Plenty of good businesses still send quotes from a free Gmail or Outlook address. It works, but it costs you more than you might think, and an email address on your own domain is cheap to fix.
It looks more trustworthy
An email from info@yourbusiness.co.za tells the customer they are dealing with an established business. The same email from yourbusiness123@gmail.com makes some people hesitate, especially when you are asking them to pay an invoice. Fraudsters use free addresses because anyone can create one in a minute, and customers know it.
Your emails are more likely to reach the inbox
With your own domain, email records can be set up to prove that your messages really come from you. These records (called SPF, DKIM and DMARC) help Gmail, Outlook and other providers trust your mail, so your quotes and invoices land in the inbox instead of the spam folder. They also make it harder for someone to send fake emails pretending to be your business.
The address belongs to the business, not a person
When a staff member leaves, their mailbox can be handed to the person who replaces them, or forwarded to you, and your customers keep emailing the same address. With personal free accounts, the history and the contacts walk out the door with the employee.
It matches your website
Your website, your email and your business cards all show the same name. Customers remember one address, and every email you send reminds them where to find you online.
What you need
- a domain name, such as yourbusiness.co.za;
- email hosting, which gives you the mailboxes;
- the right DNS records, so mail is delivered and trusted.
Our web hosting package is R80 per month (excl. VAT) and includes five email accounts, 10GB of storage and a free SSL certificate for your website. Every Ketnal website package includes hosting and mailboxes too. We set up the records for you, and help you move your existing email across if you need to.
Ready to switch?
If you already have a domain, we can usually have your new mailboxes running within a few business days. Get in touch or call 032 586 0815.
