Email Hosting: What It Is and Why It Is Important for Your Domain

Someone told you that you need email hosting for your new business. 

And you nodded along, but you’re not entirely sure what that means or why you can’t just use your Gmail account.

Then you tried to send a proposal from [email protected] and the client asked if your business is actually legitimate. 

That’s when you realized free email doesn’t signal professionalism.

I’ve explained email hosting to hundreds of Canadian business owners starting their first company. 

That means breaking down technical concepts for people who understand their business but not necessarily technology.

It is simpler than it sounds. Here’s what it actually means and why your business needs it.

What is Email Hosting?

Email hosting is a service that manages email for your custom domain. Instead of using [email protected], you get [email protected].

A hosting provider handles the technical infrastructure that stores, sends, and receives your business email.

Email hosting lets you have professional email addresses that match your business name. Your email provider handles all the technical work behind the scenes.

The email hosting provider maintains mail servers, manages storage, handles spam filtering, and ensures your email stays online 24/7.

Why Businesses Need Email Hosting

Professional credibility: [email protected] looks like an established business. [email protected] looks like a side project or personal email.

Brand consistency:  Email addresses matching your domain reinforce your brand every time you communicate with clients.

Control over your email: You own your domain. If you switch email providers, you keep your email addresses. Gmail addresses belong to Google.

Multiple employee accounts:  Email hosting lets you create accounts for your entire team using consistent addresses like [email protected],or [email protected].

Better deliverability to corporate clients: Business email hosting improves email deliverability to corporate mail servers. Free email often gets filtered.

Email Hosting vs. Free Email Services

Free Email like Gmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo are usually characterized as:

• Free to use
• Generic addresses such as [email protected]
• Limited storage
• No custom branding
• Good for personal use
• Unprofessional for business

Business Email Hosting is usually characterized by :

• Monthly cost per user
• Custom domain addresses ([email protected])
• More storage
• Professional appearance
• Better support
• Essential for serious businesses

What Email Hosting Providers Actually Do

Maintain mail servers: Physical computers that store and process your email run 24/7. Providers handle hardware, updates, and monitoring.

Store your email: All your sent and received messages live on servers your hosting provider manages and backs up.

Send and receive messages:  Mail servers communicate with other email systems worldwide to deliver your messages and receive incoming mail.

Filter spam: Email hosting includes spam filtering so junk mail doesn’t flood your inbox.

Provide email access: You access email through webmail interfaces, desktop programs such as Outlook, Apple Mail, or mobile apps.

Ensure deliverability: Providers configure authentication like SPF, DKIM, DMARC so your emails reach recipients’ inboxes instead of spam folders.

Types of Email Hosting

Basic Email Hosting: Just email, no extra features. Services like Truehost Canada, Zoho Mail, FastMail. Best for email-only needs.

Email + Collaboration (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365): Email plus document editing, video meetings, file storage. More expensive but includes productivity tools.

Email with Web Hosting:  Many web hosting plans include email. Works for small businesses but email is often less reliable than dedicated email hosting.

Enterprise Email: Advanced features for large organizations. Enhanced security, compliance, unlimited storage. Expensive and complex.

How Much Email Hosting Costs

Basic email hosting: $1-6 CAD per user monthly. Gets you professional email addresses without extra features.

Mid-range options are such as Google Workspace, Microsoft 365: $7-17 CAD per user monthly. Includes collaboration tools alongside email.

Premium business email: $20+ CAD per user monthly. Advanced features for large organizations or specific compliance requirements.

Most Canadian small businesses spend $3-8 per user monthly on email hosting. It’s a small investment for professional credibility.

Email Hosting Requirements

Custom domain: You need to own a domain like yourcompany.ca before you can have custom email addresses. Domains cost $15-30 annually.

DNS access: You’ll need to add DNS records your email provider gives you. Most domain registrars make this straightforward.

Email client or webmail: You’ll access email through webmail (browser-based), desktop programs like Outlook, Apple Mail, or mobile apps.

That’s it. There is no technical expertise required. Email providers handle the complex parts.

Setting Up Email Hosting: The Process

1) Choose an email hosting provider: Pick a provider that fits your needs and budget.

2) Verify domain ownership: Provider confirms you own the domain you want to use for email.

3) Add DNS records: Copy records your provider gives you, paste into your domain settings. It takes 5-10 minutes.

4) Wait for DNS propagation: Changes take 1-24 hours to spread worldwide. Usually works within a few hours.

5) Create email accounts: Set up email addresses for yourself and employees.

6) Configure email clients: Set up email on computers and phones using settings your provider supplies.

Most providers offer setup assistance. The process takes 30-60 minutes total, spread over a day or two while DNS updates.

Email Hosting for Different Business Types

Sole proprietors/freelancers: Basic email hosting like Truehost, Zoho Mail provides professional email at lowest cost.

Small teams between 2-10 people: Basic or mid-range hosting depending on collaboration needs. Most choose basic email plus separate tools for documents.

Growing companies between 10-50 employees: Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 makes sense when collaboration tools justify the cost.

Larger organizations of 50+ employees: Enterprise email with advanced features, compliance tools, and dedicated support.

Common Email Hosting Mistakes

Choosing web host for email: Web hosting that includes email often provides unreliable email service. Use dedicated email hosting for business-critical email.

Skipping email authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records improve deliverability. Set them up even if optional.

Using one email account for multiple people: Create separate accounts for each employee. Sharing accounts creates security and management problems.

Ignoring backup importance: Email hosting should include backups. Verify backups exist and test restoration occasionally.

Choosing cheapest option without checking quality: Poor email hosting costs more in downtime and missed communications than savings from low prices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need email hosting if I have Gmail?

If you run a business, yes. Professional custom email like [email protected] signals credibility free Gmail can’t match. Keep Gmail for personal use.

Can I use free email hosting?

Free email hosting exists but comes with limitations such as storage caps, ads, and limited support. For business use, paid hosting sits between $3-6/month per user and it provides reliability worth the investment.

What’s the difference between email hosting and web hosting?

Web hosting stores your website files. Email hosting manages your email. Some web hosts include email, but dedicated email hosting typically provides better email service.

How many email addresses can I have?

Depends on your plan. Most business plans let you create unlimited addresses or enough for your entire team at no extra cost per address.

What happens if my email hosting company goes out of business?

Your domain is separate from email hosting. If your provider closes, you switch to a new provider using your existing domain. Your email addresses stay the same.

Final Recommendation

Email hosting means having professional email addresses using your business domain instead of free email services. 

It’s essential for business credibility, costs $3-6 per user monthly for basic service, and takes minimal time to set up.

For most Canadian small businesses: Start with basic email hosting like Truehost Canada, Zoho Mail, FastMail. You get professional email at lowest cost without paying for collaboration features you may not need.

But for teams needing collaboration tools: Choose Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. Email plus productivity tools in one package justifies higher cost when you use the additional features.

Don’t let technical terminology prevent you from getting professional business email. 

The concept is straightforward: pay a small monthly fee to have email addresses that match your business name. Your email provider handles all the technical complexity.