Key Considerations for Selecting Business Email Hosting Providers
Want to look more professional?
Businesses nowadays need a professional email address as a means of reaching out to your customers or business partners. You can try to convince me that email@yourbusiness1234@gmail.com looks more professional than simply support@yourbusiness.com, but I know better, don't I?
As easy as it might be to see the potential of such things, there is one major problem with this…
Picking the right email hosting provider for your needs is not as straightforward as one would think. In a world with over 375 billion emails sent daily by 2025, you need to make sure your business email is rock-solid, secure and reliable.
Well, that is where I am about to come to help. In this complete guide, I will go through some of the most critical aspects of business email hosting and help you make the right choice in this often-overwhelming field.
In this article, we’ll review:
Why Professional Email Hosting Actually Matters
Essential Features You Can't Ignore
Free Email vs Paid Hosting – The Real Truth
Security Features That Actually Matter
Technical Support – Why It Matters More Than You Think
Integration Capabilities
Pricing Models Explained
Bringing It All Together
Why Professional Email Hosting Actually Matters
Let me tell you something most small business owners don't know.
Your email address is the very first impression potential clients have of your company before they even open their mouth. According to new research, 70% of small businesses have considered email an essential part of their business's communications strategy.
It's a big deal.
Whenever you start looking for email hosting plans for your business, you are not only purchasing an email address; you are investing in the credibility, safety, and professional appearance of your company. The right email hosting plans give your business total control over communications while guaranteeing the highest levels of reliability and security.
As many would think, but not all email hosting plans are the same. A good or bad email hosting provider can make or break your business communications, so never underestimate how important the whole subject is.
Essential Features You Can't Ignore
Ok, so you are down to business. Here's what you should be on the lookout for:
Storage Capacity & Scalability
This one is not to be underestimated. Your company will grow, and so will your email needs. If you are running a growing business, you might need to change email hosting providers every few years. Look for:
At least 25GB per mailbox for small companies
Unlimited storage options for growing companies
Easy upgrade options as your needs increase
The best hosting providers make it easy to upgrade with almost no downtime or hiccups along the way.
Uptime & Reliability
Nothing is worse than when your email goes down at the worst possible moment. Every business communication service provider should guarantee 99.9% uptime. This is not just a random number.
99% uptime might have your email service down for over 3 days per year. Does that sound like something you are happy with for your business?
Mobile Access & Synchronization
Mobile access and easy sync options are also among the most overlooked things. You or your employees will be forced to access emails across various devices like smartphones, laptops, or desktops. So you want this process to be as seamless as possible, with everything updating real-time.
Spam & Virus Protection
I have an awkward question to ask: How much time does your team waste every day going through spam emails in their inbox
Professional email hosting comes with big enterprise-level spam filtering and virus protection to keep your inbox clean and business safe from all kinds of threats like phishing, malware, ransomware, and email spoofing. The best providers will keep more than 99% of spam from even reaching your inbox.
Free Email vs Paid Hosting – The Real Truth
There is one major trick. You might consider free email services like Gmail or Yahoo and think that it might save you some money on starting up your business. But this comes with severe limitations that will hurt your business in the long run.
Free Email Services: generic domain names that look unprofessional limited storage space no technical support data is mined for advertising
Professional Email Hosting: custom domain names (like you@yourbusiness.com) generous storage space dedicated technical support private data (none is sold to advertisers)
Your choice is more than obvious, at this point, right?
Professional email hosting also comes with all kinds of advanced features like shared calendars, contact management, and integration with other tools. The saved time itself can make an impact, saving your team several hours each week.
Security Features That Actually Matter
Ok, here is the question that bothers me every day.
Email security breaches.
Security is something that both you and I have to worry about when using email. Security must be one of the leading factors on your list when it comes to email hosting providers. Here is what you need to check:
End-to-End Encryption
End-to-end encryption should be a given these days. Encryption in transit and at rest means even if someone manages to steal your emails somehow, they won't be able to read them.
Two-Factor Authentication
Also known as 2FA, adds an additional layer of security on top of passwords. Even if someone manages to guess your password, they won't be able to access your account without the second authentication factor.
Regular Backups
Emails contain valuable business information, so ensure your email hosting provider has automatic email backup included so that no important information is ever lost.
Compliance Standards
GDPR, HIPPA, SOC2 and a bunch of others. It depends on your business and industry. If these apply to your business, you must find an email hosting provider who supports all of them.
Technical Support – Why It Matters More Than You Think
Here's one thing no one wants to talk about. Email support. I mean, when your email goes down, you need support. Right now.
No, not tomorrow. No, not in 24 hours. Not ever. You need support immediately.
Go for email hosting providers who offer 24/7 support with multiple contact methods and fast response times. You will be very grateful to me later when you have to use the support and find people who know what they are doing.
Integration Capabilities
You want your email not to stand on its own. The best email hosting service providers out there seamlessly integrate with the other tools you are already using, CRM systems, project management tools, accounting software and calendar apps.
Eliminate the need to constantly switch between different apps, and you will save your team many hours each week.
Pricing Models Explained
Ok, let's talk about the elephant in the room. Money.
Email hosting providers have different price models these days. The majority of them would charge per user, per month, depending on the storage required and other features, like advanced security.
Do the math here because the actual price can vary. 10 people team can cost you anywhere from $40 to $200+ per month, depending on your provider and additional features chosen.
But remember, the cheapest price is not always the best price. Value is far more important.
Bringing It All Together
Choosing the right email hosting provider is one of the most important decisions you make for your business's infrastructure. In a world where email is essential for 70% of small businesses, you just can't get this wrong.
Look for a provider that offers reliable uptime, excellent security features, scalable storage, good customer support, and integration with your other tools.
The right email hosting plan will not only provide you with a professional email address, but it will also give you a sense of calm, knowing your business communications are secure, reliable, and professional.