If you are a small business, finding an email hosting service is important. You want a host that will provide your company with the best form of communication that is secure but also affordable. It can be a daunting task to sift through all of the hosting solutions out there.
An email hosting service for a small business should be secure, easy to use, and provide the best service for the price.
Let’s explore the best small business email hosting solutions to see which fits your needs.
Email Servers Options
There are three types of email servers. ISP (Internet service providers) are not ideal for small businesses. This type of service is basic and typically used for personal emails. ISP servers have a limit to the number of emails you can send.
POP3 (Post Office Protocol) email servers give you access to emails even when you are offline. These types of servers download emails and store them on your computer. However, once they are downloaded, they may no longer exist on the server. This can be problematic if you need to keep up with a large number of emails and check them from multiple devices.
IMAP (Internet Message Acces Protocol) servers work by syncing consistently between the mail server and your email client. With this type, you can read emails without an internet connection. This is the best type of email service for small businesses because it allows you to manage your emails most effectively across devices.
Yet, IMAP requires more server resources, so POP3 is often the most popular email protocol used.
Can Small Businesses Use Free Webmail Services?
According to a survey, 81% of small businesses rely on email for customer acquisition and retention. When it comes to choosing an email hosting solution for a small business, you could just use free webmail, but there are several downsides to this.
First, people look at your domain name and make a judgment about a business. If your email ends with your company’s name, it looks far more reliable than a simple Gmail or Outlook account.
Secondly, free webmail services also don’t give you a ton of space to store emails, files, and photos that may be essential to the running of your business. If you are looking to forward large numbers of emails as part of an email marketing campaign or intend to use additional services such as word processors or file storage that many email hosting services provide, free may not meet your needs. Over 3.19 billion emails are sent and received worldwide each day.
Finally, free email services have fewer security measures than paid email hosting solutions. So, it’s much easier for your information to get hacked. Although free email hosting can be cost-effective for a small business on a budget, you may not be able to get as much out of a free plan as you could out of a paid plan. You want to make sure that you have at least basic spam protection and anti-phishing security features, and many free plans have ones that are lacking.
Types of Business Email Hosting Solutions
There are a few types of email hosting services that you can consider for your small business. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.
Web Hosting Solutions
Web hosting is an online service that rents space on another company’s server to store all of your website’s files and data. Web hosting providers ensure your website performs well by maintaining security and protecting your data. Some of the most common providers of services such as these are Bluehost, Wix, and A2Hosting.
Many of these providers also offer email hosting services. If you plan to also purchase a web hosting service, you may want to shop for a company that provides both services in one. However, you can also opt to purchase these services separately.
Third-Party Hosting
If you want to have a secure and professional email account without having to manage the server or worry about configurations, then third-party hosting is a good option. Essentially, you will pay a third party to host your email domain on their server.
This offers a good deal of protection from cyber threats because these servers often have antivirus software and spam detectors. Many email hosts allow you to have an unlimited number of domains and email addresses. They also provide additional collaboration tools that can be useful for a small business.
Yet, you don’t have control over the security settings of the server, and if you want unlimited storage or advanced features, you’ll have to pay for a higher price plan, which can be difficult for a small business looking for an economical solution.
Self-Hosted Email Servers
If you are looking for a little more control over your server, you can host a private email server on your local computer. A lot of e-commerce businesses use a self-hosted email server for establishing their businesses and startups. As the only owner of the email server, you get to personalize your privacy configuration however you want. You can create unlimited email addresses and domains.
You can also manage your storage space yourself, dividing it amongst different users how you see fit. Self-hosted email servers can help you to set up your server on your local computer, but this can be difficult if you don’t have someone with a lot of technical knowledge.
This can also be a challenging solution because buying the right computer disk space for the amount of storage you need can become costly.
What Should You Look for in a Small Business Email Hosting Service?
Business owners choosing an email hosting service will want to check out the features each hosting company has to offer. This will help you to select the best email hosting service for your company.
1. Custom Doman Name
You’ll want an email host that allows you to create a custom domain name. Being able to have a custom email domain gives your small business more credibility. Some email hosting solutions will allow you to have unlimited domains, which can be helpful as your business begins to grow.
Some services offer free domain names to businesses that don’t already have them. Other services will also give you the ability to use aliases as part of their domain support.
2. Storage
If you are going to be sending and receiving a lot of emails, you want to make sure you are going to have a good size of email storage in your inbox. Different hosts will have different storage solutions. Generally, you will have to pay more for storage.
Cloud storage is another consideration to take into account. Many email hosts will back up your emails on the cloud. These storage options may come with limitations, as well. Make sure to pick a provider that offers the best storage options for your business needs.
Another feature to look for is archival services. Many email hosting solutions don’t have archival services as a part of their starter plan. You may have to pay additional prices for email archiving.
3. Ad Free
Many services will provide free or cheaper services but spam you with tons of ads. This can be distracting and frustrating. So, make sure that your email host service is an ad-free service. This will help you to keep up productivity without being slowed down by tons of ads.
4. Functional Tools
A great email host provider will have easy-to-use email, plus tools to help your team be productive and communicate efficiently. Your email server should pair well with other apps and tools you use. Make sure that the service is compatible with all of your devices and software, including mobile apps.
You’ll also want an email service that has easy template tools, especially if you are going to start an email marketing campaign.
Some providers will also have add-ons that can be helpful to a business or compatibility with WordPress. Be sure to do your research before choosing a hosting plan.
Several well-known email hosting providers have familiar functions that a lot of small businesses use such as Google Workspace which has file storage with their Google Drive and other G Suite productivity tools such as Google Docs and Google Calendar that can help your team work better together.
Windows also has a popular email hosting solution that many people are familiar with. Microsoft Outlook pairs well with Microsoft Office Suite tools to give your small business options for collaboration.
5. Pricing
Of course, when you run a small business, affordable pricing is a must. Some email hosts have hidden fees or renewal rates that may be hard to keep up with. It’s important to find a great, reliable service that can fit into your budget.
Basic plans are often a good place to start for a business with only a handful of employees. As your business grows, you can begin to increase your hosting package as your company grows.
Several large companies offer a variety of pricing plans for you to choose from. Here are some of the most common starter options:
- ZOHOMail: $14 for 20MB and 5 users
- Google Workspace: $6 per user for Business Startup plans
- Office 365: $6 for 150MB and 300 users
- Amazon SES: $0.10 for 10 MB and 10,000 users
- Rackspace: $1 for 50 MB and unlimited users
Check the fine print and see how often these plans are charged for and whether there are additional fees. Many of these programs offer a free trial, as well, so you can try out an email host before committing.
6. Customer Support
When something goes wrong, you want to ensure you aren’t losing precious time trying to troubleshoot solutions. An excellent email hosting solution will offer customer support 24/7. Look for servers that provide several ways to access customer support options such as through a real-time online chat, by phone, and through training videos.
Options help you to use their customer support options in a way that will be the most effective for your business needs.
7. Security
Of course, email privacy is a must when it comes to an email hosting service. According to Statista, financially driven cyberattacks are the biggest threat to US businesses. You want to make sure that your email host is keeping your data and your client’s data safe during your communications.
Look for hosts that offer end-to-end encryption. This means that they are encrypting your communications both as they are sent and received.
Also, two-factor authentication, also called multi-factor authentication, is another sign of a secure service. Authentication means that someone entering your account has to have the answers to certain security questions or access to certain devices, like mobile devices, to enter your account. This adds another level of security to your account.
An email host should also have some malware and virus protection and anti-spam filtering systems to protect you from threats.
Sekur for Small Businesses
Why shop around when you can get the most secure small business communication through Sekur?
SekurMail is a safe and secure email hosting provider for small businesses. You can send emails to Sekur and non-Sekur users alike using our SekurSend anti-phishing technology. You can share files and your calendar with confidentiality because they are fully encrypted.
Our server protects your email with military-grade end-to-end encryption. You can also monitor your email views in real-time. Since Sekur is a small company, you don’t have to rely on a big tech platform. There is also no data mining. Plus, your information is protected under Swiss Privacy Laws.
Sekur is available on any device browser and all mobile devices. We provide services for both private chats and emails on our secure Swiss-hosted servers that meet the needs of any small business.
Conclusion
Choosing an email hosting solution for your small business doesn’t have to be difficult. Take time to consider your options. Look for a hosting solution that offers the best service and security for the best price.
Remember that your email says a lot about your company and your branding, so you want to select the best email hosting solution that you can for your budget.
