosing a domain name
- Short and easy to say. If you must spell it out on the phone, it is too complicated.
- Close to your business name, so a customer who remembers the name can guess the address.
- No hyphens, numbers or unusual spelling. People mistype them.
- Check for look-alikes. It should not be too close to another firm in your field.
.sk or .com
A .sk domain says clearly that you work in Slovakia, and it is the natural choice if your customers are local. A .com domain is familiar everywhere and makes sense if you also serve customers abroad. If your name is free in both, you can register both and let one redirect to the other. Check availability with a registrar.
A business mailbox or a free one
An address like info@yourcompany.sk looks more trustworthy than one from a free mailbox. It also stays with the business when a person leaves, and you can create several, for example info@ and orders@. A free mailbox is fine to start with. A business mailbox is usually a paid service, either part of your hosting or separate.
DNS records in plain words
DNS works like a phone book for the internet. It is a set of records attached to your domain that tell the world where your website lives and where your email should go. You edit them in the control panel of whoever manages the DNS for your domain, usually the registrar or the hosting provider. The main kinds:
- A and CNAME point the domain to the server where the site runs.
- MX says which service receives your email.
- TXT holds verification data and email protection.
A wrong change can take the site or the mail offline, so change one record at a time and note the old value first. Changes may take a while to spread.
SPF and DKIM
SPF is a list of servers allowed to send email in the name of your domain. DKIM adds a digital signature to outgoing messages so the recipient can check they were not forged. Together they protect against fake emails sent in your name and help your genuine messages stay out of the spam folder. Both are DNS records, and your email provider gives you the values.
Who should own the domain
The domain should be registered to you or your company, not to a supplier. Why this matters is explained in who owns your domain, hosting and code.
If you are planning a new site and are not sure what you already have and what needs setting up, write to me. See also website development in Bratislava.