Action Required: Your Free Gmail Service is Changing
We informed you in 2024 that Gmail was driving customers of their free Google services toward its paid service. Well, that time has finally come…
Starting in January, Google is ending its free support for professional email addresses (e.g., @yourcompanyname.com) on the free Gmail platform. To avoid losing access to your email, action is required.
You have options to choose from, but they will likely no longer be free.
OURWEBMASTER HAS IDENTIFIED ALTERNATIVES TO THE FREE GMAIL SERVICE:
Google Workspace: from $8.40/month to $16.80/month
Zoho Workspace: from $4.00/month to $7.00/month
InMotionHosting: from $9.49/month
What service should you choose? It depends on the features you need…
EMAIL STORAGE: The amount of space you are using is a deciding factor for what email service you will need moving forward.
SPAM FILTERING: Gmail is your best solution $8.40 – $16.80/month
MIGRATION FROM YOUR FREE ACCOUNT: Gmail is your only solution $16.80/month
EMAIL + OFFICE APPS: Zoho or Gmail $4 – $16.80/month
EMAIL + INTEGRATED EMAIL CAMPAIGNS: $9.49 – $16.80/month
What If I Have Simple Needs?
Free Option: If you only need to receive mail (not send) from your custom address, we can set up a free email forwarder to your personal Gmail.
Low-Cost Option: If you just need a simple, no-frills inbox to send and receive mail, the basic Zoho plan is a great value.
What to Do Next
Please contact OurWebmaster to discuss your specific requirements. We will help you select the right plan and begin the transition to avoid any service interruption.
Comparison Table – Email Features vs Costs
Hint: How do I know how much storage I am using in my Free Gmail account?
Scroll to the bottom of your Inbox and you will see your storage usage at the bottom left of your screen.
Hint: Archiving your messages vs Trashing your messages
Many email services are offering the “archive” option. They also offer ample online storage. More good news? Items in your Spam and Trash are not counted toward your storage limit. This tremendous amount of online space allows you to archive your messages instead of trashing them. If you didn’t know, whenever you archive a message, it is removed from the Inbox but remains on the server. This makes messages very easy to find. When you perform a search, it will automatically scan the entire mailbox.
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH COOKIE NOTICES ON WEBSITES?
Have you ever wondered why some sites display a cookie consent notice? Do you know whether or not your site should be displaying such a notice? In order to be covered by The Cookie Law, your website has to use cookies. Does your site use cookies? The short answer is “yes”. OurWebmaster uses Google Analytics to collect statistics about your site’s traffic. This is essential information to measure how well your website is meeting your online goals. So – what does this mean for me? If your website is POTENTIALLY serving visitors in Europe OR California, we need to add cookie notices. This will entail adding code to your website, including providing privacy information and, in some cases, allowing visitors to consent to gather information. Contact OurWebmaster to find out more about how to best meet the needs of your website visitors.
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH ACCESSIBILITY ON WEBSITES?
You may notice websites with small icons or buttons that help persons with disabilities use a website. OurWebmaster has always taken care of the basic accessibility needs for websites that we build (making sure that photos are tagged with information about the photos etc.) but as you might expect, this is getting more complicated too… Website accessibility is becoming more regulated and more feature-rich. Are you interested in learning more about this? Contact OurWebmaster today to discuss your website’s accessibility needs.
Some Interesting accessibility facts:
- Nationwide ADA Federal lawsuit in 2019 passed the 11,000 marks for the first time.
Average settlement fee $30,000 - 15% of the U.S population have difficulties accessing and engaging websites.
- Worldwide, People with disabilities(PWD) hold over $8 Trillion in annual disposable income
(2016 study – “Return on disability”). - 30% of veterans have disabilities.
Housekeeping
Just a quick update: OurWebmaster is now associated with Panorama Valley Ventures out of Kansas. Going forward, you’ll start to see the name “Panorama Valley Ventures” on communications, invoices, and credit card statements.
No action is needed on your part; this is just for your awareness.
OURWEBMASTER – THE FINE PRINT
Recurring billing/payments available: For those of you who are subscribed to the CMS Update Service, we are pleased to offer a recurring billing/payment service. Reach out if you’d like us to charge your credit card automatically for your subscription each month. For those of you subscribed to the PREPAID services, you are already enrolled in this.
Remittance Address: OurWebmaster is pleased to accept credit card payments. For those who prefer to mail a check, please note our new remittance address: OurWebmaster, 10350 N Vancouver Way #68940, Portland OR 97217.
Payment Processing: Check payments are gladly accepted at our new remittance address and are processed electronically. ACH payments are coming soon. If you are interested in paying via ACH, let us know and we’ll get you setup right away.
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