So you like the GMail interface, but dont want a GMail account. Not an issue anymore, as Google has come up with Google Apps.

Google Apps is a service from Google for using custom domain names with several Google products. This post will only talk about the EMail functionality. Once you register with Google Apps, you can use your account just like you would use a regular GMail account, which means you get all the standard features of GMail. You get 6GB+ of storage, less spam and of course mobile access.

First things first. Sign up for for Google Apps

Note:
1. You should have access to upload files to your domain. Google will ask you to upload a file for verification purposes.
2. You should be authorized to alter the MX Entry (you should find this in your CPanel), so that the emails are handled by GMail and not by your regular host.

On the sign up page, follow the below steps.

Step 1 - Enter your domain name
Step 2 - Self explanatory. Enter all the reqd fields.
Step 3 - Create your Admin account

Once you create your Admin account, you are taken to your Dashboard. You then see a link to ‘Verify your Domain Ownership’. This is the process where Google asks you to upload a file to your server, to authenticate you.

Once authenticated, you then need to activate your email (again link on your dashboard).

To activate your email, you need to change your MX Entry to

ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM. - Gives this a Priority 10
You dont need to worry about the other entries mentioned. Changing only this will work.

Voila !! You’re done - You can now use your domain email with GMail interface.

Doesn’t work for you?? - Not an issue - Contact me or leave a comment below and I’ll try and help.