Does anyone offer just email hosting? I was wondering if there was much a demand for it (they don't need web hosting, just email) and if so what packages you offered.

Ryan

I don't think there would be a huge demand for 'just email' but I would think it's not hard to find a place that'll offer you it..

Originally posted by hawkster
<<Mod Note>>Post removed. Member warned.
If he were requesting he probably would have posted in the requests forum (though I could be wrong). Nonetheless, it's likely that you're going to get told off for promoting yourself here.

Yeah, he'll get told off for offering it. :rolleyes:


But anyway, back onto topic.
There is not a huge demand, especially with companies such as Hotmail, Mail, Yahoo, Lycos, and others.
I mean - why would client_a choose you over Hotmail, Yahoo, Lycos, all huge companies that are world wide.

So, as you can see, there is not a great demand with all the competition out there, yet I'm sure you could find a few people here or there. Plus onto that, some people just signup with your smallest package for e-mail hosting because it's less hassle to them, etc. and when they want to they can actually host a website too.

So - offering only e-mail hosting isn't a good idea in whole.

I know a couple of people who signed up for email only accounts. They wanted their own email address as it looks more professional than Hotmail, Yahoo etc, but they know nothing about web sites and have no budget to get one made. IMO, they paid way too much for what they got. Was a host in Canada I think.

Yeah. Some hosts charge a lot for using a personal domain, but Yahoo has that option too - so you get a classy interface, as well as your own domain which is great I think.

I'm sure Lycos will add it too soon, but not sure.


Although personally I wouldn't recommend Lycos at all - as far as I am with them, they are a scam. I'm as soon as possible moving all my e-mails over to my new business account and going to cancel with them.
I pay $20 a year with them, and for like up to a month I saw ad banners on the interface - I was constantly sending e-mails to them to have it sorted, but only recently it was - so this is why I've decided to move, I'm not going to pay $20 a year for an account that states "No Ad Banners" when I can double my business one as my personal one and it costs me nothing, plus personally I like the Horde/IMP design - it's a lot nicer.

At least Yahoo are up-front about it, they say you can make your inbox bigger, but it'll cost you extra to remove the ads. While Lycos claim the're gone and then you see them there in black and white - they said it was "free services related with Lycos", it's total rubbish. How is ClassMates.com related to Lycos? How is having a free IQTest related to Lycos?

Anyhow, all the big free e-mail places are only interested in the $$$. That's the very reason I'm moving away from Lycos. I liked Lycos, I liked their interface and wanted to be different - but their ethics has lost them more money than it'll gain.

We've seen there is some demand for email only, we have a few clients that only use us for that, mainly for 2 reasons:
1. they dont need a website but want an email
2. they are happy with everything but their current host's email system

I would also agree that many hosts that do offer it over charge, even we've been told we do. But for a service thats not very widely used, who can say what the best price is for it :cool:

I offer only e-mails to some of my clients....

I got the idea from a Medical clinic near me.They needed an exchange server and 70 outlook licenses. All they needed was e-mail @ their domain. LOL

So I offered them POP3 e-mail. I got a dedicated server just for them and setup outlook express to fetch the e-mails from the office. I also created an online form so they can login and get their e-mails from the web. The owner was thrilled! :)

Just an exmple.

Arelex

That is exactly what I am doing with a few clients. I am glad it worked out for you. I need to put up another server though as the current one is being overloaded.

Ryan

I have people ask me all the time if I just do e-mail. I'm always thinking in the back of my head, "spammer?". I choose not to offer e-mail only hosting. There might be a market out there for it, but it's not in my business plan.

Yeah, spammers also come to mind in this sort of issue and case.

But as you say, if it isn't in your business plan - don't offer it because it isn't there.


I used to offer it ages ago, yet stopped because there wasn't a big demand for it, well at least not from me. I just basically stopped all services that weren't bringing in major, and kept the ones that were.

E-mail service a lot will find wont bring in major, yet there are the odd few who will and good for them. :)


There are some, not a lot, but some risks that come to mind when someone asks for e-mail only hosting.

I believe enom offers email only hosting for domains registered through them, for $19.99/yr.