When we consider the current context, we can clearly see that a good business relies on very strong communication. Email is, arguably, one of the most important and necessary tools for connection purposes among clients, partners, and colleagues.
Yet, many people do not consider the fact that the selection of the email hosting service will very highly influence the image of the business and how it operates. Email hosting can be beneficial to companies as it allows having more than basic email functions such as a professional email with their domain, more secure email systems, and working together.
For startup companies and small businesses that want to get started but do not want to spend so much, free email hosting services provide an ideal solution. These services allow existing businesses to develop a business email using their domain while having critical basic features for communication.
By using free email hosting services, businesses are able to preserve professionalism while having the necessary room to be flexible and expand their operations. In this article, we will discuss some of the most used free email hosting services, how to use them, and what benefits you will gain for your business when using those services.
Criteria for Selecting Free Email Hosting Services
Selecting the right email hosting service is very important for the business especially when the options are free. What are the rest?
a). User-Friendliness
With spam and other problems related to it, interfacing with email becomes a problem. An easy-to-understand platform will always minimize the babysitting of the new employees as more time is spent training them. Drag and drop, customization and ease of use improve not only the management of emails but also the ability of users to use the emails appropriately.
b). Storage Capacity
There can however be considerable differences in the storage limitations of free email hosting services. Because of this, most providers have upward of 5 GB but can go up to about 15 GB per user depending on the plan. One thing to remember is that storage capacity planning is equally important and the email service provider should have the ability to scale without restriction.
c). Custom Domain Options
Email domains are important components of professionalism in the business world. There are free email hosting services that allow these kinds of emails. This helps businesses create clean corporate images and at the same time, reduce the chances of the emails getting flagged.
d). Security Features.
A collage failed a given imagine that you need this subheading worked. Wherever the statutes have a crease thus the details of information are equipped with zeal without ending here. Information such as personal data pronouncing an end to spammers need to provide useful features such as comprehensive information about the internet in detail as can be witnessed in most residential or business setups.
e). Customer Support.
Good customer support is very important in situations where businesses might face challenges fixing certain things. The ability of different support channels such as live chat, email, or support phone calls to respond should be looked at as well. Businesses can get a good amount of time in dealing with how the clients’ problems are and how quickly and effectively they are addressed.
Top Free Email Hosting Services.
#1 Neo.
Neo was developed primarily for small-scale businesses with needs such as improved productivity as its key target. The users gain an advantage of not paying for the registration of the domain and an interface that is easy to understand which comes with synthetic tools like Read Receipts and Priority Inbox that make emailing effortless and very effective.
#2. Zoho Mail.
Zoho mail has a free forever plan that is free and has excellent features for up to 5 users which includes 5 GB storage per every user. It comes with a friendly interface and administrative features that provide email management with a custom domain name and an expected professional look at the same time.
#3. Dreamhost
Emphasizing its security features, Dreamhost provides its users with advanced spam filtering as well. The service integrates well with domain hosting services, thus appealing to businesses that would wish to cut down on their diverse services.
#4. Bluehost
As part of the hosting packages, Bluehost offers email services which include email forwarding and customer support on a twenty-four-seven basis. This makes it ideal for small-scale businesses that require complete web hosting facilities as well as the accompanying email services.
#5. Google Workspace (Formerly G Suite)
Google Workspace has a fourteen-day free trial in which he goes through the free email programs also for seamless collaboration tasks. This solves the need for businesses with email solutions to integrate into their productivity solutions.
#6. Microsoft 365
This is offered by Microsoft 365 on top of its email hosting services which are a complete package of applications. This is a lot more useful for corporate users who execute daily tasks using Microsoft’s own Word and Excel applications.
#7. Fastmail
As a value, Fastmail offers an ad-free interface with secure internal communication features. This makes it a safe option for prioritizing user experience.
#8. Rackspace
Offered dedicated email hosting services by Rackspace, it’s easier to manage downtime, irrespective of the service options, the advanced or basic options are features of any business. With dependable support, users are guaranteed that any assistance will be made available as and when necessary.
#9. ProtonMail
ProtonMail is quite popular as far as privacy is concerned, it offers users end-to-end encryption for their communications. On the other hand, businesses may find its indie-level usefulness limited since it does not allow custom domains.
#10. IceWarp
IceWarp is a combination of a complete office suite with absolute email security measures. In addition to email, it allows for other forms of communication making it ideal for a company in search of a one-stop solution.
Pros and Cons of Free Email Hosting Services
When evaluating free email hosting services, it’s very recommendable to check on their advantages as well as their disadvantages in order to know their effectiveness with your business.
Pro
1. Cost savings for startups and small businesses.
Of all the advantages that free email hosting provides, the most important advantage is the provision of cost savings. A typical startup or small business usually has a small budget and allowing such businesses to use free email hosting helps them to save and instead use the finances in other relevant parts of their businesses. There is absolutely no financial burden on businesses as they incur no setup costs in establishing their email communication.
2. Ability to Use Basic Email Features Without Installing Any Software
Basic features of free email hosting services are generally adequate for most small businesses. Email sending and receipt, contact, and calendar management can be done without obliging to a paid package. This enables businesses to see if the service is appropriate enough to warrant any further investments in the future.
Read also: Popular Email Services That Start with “O”
Con
1. Possibility of Ugliness of Professional Outlook with Providers with the Domain Their Domain Names
When creating an account with an email provider, a free address is common which includes the domain of the provider e.g [email protected]. Such circumstances may undermine a business’s image, and therefore it becomes difficult to gain trust from clients and partners. For marketing strategies, proper branding usually entails using custom domains e.g. [email protected].
2. The functions of the free version are very few, and the space is limited when compared to paid plans.
This is the norm in free email hosting: several limitations on the amount of storage space available and the features that come with the basic account. Before they even start using all the storage space, many of these users around the world might as well have lost the chance of ever using enhanced features such as enhanced security measures and custom filters or priority support. These restrictions can be extraneous in nature for businesses and eventually force a change to a paid service.
Read also: 5 Top Providers Offering Domain with Free Email Hosting
Conclusions
To sum up, the discussion outlined above, it can be said that although free email hosting services bear some cost advantages as well as basic functions to start up and run small businesses, their limitations stand out in the likes of limited features or even the absence of professionalism. However, each company has different a scope of operations thanks to branding, email volumes, and adopted security features. Therefore, businesses should evaluate their options may be influenced by their specific needs.
While searching for free email hosting services, policies that will be useful in enhancing your business communications should be put in mind.
Read also: Encrypted Email Service for Small Businesses: Ensuring Security and Compliance
Call to Action
Preferred Email Hosting Services? Would love to hear about your free email hosting experience, feel free to leave a comment in the section provided below!
