Email is still the primary mode of communication for businesses of all sizes and kinds. Hence, it is always recommended to invest in email hosting services, just as you would for web hosting services.
However, businesses are often misled by the “free” tag that comes along with the free email hosting services. While these services appear cost-saving at the moment, they can cost you a lot in the long run.
In this blog, we discuss the many reasons why you avoid using free solutions instead of professional email hosting services.
Top Reasons to Avoid Free Email Hosting Services
- Lack of Security
One of the biggest drawbacks of free email hosting is the lack of security and privacy. These service providers do not offer advanced measures like encryption, two-factor authentication, security protocols or phishing safety tools.
Additionally, they also have complete or partial access to your data. If your business handles sensitive data and client information through emails, opting for a secure email and domain package is better.
- Lost Branding
Email marketing is a huge part of your business and its digital presence. When you leverage professional email hosting services, you are housing the email network on your business domain. The domain allows consistent branding, reinforcing your brand image through email communication.
With free business email hosting, like gmail.com and yahoo.com, you are neglecting your marketing needs. This results in lost branding opportunities and makes it harder for clients and customers to recognize and trust your business.
- Unprofessional and Informal
Apart from being inconsistent with branding, it is also very unprofessional. Using free email hosting services can make your email appear informal, leading to increased bounce rates. Unlike free business email hosting, custom email services increase your professionalism by adding your business domain to the email address.
- Storage Issues
Most free email hosting services come with limited storage space. Such circumstances can easily lead to a major inconvenience for businesses that handle large volumes of emails and attachments. Running out of storage can lead to lost emails and inefficiencies in communication.
In the end, free business email hosting providers charge fees to increase storage space and solutions. Instead, opt for the best email host that offers sufficient storage space at an affordable price.
- Lost Credibility
Most of the time, customers and clients do not open emails from informal or unknown IDs to avoid phishing incidents. These email IDs include business accounts created on free email hosting platforms.
A business using free email services may struggle to build trust with its existing clients and prospective clients. A professional email address reassures customers that the email is credible, trustworthy and official.
- Poor Results
Every small business wants to make cost-efficient decisions and achieve positive results. However, using free email hosting for small businesses might result in a poor overall business outcome.
Reduced email deliverability, lack of security, unprofessionalism, and reputational hazards can hinder and even exacerbate your business.
Conclusion
While free business email hosting services may seem cost-effective, they come with significant limitations that affect your business adversely. You don’t want a free email account at the cost of security vulnerabilities and lost branding and marketing efforts.
To maintain professionalism, credibility, and security, you must opt for a reliable and cost-effective email and domain package from the best email host.
