We use a multitude of different SaaS products here at Kinsta to proceed everything running smoothly behind the scenes and to better the productivity of our team. Ane product that nosotros couldn't live without is definitely Google Workspace! We aren't afraid to come right out and say it's past far the best email solution on the market right at present for your business organisation. 👍 Not to mention the other features that it comes with, such as Google Drive storage and tools such as Google Docs and Google Sheets.

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

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

What is Google Workspace?

Google Workspace is Google'south suite of intelligent apps. This was formerly known as Google Apps, till it was re-branded in belatedly 2016. Nosotros primarily recommend Google Workspace for clients that are needing email hosting for their business organisation. However, Google Workspace is much more than just email. It as well includes a variety of apps and features that tin can come up in quite handy. In fact, you lot're probably already using or are familiar with some of them.

Features Nosotros Use on a Daily Basis

Google Workspace has three different plans you can use (of which nosotros'll swoop into a little after). Nosotros utilize the Basic Google Workspace plan for our employees here at Kinsta. This starts at only $v/user/month. For many of y'all, the basic plan is probably all yous'll ever need. Here's what it includes:

Gmail

According to Litmus, Gmail leads the manner as the nearly pop email client, with a whopping 26% of the market share based on open rates. It'due south no surprise every bit Gmail has been around since 2004 and now boasts over 1.2 billion users. I of the best things about Google Workspace is you basically get an enhanced advertizing-free version of the online electronic mail client you're probably already using.

Gmail

Google Workspace essentially allows your employees to have their ain Gmail accounts with email addresses with your business organisation domain name (example: [electronic mail protected]). A very small business with ane or two users might be able to go away with free Gmail accounts and some alias+forwarding rules. But in one case you lot showtime hiring two or three employees, you'll detect yourself needing accounts that can exist managed separately.

Google Workspace Gmail custom domain
Gmail custom domain

Google Calendar

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

G Suite Google Calendar

One of the peachy things about using Google Calendar in Google Workspace is the ability to create multiple calendars that are accessible to anybody in your visitor (or fifty-fifty a subset of users). For instance, you might want a group agenda for events like team holidays and regular meetings. Having all your employees attached to the same system makes tasks like these even easier when compared to the free version.

Google Calendar
Google Agenda

Google Drive

Google Drive allows you to store, admission, and share your files in i secure place. You then take like shooting fish in a barrel admission to them from any device. Google Workspace Bones plans come with 30GB of storage for every employee. Google Workspace'south Business, Enterprise, and Teams editions provide unlimited storage so you will always have plenty space for your files. Annotation: If yous're a smaller team with fewer than v users, you only go 1TB/user.

G Suite Google Drive

If you haven't used Google Drive earlier, 1 of the best things we like about it is the amazing search functionality! Although, it's probably not too surprising seeing as they besides run the largest search engine in the world. Did yous know that yous tin can search based on the content within a certificate (regardless of the file name)? Pretty handy. This means you can hands find what you're looking for, no matter how disorganized you are. 😉

Google Drive search
Google Drive search

The paid version of Google Bulldoze gives you twice the storage of your free personal drive and Gmail, 24/vii back up, sharing controls, and advanced reporting.

Google Docs and Google Sheets

Google Docs and Google Sheets pretty much speak for themselves and once again are tools nosotros apply every single 24-hour interval. You tin even import Google Docs into WordPress. These allow you 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, .doc, .pdf, .rtf, .txt, xlsx, .csv, .html, .ods). As of February 2018, yous tin can at present even collaborate and annotate on Microsoft Office files without it having to automatically convert to Google'due south format.

You can also export to common third-political party formats. This makes information technology easy to collaborate with other individuals or companies and ship files dorsum and along, without e'er 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

Hither are but a few of the common tasks we use them for:

  • Getting feedback and comments from team members on new website content.
  • Working with guest bloggers on content for our blog.
  • Sending content to others when writing on third-party sites. We've never had anyone in the past couple years request a Word document, anybody ever requests a Google Physician. Why? Because information technology'southward just super elementary and like shooting fish in a barrel to use.
  • Crunching spreadsheet data from Ahrefs exports.
  • Running quick financial figures.
  • Keeping runway of PPC budgets and online advertisement copy variations.
  • Analyzing CTR changes as it pertains to SERPs.
  • Writing up content for paid sponsorships (WordCamps).

One of the best features of Google Docs and Spreadsheets is the existent-time commenting and unlimited versions. Previous versions are kept indefinitely and they don't count toward your storage. This makes information technology super easy to rail 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 Proceed

Google Go along seems to be one of those well-kept secrets that nobody knows about. If yous're looking for a basic Evernote alternative, Google Keep rocks! This is a great fiddling tool regardless of whether or not you're using Google Workspace. Being a Google product, it works flawlessly within the Google ecosystem.

G Suite Google Keep

It can be an easy way to keep those frequently asked questions you go from customers in a convenient place. Create to-practice lists, notes, and set up reminders to stay on rail. Everything syncs across your devices, and then what'southward of import is e'er in accomplish. Hands share them with your team and archive them when you're done. And once again Google's search works flawlessly with it.

Google Keep
Google Continue

Google Workspace Admin Panel

The Admin panel for Google Workspace allows concern owners hands manage everything from one unmarried place. It got an overhaul recently and is a lot better than it was previously with Google Apps.

G Suite Admin

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

Google Workspace admin console
Google Workspace admin panel

Near, if not all of the features in Google Workspace have to exist enabled by the administrator in order to exist used. Some of these are also but available in college plans. If a feature is not enabled and a user tries to admission it, they'll come across a "not available" message (as seen below).

Google Workspace not available
Google Workspace not available

Additional Features

Hither are some additional features that we don't use at Kinsta very oftentimes, but you might be interested in:

  • Google Conversation: Have you heard of Slack? The Google Chat is basically Google'due south new competing tool. It's a dedicated grouping workspace with 1:i chat and group chat.  Yous can make conversations more efficient by interacting directly with deeply integrated Google bots and tertiary party apps. Google chat is included for gratis with all Google Workspace plans.
  • Google Meet: We adopt Zoom or Slack video chat ourselves here at Kinsta, simply Google Meet still makes video calls and conferencing a cakewalk. See is fully integrated with Google Workspace, so you tin join meetings direct from a Calendar event or electronic mail invite. If you're running the Enterprise version of Google Workspace, you tin can as well take advantage of dial-in numbers for when people are on the road or perhaps without internet access.
  • Google Forms: Near of you accept probably all filled out a Google Form before. While we prefer to utilise other applications for this, preferably branded forms in our WordPress site, it tin be an incredibly quick and easy mode to get together data.
  • Google Slides: Want a decent alternative to Microsoft Powerpoint? Google Slides is but that. Just like with their other products you tin can take advantage of their real-time collaboration and commenting, likewise as unlimited version history.
  • Google Sites: Nosotros don't recommend using Google Sites as WordPress is much improve for this. Check out the reasons why y'all should use WordPress.
  • Endpoint Management: If you're worried about an employee'south device getting stolen, don't. That is what Endpoint Management is for. Hands enable this as an admin and remotely wipe Google Workspace data from devices if needed.

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Additional Features for Google Workspace Business and Enterprise Users

Information technology's also important to brand a note of the boosted features in Google Workspace Business and Enterprise plans. If you're a bigger business and rely on e-mail heavily, these tin 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 lot to search beyond your company's content in Google Workspace. From Gmail and Drive to Docs, Sheets, Slides, Calendar, and more.
  • Vault: You can never have too many backups. Vault allows you to manage, retain, search, and consign your system's email, Google Drive file content and on-the-tape chats. Basically, y'all can archive all your data and ready retentiveness policies.

Unparalleled Benefits of Google Workspace

While all those features above are great, now it's time to swoop into some of the real benefits of using Google Workspace for your business organisation.

Google Workspace Logo

Hosting Electronic mail With Third-Party Is Ever Recommended

It'southward never recommended to host your email with the aforementioned company you use for WordPress hosting. That'south why nosotros don't and will never offer email hosting to our clients (other than perchance a Google Workspace add-on down the road in MyKinsta. 🤫) We get into groovy detail about the reasons here. Just nosotros'll give yous a quick summary of why below:

  1. If y'all use your host, you're tied to IP addresses that your host has configured for outgoing email. If something goes incorrect with that, such as a client suddenly spamming, at that place is a risk the IP address could become blacklisted for spam. Then y'all're of a sudden left hanging with no command.
  2. One of the biggest downfalls to relying on your WordPress host for emails is deliverability issues. With Google Workspace, you lot can authenticate outbound postal service using DKIM and SPF records which can positively impact your spam rating.
  3. Sending emails via your WordPress host could potentially upshot in server resource issues. By offloading e-mail to a 3rd-party, especially Google Workspace, you lot'll never have to worry virtually this.
  4. Spreading services across multiple providers is always a good matter. We always recommend separating DNS (we include Amazon Route 53 DNS for all clients), WordPress hosting, and email. This way if anything goes incorrect with one, your email is always flowing. Most likely your DNS volition still route regardless, just by using multiple providers you can guarantee this.

And so as you can see, going with a third-political party for email hosting is really beneficial to your business.

Caveats (Transactional and Marketing Emails)

While Google Workspace accounts don't accept an SMTP limit, for those of you sending thousands of emails every month, we generally don't recommend them for sending bulk emails or transactional emails (purchases, registering, resetting a password, etc). You tin read the laundry list of their bulk sender guidelines. For these types of emails nosotros recommend the following transactional email services:

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

If you're modest and just starting out, don't worry about your transaction emails until you showtime sending out large volumes. Y'all can get started with just Google Workspace for everything and exist just fine. Likewise, some of the providers like Mailgun above, permit y'all send ten,000 transactional emails per month for free. And so in a lot of cases, this doesn't take to exist an extra expense. And additional emails after that are pennies to transport. Read more almost transactional emails, SMTP ports, and free SMPT servers for WordPress.

You lot then accept marketing emails, such as newsletters. The same affair applies hither. Typically you'll want to apply a tertiary-political party provider due to better deliverability rates and tools for list edifice, A/B testing, etc. Here'southward a few we recommend:

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

Some of the transactional providers above also handle marketing emails and mention that on their sites. So in some cases, y'all could always combine your transactional email service and e-mail marketing software. Read more than most e-mail marketing software.

Familiar, Compatible, and Easy to Use

Ane 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 product time explaining to new hires how to utilize company tools; dissimilar Zoho or Office 365 where in that location might be more explanation needed.

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

And if you already have a personal Gmail business relationship, Google makes information technology super easy to one-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 want to dig into the technical details, Google Workspace offers a 99.9% 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 of import part of every business organization, Google Workspace has no scheduled reanimation or maintenance windows. All of their data centers are congenital with redundant infrastructure.

But just similar any service, they can never be up 100% of the time. Therefore, y'all tin 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'south Extremely Affordable

At that place are other providers out there that are cheaper, such as Zoho (we'll dive into a comparison farther below). However, merely like we always recommend you invest in managed WordPress hosting, your concern e-mail is not i of those areas you should endeavor to salve a buck. Having an email host that you tin rely on can save yous money downwards the road.

Here'southward a await at Google Workspace's pricing and what's included in each plan.

Google Workspace Business Starter

Google Workspace Business organisation Standard

Google Workspace Business Plus

$6/user/calendar month $12/user/month $eighteen/user/month
Business email through Gmail Business email through Gmail Business organisation email 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/vii support (phone, email online) 24/vii support (telephone, email online – Enhanced Back up upgrade available) 24/7 support (phone, e-mail online – Enhanced Support upgrade bachelor)
Security admin controls Security admin controls Enhanced security admin controls, including Vault and advanced endpoint direction
thirty GB cloud storage per user 2 TB cloud storage per user v TB deject storage per user
Cloud search Deject search
Vault (archive and retention) Vault (archive and retentivity)
Audit reports Audit reports
Data loss prevention (Gmail + Drive)
Hosted S/MIME for Gmail
Gmail third-political party archiving
Enterprise-form security
Gmail log analysis

Here are some quick estimations for yous:

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

For everything that Google Workspace includes, that'due south a pretty peachy bargain and kind of a no-brainer!

Y'all can too opt-in to a discounted rate by switching to an annual subscription. An almanac subscription offers savings of up to 20% more than than the standard monthly subscription. The cracking part is you can still be billed monthly on the almanac subscription if you prefer.

Google Workspace Is as Secure as It Gets

Google Workspace is built on superlative of Google Cloud Platform, which offers the highest security on the market. It'due south trusted past some of the biggest companies in the world; such as HP, Verizon, Whirlpool, and Salesforce. Equally Google says, they are leading with a "security-outset mindset." They take industry-leading knowledge and expertise bankroll each and every 1 of their products, including Google Workspace.

Google Workspace security

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

  • Google Workspace Admin: Offers administrator the power to control how data is protected, view reports, and even control mobile devices. Google Workspace administrators can also disallow employees from having the ability to enable "less secure apps."
  • Encryption (TLS): Google Workspace provides email encryption in transit.
  • Certs, Audits, and Assessments: Google Workspace undergoes several independent third-political party audits on a regular ground.
  • Data Retention: Google Workspace offers the ability to retain, annal, search, and consign your data.
  • Privacy:Google does not collect, scan, or use your data in Google Workspace services for advertising purposes. There are likewise no ads in whatsoever of the Google Workspace products. You ain your own data.
  • Transparency: Google continuously provides transparency reports to go on consumers informed.

You can check out Google Cloud's security and compliance whitepaper for more information.

Google Workspace vs Office 365 vs Zoho

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

Google Workspace vs Office 365 vs Zoho

Pricing

For pricing, we are taking the monthly cost from each provider.

Google Workspace Business organization Starter

Function 365 Business Essentials

Zoho Standard

$6/user/month $6/user/month $4/user/calendar month

Additional notes:

  • Some do offering slightly cheaper plans if you lot commit to their annual plans or buy licenses in bulk. For example, you can become Role 365 down to $5 /user/month and Zoho down to $3/user/month.
  • Zoho does, in fact, have a free plan for 5 users. Nonetheless, it is express to 5GB with single domain hosting.
  • Information technology'south of import to note that Part 365 Business Essentials doesn't include their Office desktop software, only their web-based apps.

Software and Tools

Beneath are comparable products across providers.

Google Workspace Business Starter

Office 365 Business Essentials

Zoho Standard

Gmail Outlook (50GB) Zoho Mail service
Google Drive (30GB) OneDrive (1TB) Zoho Docs (30GB)
Google Docs Microsoft Give-and-take Zoho Author
Google Sheets Microsoft Excel Zoho Sail
Google Slides Microsoft PowerPoint Zoho Show
Google Sites Sites (SharePoint) Zoho Sites
Google Meet/Chat Skype + Microsoft Teams Zoho Coming together + Cliq
Google Keep Microsoft OneNote Zoho Notebook
Microsoft Yammer Zoho Connect

Boosted notes:

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

But every bit you lot can see, all three of the above providers have very like offerings when it comes to the tools and services they provide. So a lot of your conclusion will probably come down to price and ease of apply for your employees.

Disadvantages of Google Workspace

To be completely honest, in that location aren't many disadvantages that we've plant using Google Workspace, and our squad has used information technology for over four years. Although it definitely depends on the type of business you are. Hither are a few things you might consider:

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

How to Move to Google Workspace

We personally think that Google Workspace is your best option for e-mail hosting and other tools, and that'south why we recommend it to all of our clients. They also offer a free fourteen-day trial, so you can fifty-fifty requite it a endeavour earlier committing to annihilation. Their onboarding process is also incredibly like shooting fish in a barrel.

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

Step 1

Sign up for your gratis trial.

Free trial Google Workspace

Pace 2

Activate your business relationship by signing into your Google Admin Console. (Annotation: Sign in with your Google Workspace email address and password. (This address ends with @yourbusiness.com, and isn't a @gmail or personal Google Business relationship.)

Google Workspace admin console
Google Workspace admin console

Step iii

In the Admin console, click "Kickoff Setup" to launch the setup wizard. Y'all'll give each team member an electronic mail accost at your domain (like [e-mail protected]), so they can start using Gmail, Calendar, Come across, and all the other Google Workspace services. You can also manually add additional users at any time.

If you have additional domains, y'all can also add them or create e-mail aliases.

Google Workspace domain alias
Google Workspace domain alias

Step 4

In your Admin console, yous'll and 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, we also have a tutorial on how to add your Google MX records in our MyKinsta dashboard. When creating your domain, yous tin add the records with a single click.

Add Gmail MX records
Add Gmail MX records

If you're coming from another email host, such as GoDaddy, BlueHost, OVH or Office 365, y'all'll most likely likewise want to drift your old emails over. Here are some helpful links:

  • Drift email from Exchange or Office 365
  • Drift from other webmail providers to M Suite
  • Drift email from 1 Yard Suite account to some other
  • Migrate from Gmail to Grand Suite

Note: If you're simply starting to apply email for your concern for the showtime time, yous can skip the above migration procedure.

Step 5

The final footstep is to so follow Google Workspace's quick beginning guides for setting up the boosted apps, such as Google Drive, Google Calendar, Google Contacts, etc. And that'due south information technology!

Google Workspace Tips

After Google Workspace is up and going there are a few little warnings or errors you'll probably run into. One is the following bulletin when trying to salve a profile photograph.

Lamentable! We could non salvage your profile photograph. Please endeavor again later.

Google Workspace could not save profile photo
Google Workspace could non save profile photograph

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

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

Cheque the "Photograph" selection and hitting "Save."

Google Workspace photo
Google Workspace photo

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

Summary

As you tin see, Google Workspace tin can be a dandy solution for whatever concern when it comes to email 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 learn new tools.

If you're simply getting starting with Google Workspace, we recommend subscribing to their blog to go on up to date with new features and releases. Do you have any questions nigh Google Workspace or how it works? We'd honey to hear what yous adopt when it comes to email hosting. Let united states know below in the comments.


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