A Better Option for Domain Email…and Why That Matters

Domain email is addressed to your domain name instead of a third-party service (like @gmail or @yahoo).

For example, heather@authorcompany.com and heather@oxblaze.com are both addressed to my domains.

A third-party email address (like @gmail) is easy to get and use, but there are several reasons for having domain email too. Some benefits are non-technical (professionalism, branding, credibility) and some are technical (improved function, security, and email deliverability.)

That’s right…sending your author newsletters through an email service provider (like MailerLite) from a domain email address (like heather@authorcompany.com) will improve the percentage of subscribers that successfully receive your emails in their inbox.

See image below.

Use Domain Email When Sending Newsletters

Here’s a screenshot of MailerLite, showing the email address my newsletters come from. Before allowing me to send from authorcompany.com, MailerLite verified the domain. This security feature helps to minimize spam.

Most internet service providers and email applications flag suspicious content and senders. Using a verified domain to send your newsletters helps you to get through those gates and land in your subscriber’s inbox.

Domain Email and Websites

Your website host may offer email inboxes for free or as an add-on service. Some may facilitate/integrate a third-party email host, like Gmail, and others may simply say, Sorry…we don’t do email.

After almost 20 years of designing / developing websites, I’ve learned the hard way that it’s better to host your domain email separate from your website. I won’t go into the reasons today but suffice to say it will save you headaches down the road and improve your website’s function and efficiency.

How to Get Domain Email

If you don’t have email at your domain and you’d like to, or if your email is currently hosted on your website server, you may want to consider finding an email hosting service. Google (Gmail) is one of the more popular options, but it’s pricey.

Google will host your @mydomain email for a fee. Hosted domain email starts at $6/month for one email address. Add additional email addresses (contact@mydomain, myname@mydomain, newsletter@mydomain…) and that cost really starts to stack up.

TRY ZOHO MAIL INSTEAD

Benefits of Zoho Mail

As an option, I’ve been directing my clients to Zoho mail. If you’re not a Google Office Suite power user and you’re looking for a cheaper option for your domain hosted email, you might want to give Zoho Mail a look.

Here’s some information to consider.

  • Pricing and Options
    Pricing starts at $1/month per email address. If you’re looking for the best value, I’d upgrade the Mail Lite plan to 10GB storage at a price of $1.25/month per address. They also offer expanded business tools with email plans starting at $3/month with 30GB storage per user and 10GB storage drive.

    Learn more at Email and Workplace.
  • Groovy App
    Zoho has an app for your phone or tablet. You can access your email there, or add your Zoho hosted email account to your Outlook application or Apple Mail. (They have a terrific webmail interface too!)
  • Setup
    There is a bit of setup required to host your domain email with an email hosting service. You will need access to your website host so you can configure and verify your email settings. Zoho has a guide to walk you through the steps.
  • Email Backup
    If you already have domain email set up, you’ll need to create a backup before you migrate to Zoho. Backups are always recommended when you update anything, but don’t get nervous. Zoho has a migration tool to copy your email from the old server to the new, and it works fantastically! (Email migration can be a nightmare, but Zoho’s easy tool was a welcome and much appreciated surprise.)
  • My Personal Experience with Zoho
    I have a client who was having constant email issues so we switched from website-hosted email to Zoho six months ago. Since then, it’s been smooth sailing. My only other experience with a third-party email hosting provider was Rackspace, and I wasn’t impressed. So far, Zoho has been a treat.

In Closing

As always, do your own due diligence when evaluating options. There are other third-party email hosts aside from Zoho and Gmail, and each has their own selling points. If you’re not happy with what you currently have, don’t feel like you’re locked in. You can explore the various products and find one that’s a better fit for your needs.

(I don’t receive any affiliate commissions for this recommendation. I’m simply passing along a service I find useful.)

Got comments or questions? Shoot me an email or comment in the Facebook Group.