Email Hosting

Email hosting is a service that operates dedicated mail servers so you can send and receive messages using addresses on a domain you control (for example, [email protected]). Unlike free webmail, it’s built for custom domains, admin control, and professional deliverability.

To put it simply: email hosting is the “house” where your mail lives; your domain name is the street address on the mailbox. To make messages reach the right house, the Domain Name System (DNS) uses special records called MX records, and messages travel via the SMTP protocol.
 

How email hosting works

• Your domain (e.g., yourbrand.com) is mapped to mail servers via MX records in DNS; these records decide where incoming mail is delivered.
• SMTP moves mail between servers and from your email app to your provider.
• TLS/STARTTLS encrypts mail in transit between servers and clients to reduce eavesdropping risks.
• IMAP vs. POP3: IMAP keeps mail on the server and syncs across devices; POP3 downloads mail to one device by default.
   

Why businesses choose email hosting

Professional email on your own domain signals trust, gives you admin controls (users, groups, aliases), and lets you enforce security and compliance. It also unlocks the DNS-level tools—SPF, DKIM, and DMARC—that help inbox providers verify that mail really comes from your domain and isn’t spoofed.
 

Core features to look for

• Authentication: Easy setup for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to protect your brand and improve deliverability signals.
• Transport security: TLS/STARTTLS for encrypted transfer between clients and servers.
• Admin & compliance: Role-based access, retention, audit logs, and data processing terms that align with privacy laws (e.g., GDPR if you process EU personal data).
• Reliability: Redundant MX targets and uptime SLAs so mail queues don’t stall.
• Migration tools: IMAP imports, forwarding, and alias management for smooth switch-overs.
   

Quick facts

• MX records decide where mail for yourbrand.com is delivered; lower MX priority is tried first.
• SMTP is the standard protocol for sending email between servers.
• SPF + DKIM + DMARC work together to authenticate your domain and tell receiving servers how to handle failures.
• TLS protects messages in transit; it’s a baseline expectation for modern providers.
   

Email hosting & your domain strategy (Sedo insight)

Your email identity is tied to your domain. If the perfect brand match domain isn’t available to register, the secondary domain market can help you acquire it. On the Sedo marketplace, companies buy premium names that look credible on business cards and in inboxes ([email protected] beats [email protected]). Securing strategic alternatives—like regional TLDs or common misspellings—lets you set up redirects and email aliases so mis-addressed mail reaches you reliably. (Your admin adds or forwards aliases after pointing those domains’ MX records to your provider.)
 

Set-up checklist

1. Choose a provider based on storage, support, and compliance needs.
2. Point DNS: Add/adjust MX records at your registrar/DNS host per your provider’s instructions.
3. Turn on transport security (TLS/STARTTLS) in server and client settings.
4. Authenticate your domain: publish SPF, enable DKIM, then add a DMARC policy (start with p=none and monitor). Major inbox providers require SPF or DKIM—and for bulk senders, DMARC too.
5. Create users & aliases, migrate old mail via IMAP import, and decommission legacy forwarders cleanly.
    

When Sedo can help

If your email brand matters (sales outreach, support, newsletters), the right domain is a real asset. Sedo’s domain marketplace makes it easier to find and acquire brand-matching or category-defining names—plus defensive variations you can point via MX or aliases. Lock in the name first, then set up hosting and authentication so your messages are recognized and delivered as intended.