Making the perfect e-mail address

Images are long gone and so are the providers included below. I would advise Zoho.com for free email and to get a Dot.TK which is still around and likely to be for the long term.

Today I bring to you an article of advice rather than one in which I just rant about something. Today I am going to tell you how you can get that perfect e-mail address.

An e-mail address is very important in today’s times as it not only allows us to contact people but it gives the person you are sending an e-mail to that first look which for some things like a job application can be everything and better yet, you can get all this for free.

First, we must think about where we are going to get this e-mail address from. I am betting that you just thought of somewhere like Gmail or Hotmail but as you may know most of the actual good names have been taken and what is left is something like [email protected] – which does not look so good. But fear not, there is another solution.

Now this article is actually a how-to and it is a little technical but fear not it is pretty much a step by step. First, the perfect e-mail address is not always related to the name before the @ but rather also the domain. So first we are going to pick a free subdomain that we are going to use for e-mails. Now you can use Dot.TK so you can have a your-name.tk e-mail address but rather we will be using Co.CC.

First we need to choose a domain. Good examples may be something like – yoursurname.co.cc (like ellis.co.cc) but just come up with something you like that does look professional. Search in the box below and once you find it, fill in the details and sign up. Then read on.

Now in my example, I picked the domain Snat.co.cc – being because I already registered it ages ago. Now we have the domain you may be wondering what to do next. Well the next step my friend is to pick an e-mail provider. In the past this used to actually cost quite a lot but nowadays just like Gmail and Hotmail, both Google and Microsoft offers you e-mail for your own domain, you for.

Although I do like Google, this example is going to show you how to set up with Hotmail as most people would be used to it. Be warned that Hotmail however does not give IMAP, POP or anything like that but just a web-mail interface which is the same as Hotmail. I may write up a follow-up on how to set it up with Google but we will see.

So now you have registered your Co.CC domain and wondering what to do next and you may notice it says – Setup your domain within 24-48 hours and may be panicking a little but fear not, this guide will show you what to do next.

Now we need to sign up at yet another place but this time, it is Windows Live Domains. Now the home page of it is of no use to you, so just click here to go right to the sign-up page. Now in the box you see, put your Co.CC domain in there (such as in my example, it is Snat.co.cc) and make sure to select Set up Windows Live Hotmail for my domain – and then click Continue.

Now it should give you a choice to create a new Live account or to create a new sign in. Now if you already use MSN or something like that, by all means just use that one but if you do not, just create a new one. Either one you pick, you should now be logged in and make sure to read the agreement and click I Accept – if you agree.

You should now see a screen like the one on the right-hand side. As you can see in the screenshot and hopefully your screen as well that it is asking you to do two things.

Now these two things are very simple to do. Now you should still have the window (or tab) for Co.CC so click that window (or tab) again and then do a few simple things so that you can just then go on and enjoy your new personal e-mail addresses.

Now, the rest of this article is just screenshots from Co.CC themselves. Once you have done all of this, enjoy your e-mail address and even a domain you can use to host a personal website or something.

(Co.CC Guide & Images can be found here: http://www.co.cc/windowlive/windowlive.php). I would like to also add that you can use this same domain for a personal website like a portfolio website and I may do an article on this. As you know a personal e-mail and even a personal website can do wonders.