The internet is a fantastic tool to use, but it can be daunting to learn the more technical aspects. That is why we have started this 101 series; to easily break down fundamentals of the internet to help you better understand how things work.

Today’s topic is email hosting, which allows us to create email addresses, as well as send and receive emails. Let’s get started!

 

What is email hosting?

Email hosting is the same concept as web hosting, with the main difference being that email data is stored on a server rather than website data.

There are two types of email hosting; free, and paid.

Free Hosting

Everyone who uses the internet uses a free email hosting service, such as Outlook/Hotmail, Gmail, and ProtonMail.

This kind of hosting is great for casual/personal use, which includes:

  • Signing up for social media accounts
  • Receiving online bills
  • Setting up personal user accounts for online shopping

 

Paid Hosting

Paid email hosting provides all of the same features as free hosting, but it also allows for:

  • Domain name integration; for custom email addresses, which look more professional
  • Administrative privileges for managing accounts, giving you more control over your email data
  • More marketing opportunities to grow your business
  • Better Customer Support if there are issues with your emails
  • Emails from yourself & your staff are less likely to be considered spam

Did you know you can have web & email hosting under the same hosting plan? Click here to learn more!

Why would I need paid hosting?

Whilst free email hosting is more than sufficient for most use cases, paid email hosting allow for customisation and administrative privileges that aren’t otherwise possible. This can includes features like, but aren’t limited to:

  • Management of staff accounts
  • The ability to edit/change email addresses over time
  • Ability to set privileges on a per-account basis, allowing certain users to have access to certain things
  • Having your email data owned by you and stored safely on a private server, so larger corporations can’t mine the internal data of your business

If you can afford to move to paid email hosting, it is always recommended in order to elevate your online presence and legitimacy as a business.

How do I get paid email hosting?

Whilst you can use some paid email hosting services without this, it is highly recommended to have your own domain name so you get the most out of your email hosting plan. To learn more about domain names and how to get your own, click here to read our blog post about it!

Once you have a domain name, you can look into paid email hosting solutions. The best way to start this process is doing your own research, which involves going online & compiling a list of different hosting providers that offer paid email hosting solutions.

From there you can whittle the list down by assessing your business’ current needs against projected future needs, then contacting sales for the providers remaining on your list to get specific plan suggestions from each.

 

How do I choose the best service for me/my business’ needs?

There are many different email hosting providers, a few with their own eco-system of services that integrate with each other for a better customer experience, so it can be difficult to determine which provider will suit your business’ needs best.

For most, a basic plan with a smaller hosting provider is the best place to start because it is cost-effective. From there, most hosting providers allow you to upgrade and downgrade your plan according to your needs.

And if you outgrow the capabilities of a hosting provider, you can always migrate your email data to a larger hosting provider with more options!

Our staff can assist you with determining the best email hosting for your circumstances, as well as provide suggestions on how to get the most out of our hosting plans and anything else you might need to ensure the best experience.

 

If you have any further questions about email hosting or would like to get paid email hosting setup for yourself, contact us by submitting a support ticket from your Client Area account!