Choosing the Best Hosted SMTP Relay Service: A 5-Point Checklist

If you’re looking for a hosted SMTP relay service to support your email delivery efforts, you’ve come to the right place. This 5-point checklist will give you exactly what to consider as you make your decision on a reliable hosted SMTP relay service.

Benefits of Choosing the Right Hosted SMTP Relay Service

Picking the right hosted SMTP relay service offers numerous benefits, including:

1. Time Savings

Avoid the hassle of changing SMTP providers later by choosing the right one from the beginning. Switching providers due to configuration issues or mail flow disruptions can be time-consuming and disruptive to your existing infrastructure. Selecting the ideal SMTP relay service upfront can save you significant time and effort.

2. Avoiding Email Deliverability Issues

Your choice of hosted SMTP relay service directly affects the delivery of your emails. If your provider has a poor reputation or infrastructure problems, your ability to reach recipients’ inboxes may be compromised. It’s crucial to choose a reliable SMTP relay service prioritizing email deliverability, ensuring your messages reach the inbox rather than the spam folder.

3. Maintaining Your Professional Reputation

Selecting an SMTP relay service is not only a technical decision but also a professional one. Whether you’re making this choice as an employee or a consultant representing your clients, choosing the right hosted SMTP relay service from the start can enhance your professional reputation. It demonstrates your commitment to reliable email communication and positions you as a trustworthy expert.

Let’s dive into our 5-point checklist to help you make an informed decision.

Choosing the Right Hosted SMTP Relay Service

1. Ease of Integration Into Your App or Website

When selecting a hosted SMTP relay service, look for a provider offering seamless integration with your existing applications or websites. This enables quick setup without the need for extensive development work. Opt for a provider with readily available SMTP credentials to get you set up email relaying within minutes.

2. Level of Support Provided by Your Hosted SMTP Service

While it’s ideal for your hosted SMTP service to work without any issues, the reality is that email delivery can be complex. Factors such as IP blocklisting or sudden changes in spam filters can impact your email delivery. Therefore, it’s crucial to choose a provider with responsive and knowledgeable support. Ensure they can address deliverability concerns and provide guidance on DKIM, SPF configuration, and other email deliverability best practices.

3. Features Your SMTP Relay Service Should Provide

Different hosted SMTP relay services offer varying standard features. When choosing your SMTP provider, consider the specific features you require. Look for capabilities such as domain authentication and link branding, support for multiple sender addresses, reverse DNS, real-time analytics and reports, open and click tracking, bounce rate monitoring, custom DKIM keys, ISP feedback loop data, automated IP warm-up, suppression management, GDPR compliance (if applicable), and the ability to separate transactional and marketing emails. Choose a provider offering the features aligned with your specific needs. …And, wouldn’t you know it, we do all of these things and more at SocketLabs.

In fact, we also allow the use of multiple ports, have faster and more knowledgeable customer support, and we even have IP whitelisting. It’s pretty rare to find that but hey, here we are, you found it.

4. Deliverability [Will Your Emails Reach the Inbox?]

Email delivery goes beyond sending messages via SMTP. Deliverability, or the ability to reach recipients’ inboxes, is a crucial aspect to consider when selecting a hosted SMTP relay service. Your emails need to reach the inbox, even for simple communications like scanner-generated emails. Look for a provider maintaining a high sender reputation across leading mailbox providers (MBPs) like Gmail, does not have any IPs blocklisted on reputable blocklists like Spamhaus, employs a team of deliverability experts who will respond to you quickly, provides dedicated IPs for high-volume senders, and helps you monitor your sender reputation to ensure optimal deliverability.

5. Pricing of Your Hosted SMTP Relay Service

Consider the pricing structure of the hosted SMTP relay service. While open-source SMTP solutions like Sendmail and Postfix offer free options, they can be complex to configure and may require expert assistance. Opting for a service that is set up and ready to use can save you time and effort in the long run. Evaluate the pricing plans of different providers and choose the one offering a balance between affordability and the features and support you require.

Choosing the best hosted SMTP relay service is essential for reliable and effective email delivery. By following our checklist, you can make an informed decision and select a provider aligning with your needs. Whether you’re an IT professional or a consultant, a reliable SMTP relay service will enhance your professional reputation and save you time and effort over time.

If you want more information about SMTP and how it works, we have a handy and short video explainer for you.

Or, if you’re interested in trying out us as your provider, you can do it for free for 30 days. Why not give it a shot?