Step One: What the heck are we doing?

After visiting the Google Apps website, there are several guides to help you get going, but the best one I found for this situation is Setting Up Google Apps for Small Business.  

So far so good.

Went through the initial sign up with no surprises.

One of the first things you are asked to do is to verify your ownership of the domain name.  There are several choices, but I opted to add google code to the DNS record.  After making the choice, Google gave me a list of domain providers and upon choosing GoDaddy, I was given very detailed directions specifically for the GoDaddy interface.  It even included screenshots from GoDaddy.

I made the changes to the record and even though both Google and Godaddy warn that it may take up to 24 hours for the record to update, it was ready as soon as I got back on the Google page and clicked to verify button.

After verifying the domain name, the wizard within Google Apps, began to take me through the remaining steps to complete the transition.  Mind you nothing at this point has changed for my Dad’s email account.  Nothing will substantially change until after I update the MX records.

Before going any further, I turned the reins over to my father so that he could get up to speed and help configure the account as he chooses.  Because the domain name is under my GoDaddy account, I will still need to make the MX record changes, but I will wait until I get the go-ahead from him.

I am very happy to report that this has been a relatively painless process.  So much better than when I signed up my first account 3 or 4 years ago.  I didn’t even know what a DNS record was or where to find it.  Now you don’t have to know, Google will guide you completely.

So, Step 1 — Success.  So far, so good.

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *