A professional email address these days is not a whim. In the era of ubiquitous online communication, having the right email address is essential. It helps build a professional image and facilitates the organization and management of our communication. A long time ago, I made an entry, “Where’s my email” and most of that information has lost some relevance. Some services don’t exist anymore, and some get great replacements.
Therefore, in this post, we will consider what kind of professional email it is and compare the most important providers to help you choose the one that best meets your needs.
What is a professional email address?
A professional email address is associated with your domain or business instead of a generic email provider domain such as gmail.com or outlook.com. For example, if your business is called “XYZ,” a professional email address might look like this: [email protected]. If you do not run a business, Gmail could be fine but think about what kind of name you will use. What could a recruiter or a business owner think when he receives an email from [email protected]?
Why do you need the right email address?
Branding
A professional email address helps you build your brand. It shows that you are a severe business and enables you to build trust with your customers.
Professionalism
A professional email address looks more professional than a generic email address. This can be especially important when you’re sending emails to clients or potential employers.
Organization
Having a dedicated email address for your business helps you organize. You can easily segregate your business emails from your personal ones.
Comparison of major email providers
Google Workspace
Google Workspace, formerly known as G Suite, offers professional email addresses along with access to the entire suite of Google products, including Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Drive. This is an excellent solution for companies that already use these tools.
Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 offers professional email addresses along with access to Office, which includes tools like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneDrive. This is a good solution for companies that are familiar with the Microsoft product. On the other hand, individuals can take advantage of Microsoft Family, in which mail is part of the service offered by Microsoft.
Proton Mail
For some time now, Proton Mail has been my favorite for many reasons. The service has come a long way since I had the pleasure of testing the preview over eight years ago. At the moment, it is a mature product that should be considered by anyone for whom security and data privacy are essential. In the near future, I intend to write a dedicated post devoted to this service because Proton is currently not only an e-mail but also VPN or network drive.
Zoho Mail
It’s part of Zoho Workplace, which offers a range of collaboration tools such as documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Zoho Mail provides dedicated email addresses with plenty of storage space.
The choice of email provider depends on your individual needs. Choosing Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 may be the easiest solution if you already use Google or Microsoft products. Zoho Mail may be a good choice if you are looking for an alternative. Remember that a professional email address is vital to building a professional online image, so it’s worth choosing the right provider.
Professional email address, how to choose the best provider?
The choice of email provider depends on many factors. Here are a few things to consider:
The cost of a professional email address
Different providers have different pricing models. Some offer free plans but with limitations such as less storage space. Others may offer paid plans with additional features. In some cases (Gmail) the currency is ourselves and our privacy. It is worth considering whether we sometimes want to sacrifice our privacy for free mail …
Functionality
Different email services offer additional features. Some may provide advanced email management tools such as spam filters, automatic replies, and integrations with other devices. Others can suggest us very good security and support for hardware 2FA keys, e.g. yubico. Otherwise, we may integrate with process automation platforms, e.g. Outlook and Power Automate.
Email security
Security is key, especially if you plan to send sensitive information by email. Ensure your provider offers robust security features like email encryption and spam protection. Needless to say, there are a lot of security measures to be taken on our side as well. Otherwise, the consequences can be unforeseen and very painful, as some politicians have found out in our country.
Customer service
A good email provider should offer reliable customer service. If something goes wrong, you want to make sure you get quick and effective help.
Professional email address and privacy
According to many reports, one of the better email providers is Google (Gmail). Unfortunately, anyone for whom privacy is essential must reckon with the fact that their e-mail content will be used to target ads.
Conclusion
Having a professional email address is crucial for any business. It helps build a professional image and facilitates the management and organization of your communication. Choosing the right email provider is an essential step in this process. We hope this post helped you understand what to look for when choosing an email provider.
