If you’re still sending emails from a free address like yourbusiness@hotmail.com or yourname@gmail.com, you could be making life harder for yourself — and your clients.
Not only do free email addresses look less professional, but they can also make it harder for your invoices, quotes, and job updates to land in your customer’s inbox instead of the spam folder.
The solution? Get your own domain name — something like www.yourbusiness.com.au or www.yourbusiness.co.nz — and link it to your email account. It’s simple, affordable, and great for your brand.
Why you should get a domain name
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Looks professional – An address like info@yourbusiness.com.au or info@yourbusiness.co.nz instantly builds trust.
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Helps with email deliverability – You can set up domain settings that prove to email providers you’re legit, making spam filters less likely to block you.
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Brand consistency – Your website, emails, and marketing all match.
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It’s yours – No one else can use it while you own it.
Step 1: Choose your domain name
Pick something that matches your business name. Keep it short, easy to spell, and easy to remember.
Example:
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Business name: GreenScape Landscaping
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AU Domain: www.greenscape.com.au
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NZ Domain: www.greenscape.co.nz
Step 2: Check if it’s available
Use a domain registrar in your country to search your preferred name and see if it’s free to register.
For Australia:
For New Zealand:
Step 3: Register your domain
If it’s available, follow the registrar’s checkout process. You’ll usually pay for 1–2 years upfront, with options to auto‑renew so you don’t lose it.
For .com.au domains, you’ll need an ABN or ACN to prove you’re a registered Aussie business.
For .co.nz domains, there are no business number requirements — anyone can register.
Step 4: Set up your professional email
Once you own your domain, you can attach it to an email provider like:
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Microsoft 365 (Outlook)
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Google Workspace (Gmail with your domain)
They’ll give you step‑by‑step instructions for connecting your new domain so you can start sending from an address like yourname@yourbusiness.com.au or yourname@yourbusiness.co.nz.
Step 5: Update your domain settings for NextMinute
When you have your own domain, you can configure DNS records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) so NextMinute is authorised to send emails on your behalf. This is the key step that keeps your invoices out of spam. See our guide: Prevent emails going to spam.
The bottom line
A domain name costs only a few bucks a month but makes a big difference to how professional you look — and how reliably your emails get through.