A professional email address on your own domain (info@yourcompany.be) is essential for every Belgian business. It radiates professionalism, strengthens your brand and inspires trust. Yet many small Belgian businesses still use Gmail or Hotmail. In this article we explain how to set up professional email hosting easily and affordably.

Why email on your own domain?

  • Professional - info@yourcompany.be vs yourcompany@gmail.com
  • Trust - customers take you more seriously with your own domain
  • Branding - every email you send promotes your company name
  • Control - you manage your email accounts yourself

Email hosting options

With your web hosting

The simplest option: with most web hosting plans you get email accounts included. At Theory7 you get email addresses from the Mini plan onwards (€0.49/mo).

Separate email hosting

Do you only want email without web hosting? Then a separate email hosting plan is the right choice. Professional email with spam filtering, webmail and IMAP/POP3 support.

What is included?

Professional email hosting at Theory7 includes:

  • Email on your own domain - unlimited aliases
  • Spam and virus filter - keeps your inbox clean
  • Webmail - access through any browser
  • IMAP and POP3 - use with Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail
  • Mobile - sync with your smartphone
  • No adverts - unlike free providers

SPF, DKIM and DMARC

To prevent your emails from ending up in spam, three DNS records are important:

  • SPF - tells recipients which servers are allowed to send mail on your behalf
  • DKIM - a digital signature that proves authenticity
  • DMARC - a policy for how recipients should handle unauthenticated mail

At Theory7 these records are configured automatically.

Web hosting per city in Belgium

Theory7 offers web hosting throughout Flanders. Take a look at the options in your city:

Getting started

  1. Register your .be domain
  2. Choose a hosting or email plan
  3. Create your email accounts in the control panel
  4. Set up your email client (Outlook, Apple Mail, etc.)

Why is GDPR compliance important for Belgian email?

Since the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018, Belgian businesses are obliged to process personal data securely. According to the Data Protection Authority (DPA), this also applies to email traffic: every email with customer data, invoices or quotes falls under privacy legislation. A European hosting party that stores data within the EU is therefore essential for compliance.

At Theory7 all your emails are stored on servers in the Netherlands and Germany, entirely within the EU. This means you run no risk of data leaks to countries outside the European Economic Area. In addition, we offer encrypted connections (TLS) as standard for both incoming and outgoing email traffic.

What is the difference between Exchange, IMAP and POP3 for business use?

For Belgian businesses, the choice between email protocols is crucial. IMAP synchronises emails across multiple devices and is ideal for teams working on laptop, phone and tablet. POP3 downloads messages to one device and removes them from the server, which is rarely desirable these days. Exchange adds shared calendars, contacts and tasks on top of that.

For most Belgian SMEs, IMAP is the best choice: it is affordable, works with every email client and synchronises perfectly. Do you need shared calendars and meeting-room management? Then a professional email address at Theory7 with Exchange functionality is the right option. According to Gartner, more than 60% of SMEs worldwide use IMAP as their primary protocol.

How do you protect business email with SPF, DKIM and DMARC?

Email security is more than a strong password. SPF (Sender Policy Framework) tells receiving servers which IP addresses are allowed to send on behalf of your domain. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to every message. DMARC combines both and gives instructions about what should happen to messages that fail the check.

Without these three records, Belgian businesses run the risk that their emails end up in the spam folder or that malicious parties impersonate your business. At Theory7 we configure SPF, DKIM and DMARC as standard with every business email address. That way you can be sure that your messages arrive and that no one abuses your domain name.

Which tips help Belgian SMEs with professional email use?

A professional email address such as info@yourcompany.be inspires more trust than a free Gmail or Hotmail address. According to Comeos (the Belgian federation for e-commerce), 74% of Belgian consumers prefer businesses with their own email domain when making online purchases.

Some practical tips for Belgian businesses:

  • Use separate email addresses per department: info@, billing@, support@
  • Set up automatic replies for outside office hours
  • Make regular backups of your mailbox
  • Use two-factor authentication (2FA) for extra security
  • Keep emails with financial data for at least 7 years (Belgian retention obligation)

Which email features are essential for Belgian businesses?

FeatureFree emailTheory7 business
Own domain (@yourcompany.be)NoYes
SPF/DKIM/DMARCLimitedFull
Storage per mailbox15 GB25+ GB
EU data storage (GDPR)No (US)Yes (EU)
Phone supportNoYes
Shared calendarLimitedYes

How do you choose the right email provider as a Belgian business?

When choosing an email provider for your Belgian business, there are three factors that weigh more heavily than price alone. First, the location of the servers: always choose a provider with servers within the EU to comply with GDPR legislation. Second, the availability of professional features such as autoresponders, mailing lists and shared mailboxes. Third, the quality of the technical support, preferably in Dutch or Flemish.

Avoid free email services for business use. Although Gmail and Outlook.com are popular for private individuals, they lack the professional look and compliance guarantees that Belgian businesses need. Your own email address on your company domain strengthens your brand identity and immediately inspires trust in customers and suppliers.

Take a look at the options for a professional email address at Theory7, including generous storage space, spam filtering and full GDPR compliance on European servers.

What if your business grows?

A common mistake among Belgian start-ups is choosing email hosting that does not grow with them. Start with a plan that is easy to scale up: from five to fifty mailboxes without migration. At Theory7 you can easily add extra mailboxes through the control panel, without downtime or data loss. That way your email infrastructure grows along with your business, from sole trader to a full team.

Sources and references

  • Data Protection Authority (DPA) - the Belgian supervisor for privacy and data protection
  • Gartner - research report on email protocols in SMEs (2025)
  • Comeos - Belgian federation for trade and services, consumer confidence research

Within an hour you can send professional email from your own domain.