Who Should You Use for Email?

Email. You’re stuck with it. Like it, love it, or hate it. Email is part of your church plant. So what is the best email host for church planters? Choosing the right email hosting provider makes your life easier. Your decision can save you time and money. But there are tons of choices available. And most normal people have no idea how to make an informed decision. I work with lots of church plants, churches and businesses through Robby Fowler Design. I always set them up on Google Apps. And they always love it.

Here are 8 reasons why Google Apps is the best email host for church planters like you…(and churches, and businesses).

Two quick notes about email and Google Apps.

1. Here’s the difference between Google Apps email vs Gmail. Gmail is Google’s email solution for individuals. You can get a Gmail account for free. It always comes with a “gmail” address like “yourname@gmail.com”. Email with Google Apps functions just like Gmail except you use your own domain name like “yourname@churchdomain.com”. Unlike Gmail, Google Apps is a paid service.
2. An email host is NOT synonymous with your email app (the one you use to check your email). For example, Apple Mail or Outlook is an email app. Gmail, Zoho Mail, or your domain or website host like GoDaddy or Bluehost are examples of email hosts. Think of your email app like a car, and your email host like a grocery store. You can use different cars to go snag items from the grocery store.

8 Benefits of Google Apps for Email

Google Apps includes email hosting on their rock-solid platform. Google Apps also gives you additional apps, like Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and lots more. Enjoy these benefits of Google Apps for email.

1. It’s super cheap.

$5 per month, per user. And that includes all the apps in Google Apps suite (including email hosting). As a church planter, you look for every place to pinch and save. You’ve gone hunting for spare change under couch cushions and car seats before date night. This is way easier. (You won’t have to discard old cheerios, fruit chews, and french fries.) So why not save on email.

2. It’s super popular.

There are countless third-party apps that work with Google Apps email. You can easily find a third-party email app to access your email. For example, you can use Apple Mail to check your Google Apps if you prefer it over the native Gmail-like default experience. I’ve tried a ton of them. I’ll share a great one with you another time.

3. It’s safe.

Google is a tech behemoth. They are serious about safety. Their business depends on it. You get to take advantage of industry-leading two-step authentication and know you’re safe. You sleep well at night knowing personal info like your banking statements are secure. (I’ve talked about how to setup two-step authentication in the past.

4. It’s not ‘spammy’.

Google handles 1 qer-jillion-tera-tons of email. They do a fantastic job of sniffing out spam. You don’t get hot-and-bothered (or embarrassed) by spam because they weed it out for you. You won’t need fancy plugins or additional apps to do it for you.

5. It’s cutting-edge.

Not sure if you noticed or not, but Google, Apple, Microsoft, even Facebook…they’re all duking it out to be #1. This is great for consumers. Whether it’s security options or helpful new features, you know Google is forward-thinking.

6. It’s independent of your web host.

This is a common woe you can avoid. When you buy your domain name, you get hit with all kinds of add-on options. Church planters get enticed by the “want us to host your email for you?” add-on. Many domain name registrars and web hosts offer this service. The problem is, when you move registrars or web hosts in the future, you’ve got to find a new email host. That means you’ll have to change your settings in your email app. And so will others. That’s a major pain!

7. You get more storage space.

Google Apps comes with cloud storage. You get plenty of room to store files, attachments and more. Plus, if you are a ‘saver’, you can archive old email instead of deleting it. Then use Google’s powerful search features to find an old email you need when you need it. (Rather than, “Ooops, sorry IRS. I must have deleted that critical email proving my innocence.”)

8. You’ll need it for other services.

You’ll need your own domain-hosted email to use popular email marketing solutions like MailChimp. More and more, email marketing providers frown upon free email services like Gmail, Yahoo Mail or Hotmail. These free email services make it easy for spammers to create a free account and then use MailChimp to spam. This is not good for business. So MailChimp and others have clamped down on it.

9. You get Google Apps.

I won’t go into all details, but Google Apps is super-handy for church planters. There are so many ways to use Google Docs, Spreadsheets, and the like to make your life easier. No other email host comes with all these apps.

Summary

There are 9 reasons why Google Apps is the best email host for church planters. But how do you get all 9 benefits? Well, speaking of 9…

Get Help for $9

If you’re ready to make the switch to Google Apps, I’ve got great news. I put together a Google Apps Starter Kit to make setup a breeze. Grab the kit for $9. You’ll get screen shots and step-by-step instructions. In a few minutes, you’ll be all set—enjoying the benefits and saving money. Grab your copy today.