A professional website, domain, and email address is essential for building your brand, growing your business, and establishing credibility. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, freelancer, or small business owner, setting up a website and @yourbusiness.com email address doesn’t have to be daunting. Follow these four steps to create a secure and professional online presence.
1. Purchase a domain name via a reputable registrar
A domain name is the unique address that potential clients and customers will use to find your website — making it the foundation of your online presence.
To get started, identify a domain name that aligns with your business or personal brand (e.g. yourbusiness.com). You’ll then need to purchase it through a domain registrar, which is a company that manages domain name registrations. Some domain names are readily available for a standard annual fee, while others may already be owned by someone else. In these cases, you may have the option to negotiate a purchase or explore alternative domain extensions (such as .net, .co, or industry-specific options like .tech or .shop).
After carefully reviewing the privacy policies of various domain registrars — identifying the most trustworthy and transparent providers — we recommend purchasing your domain name through Porkbun(new window).
Unlike many other domain registrars, which put a premium on your privacy, Porkbun provides default privacy protections at no incremental cost, including:
- WHOIS protection(new window): as the first domain registrar to offer this feature, Porkbun prevents spammers, marketers, and potential hackers from accessing your name, address, and phone number via public WHOIS databases.
- SSL Certificate: Porkbun was also the first to offer free SSL certificates via Let’s Encrypt(new window), which encrypts the data transmitted between your website and its visitors to maximize security, boost search rankings, and show that you’re the real deal.
- Physical 2FA: Porkbun also lets you bolster account security by enforcing the highest level of 2FA (two-factor authentication) with physical security keys(new window).
Porkbun manages over 2 million domains and was named the #1 domain registrar by USA Today for the past three years. To give you a better privacy-first experience, Porkbun is offering Proton users $1 off a new Porkbun domain with coupon code PROTONBUN.
2. Evaluate and choose the best website builder
Selecting the right website builder is crucial to ensuring your site is functional, secure, and aligns with your goals.
Factors to consider include:
- Ease of use: Does the platform offer templates and drag-and-drop features, or do you need coding skills?
- Customization options: Can you tailor the design to match your branding?
- Security and privacy: Does the builder prioritize secure hosting, HTTPS encryption, and GDPR compliance?
- Cost and scalability: What is your budget and does the platform support future growth?
Website builders to explore:
- Publii(new window): Publii is a privacy-focused, open-source desktop app that lets you build websites offline using templates and a drag-and-drop editor. After creating your site, you can export it as HTML/CSS files and host it on a platform of your choice. By default, Publii generates cookie- and analytics-free sites, but you can add these features if desired.
- Ghost(new window): Ghost is an open-source, headless CMS designed for professional publishers, bloggers, and media outlets. It combines pre-built themes and drag-and-drop features for hassle-free content creation. Ghost also offers built-in SEO, membership options, and boasts a privacy-first approach with no third-party tracking.
- WordPress.org (Self-Hosted)(new window): The self-hosted version of WordPress offers full control over security and privacy. You can disable third-party data sharing and choose from thousands of themes and plugins to build a custom web solution — making it ideal for businesses and developers who want complete ownership of their site’s infrastructure.
3. Find and select a secure hosting platform
Think of a hosting platform as the “home” for your website. It’s where all your website’s files, images, and data are stored, making it accessible to visitors online.
What to look for in a hosting platform:
- Security features: Ensure the provider offers free SSL certificates (which encrypt data) and protection against cyberattacks like DDoS.
- Server location: Choose a provider with servers in regions with strong privacy laws (e.g. Switzerland) to keep your data safe.
- Backups: Regular backups ensure your website can be restored quickly if something goes wrong.
- Transparency: Pick a provider with clear privacy policies that don’t share or sell your data.
Privacy-focused hosting providers:
- 1984(new window): Iceland based, 1984 leverages the country’s strong privacy laws to offer no-log hosting while supporting anonymous hosting and cryptocurrencies, making it ideal for free speech advocates and privacy-conscious creators.
- Infomaniak(new window): A Swiss-based, privacy-first hosting provider with strong data protection, Infomaniak guarantees no sharing of your data with third parties. The hosting provider also has an eco-friendly infrastructure with carbon neutrality.
- Njalla(new window): Based in Nevis, Njalla is a privacy-first option that doesn’t require personal information to sign up and accepts cryptocurrency payments. Its no-log policy, GDPR compliance, and jurisdiction make it an ideal option for those seeking anonymity.
4. Develop a professional communication strategy with custom domain email
Build credibility by swapping generic Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo emails for a custom domain email address (e.g., yourname@yourbusiness.com). This not only makes the communications you send look more legitimate, but gives you the opportunity to step away from providers that scan your communications for profit and choose one that puts your privacy first.
With Proton Mail, you can create a custom domain email address for every member of your team while end-to-end encryption ensures only they and the people they choose can see the content of their messages — boosting brand trust while safeguarding communications from prying eyes and bad actors.
Choose the right Proton plan to suit your business needs — set up secure, custom email domains with Mail Essential or Professional, or unlock Proton Business Suite for additional solutions, including VPN, password management, cloud storage, and collaborative document editing.
How to set up secure, professional email with Proton Mail
- Sign up to Proton Mail, the world’s leading privacy-first email.
- Set up business emails for departments or individuals (e.g. j.smith@yourbusiness.com or support@yourbusiness.com).
- Access advanced security features like end-to-end encryption, tracking protection, and two-factor authentication (2FA) to protect communications.
Thanks to Proton’s integration with Porkbun(new window), you can set up a professional domain and email address in just a few simple steps — saving you time while we handle the technical side of things.
By securing a domain with a privacy-focused registrar, choosing a reliable host and website builder, and setting up a professional email, you lay the foundation for professional success.
Headquartered in Switzerland, Proton protects your data with some of the world’s strictest privacy laws. Paired with end-to-end encryption and a zero-access architecture, our email services help you comply with data protection and privacy laws while giving your business or project greater credibility.
