The establishment of a professional e-mail account with its own company domain is a decisive factor for credible business communication today. Studies show that companies with customized email addresses (name@unternehmen.de) not only appear more reputable, but also meet legal requirements for digital business communication.
Key points
- A company-bound domain is essential for a professional appearance and is recommended by 100% experts
- The right choice of provider between Microsoft 365, GoDaddy and others depends on individual requirements from
- Safety standards such as Two-factor authentication reduce account takeovers by 73%
- Correct E-mail signature with complete company details is required by law
- Regular Backups and maintenance prevent the data loss that occurs in 32% companies
Why a professional email account is essential
In the digital business world, first impressions are crucial. One own e-mail domain (name@unternehmen.de) immediately signals professionalism and trustworthiness. All market experts strongly advise against using free services such as Gmail or Outlook for business communication. Surprisingly, 64% of the start-ups incorrectly use generic domain endings such as .com instead of country-specific endings such as .de.
In addition to the image aspect, there are also legal reasons: German companies are required by law to publish E-mail signatures the full company address, commercial register number and VAT ID number. These requirements are much easier to meet with a professional email account than with private services.
Making the right choice of provider
The market offers numerous providers with different service packages. The three leading solutions differ significantly in terms of price and scope of services:
- Microsoft 365: €4.20-12.50 per month with integrated Office tools
- GoDaddy: €2.99-9.99 per month with practical domain hosting bundle solutions
- webhoster.de: €2.00-10.00 per month with German server locations
It is interesting to note that 78% of small and medium-sized companies prefer combined domain+hosting packages. This not only saves money, but also administrative effort. The Domain registration costs an average of €10-15 per year for .de domains. When choosing a provider, you should also look out for hidden costs - around 38% providers charge set-up fees of around €19, which are not immediately apparent.
When selecting a E-mail hosting provider technical factors such as server location and support quality must also be taken into account. German providers often offer advantages in terms of data protection and GDPR compliance.
Technical setup step by step
The technical implementation of a professional email account requires a few basic steps. First of all, the Server parameters set correctly be made. This includes IMAP/POP3 settings that must be entered manually (e.g. mail.yourdomain.com as the server address).
A secure password is essential for mailbox configuration - experts recommend at least 12 characters with a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters. For mobile use, ActiveSync should be set up for smartphones so that emails, contacts and calendar entries remain synchronized.
The storage volume required is often underestimated: For an average business account, the following should be considered at least 5 GB which corresponds to around 10,000+ messages per year. The Setting up a secure e-mail server requires technical understanding, but is easy to do with the right instructions.
Implement security architecture
Security is a top priority for business email accounts. The Two-factor authentication reduces account takeovers by an impressive 73% according to the BSI Report 2025 and should therefore be standard. Modern encryption standards such as TLS 1.3 for the transport route and AES-256 for data storage provide additional protection.
Security protocols such as SPF, DKIM and DMARC are particularly important. These E-mail authentication standards reduce Spam by up to 92% and prevent email spoofing. Automatic quarantine after three failed login attempts has proven to be an effective measure against phishing attacks.
The following security measures should definitely be implemented:
- Regular password changes (at least quarterly)
- IP-based access restrictions for sensitive accounts
- Automatic detection of suspicious login activity
- Encrypted storage of all e-mail data
Useful functions and extensions
A modern e-mail account offers much more than just the exchange of messages. Integrated tools such as calendar synchronization with iCal support and document management with attachment sizes of up to 25 MB make everyday work easier. Workflow automation such as reply assistants with AI function or intelligent rules for mail distribution lists save valuable time.
Premium options usually cost around €8.50 per month and offer 50GB of storage plus Teams integration. For users who are frequently on the move, the Seamless mobile use via smartphone apps is particularly important. Here, attention should be paid to compatible and well-rated apps.
Useful extensions for professional e-mail accounts are:
- E-mail archiving with long-term storage
- Integrated antivirus and anti-malware scan
- Automatic encryption of confidential content
- Shared mailboxes for team access
Avoid typical mistakes
When setting up and using professional email accounts, mistakes are often made that could easily be avoided. Missing backups lead to 32% of companies permanent data loss - a problem that would be easy to solve with automatic backup routines.
Ignoring spam filter rules reduces the delivery rate of outgoing emails by up to 41%. Many users also underestimate the importance of secure passwords or do not use two-factor authentication at all, which drastically reduces security.
Another common mistake is the Inadequate planning the storage capacity. Email volumes in companies typically grow by 15-25% per year, which should be taken into account in the initial configuration.
Ensure email marketing compliance
Correct configuration is particularly important for companies that use email marketing. The setup of Security protocols such as SPF, DKIM and DMARC significantly improves the deliverability of marketing emails and prevents legitimate messages from ending up in the spam folder.
Compliance with the GDPR guidelines for communication and data storage is not only a legal requirement, but also creates trust among recipients. Correct signature design with all legally required information is also a must.
It makes sense to appoint an e-mail officer in the company who monitors compliance with all guidelines and acts as a contact person for technical or legal questions.
Regular maintenance and optimization
A professional email account requires regular maintenance in order to function optimally. A well thought out Backup strategy protects against the aforementioned 32% data loss cases and should be performed at least weekly, ideally daily.
Regularly checking spam filters and security settings ensures that important messages are not lost and unwanted content is blocked at the same time. As the company grows, so does email traffic - so storage capacity should be adjusted regularly.
Employee training on email security and correct communication should not be underestimated. Users who are sensitized to phishing attacks and other dangers make a significant contribution to Overall security with.
