I initially documented these steps for a friend of mine, but I decided to put on a more detailed, together with the screen shot and to post on Blogjer.

If you’re already a Google App user, you should be very familiar with these steps. Anyway, for those who are new to Google App, it is a platform for building and hosting web applications on Google Web Servers
(definition from Wikipedia). Among the applications offered are Gmail, Good Doc, Google Sites and etc.

In Google App, I’m interested most with Gmail, whereby I can use Gmail as my blog’s email client, meaning that all emails sent to my blog’s email address are accessible from there. Or in other words, I’m able to  manage all my @blogjer.com email address in Gmail.

This is far more convenient, as compared to using default email client in CPanel, such as SquireMail. Furthermore, these emails are stored on Google Web Server, which is more reliable than our own web hosting server. I have now registered Google App account for my main websites. Here is how you can get started.

1. Head to Google App

2. Click sign up button such as below

3. By default, it will only show the trial version for Premier edition (not free). So click on ‘Standard Edition’ link (Free) to get free edition. But keep in mind that standard edition as it name says, has limited features as compared to Premier Edition.

4. Once you’ve decided to go for Standard Edition (after comparing the features), click on ‘Get Started’.

5. Key in your domain name

6. Fill in all required fields, and press ‘Next’ button

7. The next screen will will create the admin account. Fill up all fields and press Next button

8. Now you have completed the registration process. You’re required to verify the domain Ownership. Click on the ‘Verify domain ownership’ link.

9. You have 2 options here, either by uploading file or changing CNAME. I chose the uploading file method which is easier, and once done, click ‘Verify’ button. It will take approximately 24 hours before your domain is verified.

10. The registration process has completed. Now it is time to activate your email. From your dashboard (see step # 8), click on ‘Activate Email’. Depending on your hosting, choose the instruction accordingly.

11. Login to your cPanel account and follow the instructions on how to update your MX in cPanel. (Sometimes you may need to wait until your domain is verified by Google before you can proceed with this step)

Once done, your email should be accessible via this link.

http://gmail.google.com/a/yourwebsite.com

12. Changing your email URL

The default email’s URL is not a beauty, you can customize it to be like ‘http://mail.yourwesbite.com’ . To achieve this, access the menu from service setting – email services. Click on ‘change URL’ and follow the instructions. Keep in mind that you must be able to modify your DNS setting. By default, this option is not available when you buy the domain, you have to register this add-on in which costs you USD1 annually (NetKL rate). That’s all, you’re done.