If you want to be taken seriously in the digital world you need a professional email address (not <yourname>12345@gmail.com), a website and a LinkedIn account. Fortunately all these things are free or cheap.
Before we begin I want to point out that there are 10, 20 or 30 different venders that offer the services mentioned in this blog. This guide just details the steps I took to solve the problem. I have no particular affinity for any of the vendors suggested here.
Professional email address. First you need a domain. A domain is just your web address, like Google.com or IBM.com, it is how others on the Internet will find you. Go to GoDaddy and search for an available domain. When choosing a domain try and select one that, in some way, describes an aspect of your business. It doesn't have to be a real word; Seltsr is not a real word, Simplii is not a real word. If you can live without the .com suffix then it will be easier to find something suitable. Once you have found a domain name you like and is available, create an account and buy it. GoDaddy often offers a discount if you lock in the name for 2 years. It will cost approx. $30 - $40 for 2 years.
Next google 'office 365 exchange online plan 1'. Sign up for the Exchange only plan, it should cost $5 or $6 per user per month, often you can get the first month free. When you first setup your new Exchange service you will be required to create a default email account. The name will be something like <name>@<domain>.onmicrosoft.com. This will be your admin account so don't delete it. Next login to admin.microsoft.com with your default email account. Go to Admin / Setup and select 'Get your custom domain setup'. The wizard will locate your new domain at GoDaddy and ask you for your GoDaddy credentials. It will then setup your new domain for use with your new Exchange subscription. The final step is to add a new email account using your new domain. Under 'Users' select 'Active users' and then 'Add a user' and then fill in the blanks. You now have an email address using your new domain. At the time I thought it might take a day for the new email to become active but I was able to use it within 20 minutes. Use Outlook Web Access to connect to your new Exchange subscription so you can send and receive emails. OWA is web based and it is free. You may want to buy the Windows version of Outlook ($140) so you can enjoy the full 32-bit experience, but you don't have to.
Setup a website for your new domain. Your website is the center of your digital universe, be sure it contains all of your important information, a way for people to contact you, and links to the rest of your on-line presence.
Log back in to GoDaddy and select Website Builder. Under 'Create your website' select 'Start for free'. Sign up for GoDaddy's Websites + Marketing. The cost of using the website builder and hosting will be approx. $13 per month with the first month free. Select a template and customize it to your needs. Then click 'Publish'. Be sure to specify that the publishing target is your new domain. You can edit and re-publish your site as many times as you like. Google found my new site within 24 hours.
Create a LinkedIn account. This free, and while you are at it create accounts for Facebook and Instagram as well. They are also free. Take a picture of your face with your web cam, crop it so that it looks professional and upload it to the 'your picture' placeholder on your social media accounts. Flesh out your LinkedIn profile; where you work now, 10 or 15 years of employment history, use the About box to describe your skills and abilities, etc. Adding a wallpaper image will make it look that much more professional. Create links to your social media accounts on your website and, where possible, reference your website on your social media accounts.
Get Business Cards. I use Vista Print. They are professional, fast and cheap. 100 standard cards cost about $30, and they run specials from time to time where you can get them for $20. You can select from hundreds of templates, and then just fill in the blanks. Be sure to include your new email address and new website URL.
Publish a Blog. Want to take your on-line presence to the next level? Start a blog and share your experiences with others. Wix.com is a good place to start. They will host your blog for free, they have all kinds of templates to help you get started, and their WYSIWYG tools make it easy to create a customized finished product. The free version of Wix places a thin banner ad for their services at the top of your blog. If you don't like that you can sign up for a $10 per month subscription plan that removes the ad. Create a link to your blog on your website.
To recap. You now have a domain which costs $15 per year and gives you the ability to set up professional email addresses and a website. Your custom email costs $5 per user per month. You have a professional website that costs $13 per month. You have business cards that cost $30. You have LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram accounts and a blog that are all free and linked though your website.
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