Whether it’s an enterprise-level company or a brand-new startup, email is an essential tool for any business. Consumers use email to ask questions and provide feedback, and professionals use email to communicate with employees, colleagues and other organizations. Being able to efficiently and reliably send and receive messages is crucial to a business’s day-to-day functions, so it’s important to choose a reliable email hosting solution that fits your company’s needs.

The types of email hosting

Two main types of email hosting exist: server based and cloud based. A server-based systems involves an in-house server your company launches and maintains on its own. This server stores all your email accounts and their contents, and your IT team is responsible for repairing server problems and keeping your accounts safe from external attacks. This kind of hosting requires a great deal of involvement from your IT team, so be sure your department is well staffed and knowledgeable before choosing this option.

Cloud-based email hosting, on the other hand, involves sharing space with other companies on a server provided by the hosting provider. Here the host is responsible for maintaining the server and ensuring that your email is accessible and secure. This kind of service requires little to no involvement from your staff, but when you trust a third-party with sensitive data, inherent risks are involved, so choose your hosting provider and plan carefully.

Finding a provider

Not all email hosting providers are created equal, and the cheapest provider isn’t always the best choice. When selecting an provider, consider the following characteristics:

• Security: Emails often contain confidential information, so be sure to choose a provider that offers a high level of security. Otherwise, your customer’s sensitive data may be vulnerable to hackers, identity thieves and other such criminals.
• Customer support: When you have problems accessing or utilizing your email account, your hosting provider will be the one to resolve them. For this reason, you’ll need a hosting provider that offers continuous customer support.
• Reliability: Take some time to research each candidate’s reputation. Choose a provider known for reliable service with few incidences of server failure or other malfunctions.
• Price: After narrowing your choices down to a few providers using these criteria, consider each provider’s price and choose one that will be affordable for your company.

Choosing a package

After selecting a hosting provider, the next step is choosing the best service the provider offers that will match your email needs. Packages may offer varying levels of storage, bandwidth, customer support options and security measures. Expensive packages may even offer you your own private server. If your company receives thousands of emails on a daily basis, you’ll probably need a large plan, but if you use email infrequently, paying for the biggest available service is a waste of money.

Every organization has different requirements when it comes to email hosting. While a small server-based hosting system may be sufficient for some, others will need a large plan on a dedicated server in the cloud. To choose the best option, simply consider your preferences, usage history and ultimate goals. With so many options available, you can easily find an affordable package that works for you.