Selecting an email provider for your electronic communication should be a walk in the park, right? Well, not exactly. The choices seem endless, but in the end, it all comes down to a decision between free and paid email service. For a business, getting an email address that includes your domain name is essential to establish your brand’s image and give it a professional look.
To help you understand the importance and power your email address can have, we will guide you through the world of digital communication. Read on to learn what the differences are and why your business can’t afford to miss out on this opportunity.
Email 101
The word “email” is an acronym for “electronic mail.” While it may seem like a fairly new way to communicate, it has actually been around for quite some time. Ray Tomlinson came up with the email system that we know today, but just like computers, the system has evolved a lot since its simple beginnings. Today, email has become one of the most important means of communication for many people around the world.
Once you have a domain name and web hosting, you also have the ability to create professional email addresses for yourself and your team. But email addresses that are branded with your domain name also come at a price, and it is up to you whether you want to use a free or paid email service. You can make your choice according to the needs of your business, but what is the difference between the two, and is it worth the investment?
What You Need to Know About Email Services
Generally, free email is used by individuals. This means that most businesses opt for the paid service, but you do not need the budget of an international corporation to afford a paid email service. Choosing an email host requires just as much research as finding a domain name or a reputable web host. The team from Techiexpert.com can help you decide what domain extension is best for a startup. In the following, we will explain the differences between free and paid email:
Free Email
A free email is an ideal option for people that do not need a branded email address for their business and just use it for their private electronic communication. If you do not care about the email providers’ branding like gmail.com, yahoo.com, or aol.com, you can choose whichever you like. But keep in mind that people who receive your emails might doubt your professionalism and authenticity if they see an email sent from a gmail account. Free email addresses also come with some significant disadvantages if you are planning to grow a business. Using free email potentially could send the wrong message to your customers or clients. It lacks a level of professionalism that most people expect nowadays.
You also won’t get as much storage when you rely on a free email service. The storage space of free email hosting solutions is usually sufficient for your personal needs and can even satisfy small businesses. Unfortunately, the security they offer is not as strong, and you will have to deal with ads and banners. The free-mail provider is often sponsored by advertising and can target you with specific campaigns or promotions, which does not give you as much privacy as a paid service does. On the bright side, a free service does not ask you for any commitment, and you can switch to another provider at any moment.
Paid Email
If you are running a business and a website, chances are you need more features than what free email hosting providers can offer you. As mentioned earlier, owning a domain name enables you to set up email addresses for your team. If you register the domain name www.mycompany.com, your email address could be [email protected] or [email protected]. The options are almost endless, which also allows you to grow your business. If you want to monetize the power of branding even more, you can also register one of the new generic Top Level Domains like .SHOP, .LAW, or .BEST for your company website and email. 101domain has, by far, the largest selection of domain name extensions found anywhere and offers email hosting as well. With paid email hosting, you will get high-quality service and can trust that there will be fast technical support if needed. Paid email offers you some additional features like spam filtering and a very large cloud storage space that is not available from free service providers.
Free vs. Paid
Now that you know the main differences, let us dig a little bit deeper. Both types of email services have a lot of advantages as well as disadvantages.
If you need to look professional: When you use a free email provider, you use their domain as part of your email address. Unfortunately, this does not look very professional, and it can lead to people not trusting your products or services. Using your own domain name with a paid email service displays a better image.
If you want branding: Using your domain name within your email can help your brand image. If you are using a free email service, people could assume that you are not a business or are not part of a company. A domain-customized email address will stand out, and it shows your receivers that you have the confidence to invest in your own brand.
If you want privacy: It is essential to know that if you are using a free email address, you give the provider access to your privacy in exchange for using the services for free. To be aware of it, you need to read the agreements before signing up for a free account. The provider makes a profit through advertising or selling licenses. With a paid email provider, your privacy is guaranteed. They do not need to have any insight into your email because users are paying them directly.
If you want to save money: The most significant advantage of a free email account is the non-existing price. It is ideal for people that use their email only for personal matters. You have a lot of choices when it comes down to picking a provider, and paid services also vary in price. It all depends on your needs, the expectations you have, and your own budget.
If you want support: Free email providers do not offer the same support as a paid service offers. Sometimes you are totally on your own even if you have problems receiving emails or can’t login to your account anymore. In this case, you have to either fix the problem yourself, wait until it fixes itself, or switch providers. Paid services, on the other hand, use a lot of security features like 2-factor authentication and offer you high-end support.
Conclusion
Let’s be honest; there is no such thing as free. Free email providers have made significant developments and offer a relatively secure and user-friendly infrastructure. Still, if you want to make a good first impression, a paid email service is the clear winner. In order to reduce business expenses, your email provider is not the place you should start saving. The ability to personalize your email address is pretty much priceless.
