How to Choose the Best Email Provider for Your Business
By: Stacey Kuyf
If you’re like most small business owners, you’re probably super dependent on email to keep in touch with clients, suppliers, and employees. That’s why choosing the right email provider is crucial. Make the wrong choice and your email service could go down, causing your business operations to come to a halt.
Here are some things to keep in mind when you’re choosing an email provider for your business:
Top-Notch Security
With cyber attacks on the rise, secure email is crucial. Many cybercriminals gain access to your servers by tricking your employees into clicking on a link or attachment or masking their identification so they appear to be a trusted person from within the business.
You need to know that information from both your business and your customers is safe. That’s why it’s so important that your email provider offers end-to-end encryption and adheres to the latest security standards to prevent hacking and spoofing attacks.
The Best Features
Email is more than just communication—the best providers will also give you features like storage space on the cloud. Look for a service with an intuitive user experience to make life easier for your employees. Not all services provide a catch-all, which is when every incoming email is sent to one ID (helpful if your employees leave the company).
Spam filters are also super important, and the best providers will also offer both basic and advanced anti-virus options to scan for malware.
The Bottom Line
The cost of each provider is obviously a consideration when you’re choosing an email provider for your business, but it’s important to also think about value for money. After all, a super-cheap option may not offer the latest and greatest security protections, or the types of features you would use every day.
Cloud-based services are often priced based on how many users you have, making them a smart choice for small businesses planning to scale.
Mobility
Your emails need to be able to work across every type of device. Now, more people check their emails on mobile devices than on desktops, which is why it’s so important that your emails are optimized to work across all screen sizes. You and your employees should also be able to login to your work emails from whichever device you’re using while on the move so you can stay productive.
High Delivery Rates
Obviously, you want as many people to receive emails from your business as possible. Your goal is to engage your leads and customers, and for this to happen, they need to be able to receive your messages. This may seem like an obvious requirement, but not all email providers have the same delivery rates.
That’s why it’s a good idea to compare delivery rates when you’re choosing a provider. Ask potential providers about their rates and how they ensure that their rates don’t drop.
Customer Service
Every now and then, you’ll need help from your email provider. When this happens, you need them to help you quickly and without any hassle. Check that your chosen provider has a dedicated customer support team who you can contact in a variety of ways. Give them a call to see how long it takes to get through, so you can be sure of a fast response when you need it. And don’t be afraid to pay for a premium level of support if they offer it for year-round peace of mind.
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