Imagine that your emails are adorable little creatures that you want to take care of. For them to be happy and grow into fruitful correspondences, they need... a home! That home is the email provider.
Wow, we really thought we were going somewhere with that metaphor... But you get the idea: the provider hosts your mailbox, so it's essential to choose the right one for optimal management of your email exchanges, in line with your specific needs.
Today, we'll explain in detail what an email provider is and how to choose one based on different criteria, such as security and cost!
The provider has three functions:
There are several reasons why you might want to find an email address provider. You may want to verify the credibility of a correspondent, disqualify a potential phishing attempt, or find out about the compatibility of two different email client systems...
Whatever your reason, there are two ways to find the provider of an email address.
Would you like to contact your email provider with specific questions or because you are experiencing technical problems?
Or you can check your previous correspondence: your provider will likely have provided you with a contact address or a link to customer support service in their communications.
Tip: as a professional, adding a professional email signature at the end of an email to your provider will emphasize the importance of your request. Your request will then be processed more quickly!
People often confuse providers with email software/services. However, although subtle, there is a difference between the two! You know us, we like to go into detail.
To return to the metaphor used in the introduction: if the provider is the house where your emails live, email software is the door that gives you access to that house so you can manage your emails.
It's a subtle distinction, we admit, but one that's good to know in order to navigate the virtual jungle!
Who doesn't love a good top 10 list? We don't know about you, but for us, it brings back memories of music video charts on our favorite channels during the halcyon days of the 90s...
But enough daydreaming, here are our top 10 best email providers!
It's no coincidence that American giant Microsoft and its Outlook solution are among the leaders in digital technology. With this email provider, you're choosing a reliable and secure service.
Pros of Microsoft Outlook:
Despite all these good points, Microsoft 365 has a few drawbacks. Starting with its interface, which can be quite complex, especially for new users. Another drawback is its multiple versions, some of which are quite old, which can create compatibility issues.
Google Workspace is no slouch when it comes to productivity and email management either! Smooth usability and good tool integration are among its strengths.
Pros of Google Workspace:
However, it should be noted that the Google Workspace admin console can be difficult to use at first. Furthermore, dependence on Google can be a problem for companies that are particularly sensitive about data protection.
In third place in our top email providers is Zoho, which is very popular with small business owners and freelancers for its good value for money.
Pros of Zoho:
In addition to these undeniable advantages, Zoho may be criticized for its less intuitive interface and slightly less user-friendly tools. This provider may also cause compatibility issues with other tools. Finally, although Zoho's basic prices are attractive, costs can quickly rise as you choose more advanced features.
When it comes to security, Proton is one of the favorites. This host focuses its offering on protecting user data.
Pros of Proton include:
The first significant drawback of Proton is its limited storage space, especially in its free versions. In addition, its interface is less intuitive to use than that of its competitors. Finally, its relatively high cost may be off-putting for some users, particularly freelancers and small business owners.
The fifth candidate in our top 10, German provider Tutao and its Tutanota email solution stand out for their excellent level of security and friendly interface, among other things. But that's not all!
Pros of choosing Tutao:
Before choosing Tutao as your provider, be aware that it offers very limited cloud storage space in its free version (only 1 GB). In addition, the host does not support IMAP and POP protocols, which inevitably affects compatibility with other email client applications.
Looking for a provider that shares your eco-friendly values? Choose Infomaniak. This Swiss company has developed an environmentally friendly solution.
Pros of Infomaniak:
Because nobody's perfect, Infomaniak also has its flaws. First, its offering is generally more expensive than its competitors. Second, the provider does not offer free domain names, which means users have to purchase their own domain name. Finally, some users have reported a few navigation issues on its interfaces, including long loading times.
The German group 1&1 IONOS, which is quite popular in Europe, also has a few tricks up its sleeve:
Pros include:
On the downside, this host offers relatively unresponsive customer support. In addition, website transfers are subject to a fee, which is not the case with most hosts.
The American company with the famous cheerful logo has been offering a powerful and comprehensive email service since the 1990s, and it's not about to stop there!
Pros of Yahoo include its modern interface design, but also:
The downside for Yahoo: you have to upgrade to the paid version to get rid of ads. It's a little annoying when the same ad for plain yogurt pops up on your screen for the 501st time...
If you're someone who is 100% French in everything you do, even down to your socks, you're going to be happy: there is a provider offering a mail solution hosted and developed in France. That provider is Mail Object.
Pros of Mail Object:
Mail Object certainly has many advantages (cocorico!), but there are a few minor flaws to consider. Starting with its relative anonymity: because it is not well known, it may generate some mistrust among your correspondents, especially in a professional context.
To counteract this effect, put your writing skills to good use! Here's how to write an effective and impactful professional email.
Readdle is a Ukrainian company that has gained momentum in recent years thanks to its effective mobile productivity apps and well-designed email solution.
Pros of Readdle:
Readdle's main issue: its email and productivity solutions are only available on Apple devices. This email client should be avoided if you work on a PC/Windows or Android device. The provider has also been criticized for switching to an annual subscription model for its apps.
When choosing an email provider, security is often a priority, especially in a professional context. Your company's sensitive information deserves the best protection!
Email encryption is one of the best indicators of a provider's security level.
This technology provides:
Among the email providers using this technology, Proton stands out as the most effective.
The provider offers end-to-end encryption of emails, and only the recipient with a private key can access the content. Proton's servers also do not have access to the email.
What's more, Proton's data centers are based in Switzerland, where strong privacy laws are particularly strict.
Has our top 10 list of the best providers not helped you make a choice? Then here's another top 10: criteria to consider when selecting your email host!
Whether you want to protect your company's sensitive data or your family secret for an unforgettable Bolognese sauce, the level of security of your email account is one of the most important criteria to consider.
Dozens, sometimes hundreds, of emails travel from one server to another every week. These are a goldmine of information for hackers and a gateway for malware. Protecting your correspondence is essential for peace of mind.
Essential security features include email encryption (see above), strong authentication, and good spam filtering. All these measures will protect your correspondence from cyberattacks and other phishing attempts.
As you will have seen in the first part of this article, there are a myriad of free email programs available with all the tools you need for smooth and productive communication.
That said, upgrading to the paid version can have many advantages, especially for professionals. No ads, advanced features, a wider choice of online work tools, and enhanced security are all useful features when working in a business environment.
When choosing your provider, take a look at the prices and the services included in each package. In any case, the prices are very reasonable, ranging from $3 to $20 per month for the most comprehensive packages.
When you're a professional, messages quickly pile up in your inbox, between follow-up emails, customer follow-ups, and exchanges between colleagues. For unlimited, bug-free use, opt for an inbox with large cloud storage capacity.
Make sure your email account has enough storage space for your emails and attachments. Most email services now include cloud storage, which increases the amount of space available in addition to local storage.
For your information, the free email accounts offering the most cloud storage space are Yahoo Mail (1 TB), GMX (65 GB), Outlook, and Gmail (both 15 GB).
No one wants to spend hours searching for different features in their email inbox. To save time and minimize effort, make sure your email client interface is easy to navigate.
A simple, clear design, easy-to-find features, and consistent navigation paths are non-negotiable for a smooth, hassle-free experience.
Here again, Outlook and Gmail stand out for their intuitive yet comprehensive friendly interface, which is suitable for both beginners and experts.
A simple and clear email service is good. An email service with useful advanced features and integrated into a suite of tools is better!
Choose an email account that has all the essential email features you need for your professional and personal communications. These features include the ability to set up an out-of-office message, email forwarding, and an email signature. Speaking of which, find out how to choose the right email signature format.
An email account linked to various other online work tools is a must for professionals. Think about calendars, video conferencing applications, and online file processing, which will allow you to switch from one task to another at lightning speed.
If you have multiple email accounts (for example, a personal account and a work account) with different providers (e.g., Gmail, Outlook, and ProtonMail), opting for a compatible email account will make your life much easier.
An email service that uses standard email protocols (IMAP, POP, and SMTP) allows you to centralize all your emails in the same account. It also facilitates the integration of third-party work tools such as CRM or calendars.
Among the most interoperable mailboxes, Outlook and Thunderbird clearly stand out from their competitors.
Whether you change your email address or provider, you may one day need to migrate your emails, contacts, and data from one mailbox to another.
When choosing your new mailbox, make sure it facilitates the migration process. Some software includes its own automatic migration tool. This is the case with ProtonMail, Outlook, and Gmail, for example.
When you create an email address, the domain name (the part of the address after the @) is often the default name of the email service. For example, on Gmail, the domain name will be "x@gmail.com.".
However, a custom domain name can make all the difference in the professional sphere, contributing to stronger, more consistent communication that is aligned with your brand image.
If you create a professional email account, check that your email provider allows you to create your own domain name. To do this, you will probably need to purchase your domain name before connecting it to your email service.
To be able to manage your emails on the subway, at a restaurant, or from a paradise beach in Puerto Rico, an email account with a mobile app is a must.
The app should be easy to use and guaranteed bug-free, even when there is little network coverage. This allows you to remain responsive and professional, wherever you are.
And remember: a mobile app doesn't have to mean a loss of features! Choose an app with all the tools you need, such as a calendar and smart email search, plus the ability to handle large attachments on the go.
Imagine you break down in the middle of nowhere and there's no garage around to help you... All you can do is get out the jack and use your (limited) knowledge of changing tires, or walk 10 kilometers in the rain to the next town.
Not a great situation...
To avoid virtual breakdowns and endless digital wanderings, be sure to choose a messaging service with responsive customer support. A chatbot that provides access to frequently asked questions (e.g., how to delete a sent email... oops), as well as a phone number for direct assistance, are a must.
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Now you have all the information you need to choose the right email provider! We wish you successful and secure correspondence.
Yes, with the 'Campaigns' offer, it is possible to track the number of clicks on the email signatures of all your employees in the 'Statistics' area of the platform.
You can then access a detailed or global view of the number of clicks on the email signatures of each employee. You can use the search option to target a specific signature or a given period. Finally, you have the possibility to export all statistics to an Excel document.
If you launch campaigns with banners inserted in your email signatures, you can also access their performance via this same space.
With Letsignit, you can easily add social network icons in your collaborators' email signatures and link to your company pages. Also, our "attributes" feature allows you to manage personalized URLs for each of your collaborators such as their individual LinkedIn profile.
And that's not all: you can add links to an appointment-setting application, allow your customers to leave reviews easily, and integrate our 'Chat on Teams' widget to let anyone start a discussion via Microsoft Teams chat.
It’s up to you! As an administrator of the Letsignit platform, you choose whether or not to grant modification rights to your employees. These permissions are managed on an attribute-by-attribute basis, which means that you can decide to allow the employee to change their phone number, but not the address of your premises, for example.
This feature applies to all attributes in your directory, including custom attributes created on Letsignit. When your employees change one or more attributes, your directory is obviously not affected.
It often happens that employees make their email signature their own: custom format, bad fonts, colors inconsistent with the brand standards... all of this has an impact on your brand!
A consistent visual identity is considered authentic and outperforms a perceived weak one by 20%. And, your customers are 2.4 times more likely to buy your products.
With Letsignit, take back control over your brand identity by standardizing all your email signatures. Our tool has many features that allow you to customize your signatures by department, by audience or by subsidiary. Not to mention the possibility of carrying out campaigns within your email signatures thanks to our Campaign offer.
What is the user experience like for our employees?
In both cases:
In short, they have autonomy in their email signature, but you keep control on the field, signatures, and banners they can edit or use.
With our "multi-signature" feature, your employees can benefit from multiple email signatures. No technical manipulation is required. Thanks to our Add-in for Outlook or the desktop app, they can change their email signatures as they wish with just a few clicks.
Regarding the creation of email signatures, you can make several variations such as:
Everything has been thought of to go further in the personalization process based on the recipient of your emails.
If sending emails has an impact, non-optimized email signatures also have an impact. An unsuitable format or an image that is too heavy considerably increases the size of your signatures... and therefore, your emails.
As a responsible economic actor, we contribute to reducing our CO2 emissions and those of our customers in several ways:
As we are increasingly involved in sustainability initiatives, our priority in 2023 is to develop even more green IT functionality.
If sending emails has an impact, non-optimized email signatures also have an impact. An unsuitable format or an image that is too heavy considerably increases the size of your signatures... and therefore, your emails.
As a responsible economic actor, we contribute to reducing our CO2 emissions and those of our customers in several ways:
As we are increasingly involved in sustainability initiatives, our priority in 2023 is to develop even more green IT functionality.
It all depends on your expectations! You should choose your email account based on your specific needs. For example, if you're looking for an email service that prioritizes security, Proton is definitely the best choice. On the other hand, if you mainly need an email service that's integrated into an ecosystem with a wide range of professional online tools, you might want to go with Outlook or Gmail.
Among the most widely used and secure free providers, Outlook, Gmail, and Proton stand out. As we saw above, however, ProtonMail is the undisputed winner when it comes to security! Each offers a robust free plan with different strengths for small business and personal use.
To create a free email address, simply go to the website or app (desktop or mobile) of one of the providers listed above and create an account. You will usually be given the option to choose a free plan when you sign up. Pay attention to the subject line format requirements and available customization options.
Gmail is provided by Google, a leader in IT technology. Google offers extensive cloud storage, integration with Google Drive, and comprehensive customer support for both personal and business users.
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