My second, third, and fifth recommendations for security can all be taken care of by Google Business Suite products.
Second, behind getting your virtual mailbox, is getting a VOIP (voice over IP) phone number, which you can get from Google Voice. Yes, there are other ways to get a VOIP phone number, however, if you’re a raving Google fan like I am, then why go with a bunch of different companies when you’re already working with one that provides what you need?
Third, buy your custom domain. The ONLY reason why getting a virtual address and phone number are before getting your custom domain, is because you need these two things when you fill out the registration form for your new custom domain. You’ll also need a CC, which should be a business CC and should be attached to a business EIN, and you should have a business bank account, but these things aren’t security related so they’re in a different list. There are a bazillion domain registrars out there, however, the two best are Google Domains and Cloudflare. Why, because they are cheaper, have more features, and do not try to upsell you all the things you don’t need, but will buy anyway because you think since they’re offering them, you need them. YOU DON’T.
Fifth, behind securing your newly minted custom domain behind a CDN (Content Delivery Network) is getting a personal email at your custom domain.
Why are three and five on the security list? Three is on the list because it’s a requirement for number 5 and because you will screw yourself later if you do not think of this first and foremost in starting your business.
I see it all the time – I got the .net because the .com wasn’t available. I bought the misspelled version because they spelled correctly version was taken. This is a BAD strategy. Terrible, in fact. Why? Well first of all, if someone else has the website, you’ve just ruled yourself out of ever getting a trademark for that name. Not to mention, you now have to compete with that other company, or worse – companies for SEO.
DON’T DO IT!! Do a proper search. Find yourself a business name that is available in .com, .net, and .org and buy all three. You do not need to do this for every URL you want – just your company name. Also, search for your business name on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. There are others, but these are the major ones. Make sure there are not business pages or fan pages with your business name. If there is, pick a short name for your business (Acronym or business name + int or + corp, etc…) and use the same shortcode for all your social media. You want to be able to say “You can find me on social media @wyzetribe”, rather than saying you can find me on Facebook @A and Instagram @B and LinkedIn @C.
You want an email at your custom domain because 1. it’s required by marketing software, 2. it’s professional, 3. it’s more secure than public domains such as the equivalent @gmail, and 4. you can set up inboxes, such as @info, @support, etc…
If you would like a big old discount off your first year of Google Workspace, just click this affiliate link here. Now, I will say, for all of you Microsoft fans out there, I am not a Microsoft gal. It’s fine, I’ve used their products before, but I am partial to Google. That being said, if you want your email and office products through Microsoft, you do you. I still recommend Google for domain registration. You can also use Cloudflare for domain registration, however, it’s a beta feature and isn’t available to everyone yet.
