Nosotros apply a multitude of different SaaS products here at Kinsta to proceed everything running smoothly behind the scenes and to improve the productivity of our squad. One production that nosotros couldn't alive without is definitely Google Workspace! Nosotros aren't agape to come right out and say it's by far the best e-mail solution on the market right now for your business concern. 👍 Not to mention the other features that it comes with, such as Google Drive storage and tools such every bit Google Docs and Google Sheets.

Today nosotros'll dive into the unparalleled benefits of Google Workspace (formerly Chiliad Suite), why we use it and recommend it to all of our clients, and how information technology compares to other similar solutions on the market.

  • What is Google Workspace?
  • Unparalleled Benefits of Google Workspace
  • Google Workspace vs Office 365 vs Zoho
  • Disadvantages of Google Workspace
  • How to Move to Google Workspace
  • Google Workspace Tips

What is Google Workspace?

Google Workspace is Google'southward suite of intelligent apps. This was formerly known as Google Apps, till it was re-branded in tardily 2016. We primarily recommend Google Workspace for clients that are needing e-mail hosting for their business. However, Google Workspace is much more than just email. Information technology also includes a variety of apps and features that can come in quite handy. In fact, you're probably already using or are familiar with some of them.

Features We Utilize on a Daily Basis

Google Workspace has three different plans you can use (of which we'll dive into a lilliputian later on). Nosotros utilize the Basic Google Workspace plan for our employees hither at Kinsta. This starts at just $v/user/calendar month. For many of y'all, the basic plan is probably all you'll always need. Here's what information technology includes:

Gmail

According to Litmus, Gmail leads the mode every bit the most pop electronic mail client, with a whopping 26% of the market share based on open rates. It's no surprise as Gmail has been around since 2004 and at present boasts over one.2 billion users. One of the best things almost Google Workspace is you lot basically get an enhanced advert-free version of the online email client you're probably already using.

Gmail

Google Workspace essentially allows your employees to have their own Gmail accounts with email addresses with your business domain name (case: [email protected]). A very pocket-sized business with 1 or two users might exist able to go away with free Gmail accounts and some alias+forwarding rules. Simply in one case you start hiring 2 or three employees, you'll find yourself needing accounts that can be managed separately.

Google Workspace Gmail custom domain
Gmail custom domain

Google Calendar

None of us here at Kinsta could live without Google Agenda. Many of us rely on it for scheduling calls with clients and setting due dates and reminders for of import projects. Google Calendar can help you keep your schedule organized.

G Suite Google Calendar

One of the great things about using Google Agenda in Google Workspace is the ability to create multiple calendars that are accessible to everyone in your visitor (or even a subset of users). For example, you might want a group agenda for events like squad holidays and regular meetings. Having all your employees attached to the same organization makes tasks like these even easier when compared to the complimentary version.

Google Calendar
Google Calendar

Google Bulldoze

Google Drive allows yous to store, access, and share your files in one secure identify. You then take piece of cake admission to them from any device. Google Workspace Basic plans come with 30GB of storage for every employee. Google Workspace's Business, Enterprise, and Teams editions provide unlimited storage and so you will e'er accept plenty space for your files. Annotation: If you're a smaller team with fewer than 5 users, you lot just get 1TB/user.

G Suite Google Drive

If you haven't used Google Drive before, one of the all-time things we similar about it is the amazing search functionality! Although, it's probably non too surprising seeing as they likewise run the largest search engine in the world. Did you know that y'all tin search based on the content within a document (regardless of the file name)? Pretty handy. This means you can hands discover what you're looking for, no matter how disorganized you are. 😉

Google Drive search
Google Bulldoze search

The paid version of Google Drive gives y'all twice the storage of your complimentary personal bulldoze and Gmail, 24/vii support, sharing controls, and advanced reporting.

Google Docs and Google Sheets

Google Docs and Google Sheets pretty much speak for themselves and again are tools we employ every single solar day. You lot can even import Google Docs into WordPress. These allow you lot to create and edit text documents and spreadsheets right in your browser. Import your documents to make them instantly editable, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PDF files (.docx, .physician, .pdf, .rtf, .txt, xlsx, .csv, .html, .ods). As of February 2018, you can now even collaborate and comment on Microsoft Office files without it having to automatically catechumen to Google'due south format.

You can also export to common third-party formats. This makes information technology piece of cake to collaborate with other individuals or companies and send files back and forth, without always needing to install or purchase additional software.

Note: Google Docs and Spreadsheets created directly in Google Workspace don't count towards your storage limit. 👍

G Suite Google Docs and Google Sheets

Here are just a few of the common tasks we employ them for:

  • Getting feedback and comments from team members on new website content.
  • Working with guest bloggers on content for our web log.
  • Sending content to others when writing on third-political party sites. We've never had anyone in the past couple years asking a Word document, everyone e'er requests a Google Physician. Why? Because it's just super simple and easy to apply.
  • Crunching spreadsheet data from Ahrefs exports.
  • Running quick fiscal figures.
  • Keeping rail of PPC budgets and online ad re-create variations.
  • Analyzing CTR changes equally it pertains to SERPs.
  • Writing up content for paid sponsorships (WordCamps).

Ane of the best features of Google Docs and Spreadsheets is the real-fourth dimension commenting and unlimited versions. Previous versions are kept indefinitely and they don't count toward your storage. This makes it super easy to track changes made to a certificate or undo a mistake. Sharing documents with your coworkers or other individuals is also incredibly easy.

Google Docs versions
Google Docs versions

Google Keep

Google Keep seems to be ane of those well-kept secrets that nobody knows nearly. If y'all're looking for a basic Evernote alternative, Google Go on rocks! This is a great little tool regardless of whether or non yous're using Google Workspace. Being a Google product, it works flawlessly inside the Google ecosystem.

G Suite Google Keep

It can be an easy way to keep those oftentimes asked questions you get from customers in a convenient identify. Create to-do lists, notes, and fix reminders to stay on rails. Everything syncs across your devices, and then what'due south important is always in reach. Hands share them with your team and archive them when you're washed. And one time once again Google's search works flawlessly with it.

Google Keep
Google Keep

Google Workspace Admin Console

The Admin console for Google Workspace allows business organisation owners easily manage everything from one single identify. It got an overhaul recently and is a lot ameliorate than information technology was previously with Google Apps.

G Suite Admin

Do everything from adding new users and groups, manage devices, configure security settings (similar 2-factor authentication), add together new custom domains for your business which can exist used for Gmail.

Google Workspace admin console
Google Workspace admin console

Near, if not all of the features in Google Workspace have to be enabled by the ambassador in order to be used. Some of these are also simply available in higher plans. If a feature is not enabled and a user tries to access it, they'll encounter a "not available" bulletin (as seen beneath).

Google Workspace not available
Google Workspace not available

Additional Features

Here are some additional features that nosotros don't use at Kinsta very often, but y'all might be interested in:

  • Google Conversation: Have you heard of Slack? The Google Chat is basically Google's new competing tool. It'due south a dedicated group workspace with 1:1 chat and group chat.  You can brand conversations more than efficient past interacting straight with securely integrated Google bots and 3rd party apps. Google chat is included for gratis with all Google Workspace plans.
  • Google Meet: Nosotros adopt Zoom or Slack video chat ourselves here at Kinsta, simply Google Meet nevertheless makes video calls and conferencing a breeze. See is fully integrated with Google Workspace, so yous can join meetings directly from a Calendar event or electronic mail invite. If you're running the Enterprise version of Google Workspace, you can likewise accept advantage of dial-in numbers for when people are on the route or possibly without internet admission.
  • Google Forms: Most of you lot have probably all filled out a Google Form earlier. While we adopt to use other applications for this, preferably branded forms in our WordPress site, it tin can be an incredibly quick and easy way to gather data.
  • Google Slides: Want a decent alternative to Microsoft Powerpoint? Google Slides is but that. Just similar with their other products yous tin can take reward of their real-fourth dimension collaboration and commenting, as well as unlimited version history.
  • Google Sites: We don't recommend using Google Sites as WordPress is much better for this. Check out the reasons why you should use WordPress.
  • Endpoint Management: If yous're worried most an employee's device getting stolen, don't. That is what Endpoint Management is for. Hands enable this every bit an admin and remotely wipe Google Workspace information from devices if needed.

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Additional Features for Google Workspace Business and Enterprise Users

Information technology's also important to make a note of the additional features in Google Workspace Business and Enterprise plans. If yous're a bigger business organization and rely on email heavily, these can help ease some of your worries.

  • Cloud Search: Want to take search capabilities in Google Workspace even further? The Cloud Search feature allows you to search across your company'southward content in Google Workspace. From Gmail and Bulldoze to Docs, Sheets, Slides, Calendar, and more.
  • Vault: Y'all can never have too many backups. Vault allows you to manage, retain, search, and export your organization's email, Google Drive file content and on-the-record chats. Basically, you can archive all your information and prepare memory policies.

Unparalleled Benefits of Google Workspace

While all those features to a higher place are bang-up, now information technology's time to dive into some of the real benefits of using Google Workspace for your business organization.

Google Workspace Logo

Hosting Email With Tertiary-Party Is Ever Recommended

It's never recommended to host your email with the same company you utilize for WordPress hosting. That's why we don't and will never offer electronic mail hosting to our clients (other than possibly a Google Workspace add together-on down the road in MyKinsta. 🤫) We go into great item about the reasons here. Only we'll requite you a quick summary of why beneath:

  1. If y'all utilise your host, you're tied to IP addresses that your host has configured for approachable electronic mail. If something goes wrong with that, such as a client of a sudden spamming, there is a gamble the IP accost could get blacklisted for spam. So you lot're suddenly left hanging with no control.
  2. One of the biggest downfalls to relying on your WordPress host for emails is deliverability issues. With Google Workspace, yous can authenticate outbound mail service using DKIM and SPF records which tin can positively affect your spam rating.
  3. Sending emails via your WordPress host could potentially result in server resource problems. Past offloading electronic mail to a 3rd-political party, particularly Google Workspace, you'll never have to worry about this.
  4. Spreading services across multiple providers is always a good affair. We always recommend separating DNS (we include Amazon Route 53 DNS for all clients), WordPress hosting, and email. This mode if annihilation goes incorrect with one, your e-mail is always flowing. Most likely your DNS will even so route regardless, simply past using multiple providers you tin guarantee this.

So as you lot tin can run into, going with a third-party for e-mail hosting is actually beneficial to your business organization.

Caveats (Transactional and Marketing Emails)

While Google Workspace accounts don't take an SMTP limit, for those of yous sending thousands of emails every calendar month, we generally don't recommend them for sending bulk emails or transactional emails (purchases, registering, resetting a countersign, etc). Yous tin read the laundry list of their majority sender guidelines. For these types of emails we recommend the following transactional electronic mail services:

Mailgun transactional email service
Mailgun
  • Mailgun
  • SendGrid
  • SparkPost
  • Mailjet
  • Amazon SES

If you're small and simply starting out, don't worry near your transaction emails until you showtime sending out large volumes. Yous can get started with just Google Workspace for everything and be just fine. Also, some of the providers like Mailgun above, let you send 10,000 transactional emails per month for complimentary. So in a lot of cases, this doesn't take to be an extra expense. And additional emails after that are pennies to send. Read more than near transactional emails, SMTP ports, and free SMPT servers for WordPress.

You and then have marketing emails, such as newsletters. The same matter applies here. Typically you lot'll want to use a third-political party provider due to meliorate deliverability rates and tools for list building, A/B testing, etc. Here's a few we recommend:

MailChimp email marketing software
MailChimp
  • MailChimp (we utilize them here at Kinsta for our weekly newsletter – here is our guide on how to get started with MailChimp)
  • MailerLite
  • Drip
  • ActiveCampaign
  • AWeber
  • GetResponse

Some of the transactional providers in a higher place also handle marketing emails and mention that on their sites. So in some cases, you could always combine your transactional e-mail service and email marketing software. Read more than near email marketing software.

Familiar, Compatible, and Easy to Utilise

One of the greatest benefits of going with Google Workspace for your business is that near of your employees are probably already used to using products similar Gmail for email and Google Docs. This makes the transition super piece of cake and ensures you don't have to waste time explaining to new hires how to utilise visitor tools; unlike Zoho or Office 365 where there might be more explanation needed.

Google Workspace also has the best compatibility on mobile devices compared to whatsoever other email provider. It only works, everywhere!

And if you already have a personal Gmail account, Google makes it super piece of cake to ane-click switch between accounts (personal Gmails and Google Workspace accounts).

Google Workspace switch accounts
Google Workspace switch accounts

Uptime

When it comes to uptime, Google is one of the best when it comes to reliability. If you lot want to dig into the technical details, Google Workspace offers a 99.nine% Service Level Agreement (SLA) for covered services, and in recent years they've actually exceeded that. Besides due to the fact that email is such an important function of every business concern, Google Workspace has no scheduled downtime or maintenance windows. All of their information centers are built with redundant infrastructure.

But just like any service, they tin can never be up 100% of the fourth dimension. Therefore, yous can always bookmark the Google Workspace status dashboard for updates on all of their products.

Google Workspace status dashboard

Google Workspace Isn't The Cheapest, But It's Extremely Affordable

There are other providers out there that are cheaper, such equally Zoho (we'll dive into a comparison farther below). However, just like we e'er recommend you invest in managed WordPress hosting, your business email is not one of those areas you should try to save a buck. Having an electronic mail host that you can rely on tin can save y'all money down the road.

Hither'due south a await at Google Workspace's pricing and what's included in each plan.

Google Workspace Business Starter

Google Workspace Business Standard

Google Workspace Business Plus

$6/user/month $12/user/month $xviii/user/month
Concern electronic mail through Gmail Business organisation e-mail through Gmail Business e-mail through Gmail + eDiscovery, retention
100 participant video meetings 150 participant video meetings + recording 250 participant video meetings + recording, attendance tracking
Shared calendars Shared calendars Shared calendars
Docs, Spreadsheets, Slides Docs, Spreadsheets, Slides Docs, Spreadsheets, Slides
24/7 support (phone, email online) 24/7 support (phone, email online – Enhanced Support upgrade available) 24/7 support (phone, e-mail online – Enhanced Back up upgrade available)
Security admin controls Security admin controls Enhanced security admin controls, including Vault and advanced endpoint management
thirty GB cloud storage per user ii TB deject storage per user 5 TB cloud storage per user
Cloud search Cloud search
Vault (archive and retention) Vault (archive and retentiveness)
Inspect reports Audit reports
Data loss prevention (Gmail + Bulldoze)
Hosted S/MIME for Gmail
Gmail tertiary-political party archiving
Enterprise-form security
Gmail log analysis

Here are some quick estimations for you:

  • For five employees y'all're looking at $30/month
  • For 10 employees you lot're looking at $60/calendar month
  • For 15 employees you lot're looking at $90/calendar month

For everything that Google Workspace includes, that's a pretty great deal and kind of a no-brainer!

You can also opt-in to a discounted rate by switching to an annual subscription. An annual subscription offers savings of up to twenty% more than the standard monthly subscription. The great office is you can however be billed monthly on the almanac subscription if you prefer.

Google Workspace Is as Secure as Information technology Gets

Google Workspace is built on superlative of Google Cloud Platform, which offers the highest security on the market. It's trusted by some of the biggest companies in the earth; such as HP, Verizon, Whirlpool, and Salesforce. Equally Google says, they are leading with a "security-first mindset." They have industry-leading knowledge and expertise bankroll each and every one of their products, including Google Workspace.

Google Workspace security

Here are a few highlights of means Google Workspace protects you and your data:

  • Google Workspace Admin: Offers ambassador the power to command how data is protected, view reports, and even control mobile devices. Google Workspace administrators can too disallow employees from having the power to enable "less secure apps."
  • Encryption (TLS): Google Workspace provides e-mail encryption in transit.
  • Certs, Audits, and Assessments: Google Workspace undergoes several independent third-political party audits on a regular basis.
  • Data Retentivity: Google Workspace offers the power to retain, archive, search, and export your data.
  • Privacy:Google does not collect, scan, or use your data in Google Workspace services for advertising purposes. There are also no ads in whatever of the Google Workspace products. Yous ain your own information.
  • Transparency: Google continuously provides transparency reports to keep consumers informed.

You tin can check out Google Deject'southward security and compliance whitepaper for more information.

Google Workspace vs Part 365 vs Zoho

There are thousands of email hosts on the market place. But when it comes down to serious concern email hosting, you can really narrow information technology down to these three providers: Google Workspace, Office 365, and Zoho. So below we'll do a little comparison.

Google Workspace vs Office 365 vs Zoho

Pricing

For pricing, nosotros are taking the monthly price from each provider.

Google Workspace Business Starter

Office 365 Concern Essentials

Zoho Standard

$vi/user/month $half dozen/user/month $4/user/month

Additional notes:

  • Some practise offer slightly cheaper plans if yous commit to their annual plans or buy licenses in bulk. For case, you can get Office 365 down to $5 /user/month and Zoho downwardly to $3/user/month.
  • Zoho does, in fact, take a free plan for five users. However, information technology is limited to 5GB with unmarried domain hosting.
  • It'south of import to annotation that Office 365 Business Essentials doesn't include their Office desktop software, just their web-based apps.

Software and Tools

Below are comparable products across providers.

Google Workspace Business Starter

Role 365 Business organization Essentials

Zoho Standard

Gmail Outlook (50GB) Zoho Post
Google Bulldoze (30GB) OneDrive (1TB) Zoho Docs (30GB)
Google Docs Microsoft Word Zoho Writer
Google Sheets Microsoft Excel Zoho Canvas
Google Slides Microsoft PowerPoint Zoho Show
Google Sites Sites (SharePoint) Zoho Sites
Google See/Chat Skype + Microsoft Teams Zoho Meeting + Cliq
Google Go on Microsoft OneNote Zoho Notebook
Microsoft Yammer Zoho Connect

Additional notes:

  • Google Workspace'southward 30GB of storage is counted as combined storage across Google Drive and Gmail.
  • Zoho'south 30GB of storage is counted as combined storage across Zoho Docs and Zoho Mail service.
  • If you're comparison presentation software, Microsoft PowerPoint however probably wins hands downward.
  • Gmail as well has a lot better integrations with third-party add-ons and extensions than that of its counterpart Outlook.
  • Zoho supports external integrations with various third-party apps within your mailbox using eWidget.

But as you can see, all three of the above providers have very like offerings when information technology comes to the tools and services they provide. So a lot of your decision volition probably come up down to price and ease of use for your employees.

Disadvantages of Google Workspace

To exist completely honest, in that location aren't many disadvantages that nosotros've found using Google Workspace, and our squad has used it for over four years. Although it definitely depends on the blazon of business you are. Here are a few things you might consider:

  • Google Workspace is entirely web-based with no options for software. If you're used to using Microsoft Function you'll probably find that Google Docs and Sheets aren't as powerful.
  • Office 365 is still winning the enterprise market, while Google Workspace is still playing catch up.
  • Office 365 does offer more storage off the bat. Notwithstanding, Google Workspace does offer unlimited storage if yous upgrade to college plans.

How to Move to Google Workspace

We personally call back that Google Workspace is your best option for e-mail hosting and other tools, and that's why we recommend information technology to all of our clients. They also offer a free 14-mean solar day trial, then y'all can even give it a try before committing to annihilation. Their onboarding process is also incredibly piece of cake.

Here are some quick steps to get started with Google Workspace for your business organisation:

Step 1

Sign upwards for your gratuitous trial.

Free trial Google Workspace

Step 2

Activate your account past signing into your Google Admin Console. (Note: Sign in with your Google Workspace electronic mail accost and password. (This address ends with @yourbusiness.com, and isn't a @gmail or personal Google Account.)

Google Workspace admin console
Google Workspace admin panel

Step 3

In the Admin console, click "Start Setup" to launch the setup magician. You'll requite each team member an email address at your domain (like [electronic mail protected]), and so they can start using Gmail, Agenda, Run across, and all the other Google Workspace services. Y'all tin too manually add boosted users at any time.

If you lot have additional domains, you can also add together them or create e-mail aliases.

Google Workspace domain alias
Google Workspace domain alias

Step four

In your Admin panel, you'll then need to follow the steps to verify that y'all own your domain. You'll get a verification code to add together to your website or your domain settings. Google Workspace has excellent instructions for literally every DNS registrar and DNS provider on how to verify your domain.

If you're using Kinsta DNS, nosotros also have a tutorial on how to add your Google MX records in our MyKinsta dashboard. When creating your domain, you tin add the records with a single click.

Add Gmail MX records
Add Gmail MX records

If y'all're coming from another electronic mail host, such as GoDaddy, BlueHost, OVH or Role 365, you'll near likely besides desire to drift your former emails over. Here are some helpful links:

  • Migrate email from Exchange or Function 365
  • Migrate from other webmail providers to G Suite
  • Migrate electronic mail from one G Suite account to another
  • Migrate from Gmail to M Suite

Note: If you're just starting to use email for your business for the commencement time, yous can skip the above migration process.

Pace five

The concluding step is to then follow Google Workspace's quick offset guides for setting upwardly the additional apps, such as Google Drive, Google Agenda, Google Contacts, etc. And that's information technology!

Google Workspace Tips

Afterward Google Workspace is up and going there are a few footling warnings or errors y'all'll probably run into. One is the following bulletin when trying to salvage a contour photo.

Lamentable! We could non relieve your profile photo. Please attempt again later.

Google Workspace could not save profile photo
Google Workspace could not save profile photo

In Google Workspace the admin has to give permission for users to salve a profile photo. This can be done from "Directory → Directory settings → Profile editing."

Google Workspace directory profile editing rights
Google Workspace directory contour editing rights

Bank check the "Photograph" pick and hit "Salve."

Google Workspace photo
Google Workspace photo

Note: It commonly takes a couple of hours for Google Workspace settings to propagate beyond. So we recommend waiting a chip before trying to upload a photo over again.

Summary

As you can see, Google Workspace can exist a great solution for any business organisation when it comes to electronic mail hosting and providing an all-in-one solution for certificate collaboration and storage. It's extremely affordable and easy to use. Virtually of your employees are probably already familiar with Gmail, which helps reduce the time required to acquire new tools.

If you lot're merely getting starting with Google Workspace, we recommend subscribing to their blog to proceed upwards to date with new features and releases. Do you lot take any questions about Google Workspace or how information technology works? We'd love to hear what you prefer when information technology comes to email hosting. Let u.s.a. know below in the comments.


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