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Email systems often fall into the “set and forget” category for many small businesses. Once they’re working, they tend not to be revisited unless something goes wrong. However, Google has announced a change that makes now a good time to review how your business email is set up.

From sometime in January 2026, Gmail will stop supporting an older email method called POP3, which some businesses still rely on to collect emails from multiple accounts into one inbox in Gmail.

This change won’t affect everyone — but if you use the Gmail website on your computer, it’s worth taking a closer look.

What is POP3, and why does it matter?

POP3 is an older way of retrieving email. It allows Gmail to “pull” messages from another email account (such as an Outlook or hosting-based email address) into your Gmail inbox.

For years, this has been a convenient way for business owners to manage everything in one place, especially if you like Gmail’s interface. However, POP3 has limitations and doesn’t meet modern security standards. For that reason, Google has confirmed it will be retired in early 2026.

Once this happens, you will not be able to retrieve any new emails in the desktop version of Gmail. Any emails already received will remain, but new messages will stop appearing unless your setup is updated.

What is not changing?

The good news is that many modern email setups will not be affected.

If your business uses:

• Other email clients (software) such as Outlook, Thunderbird or Apple Mail
• Native Google Workspace email accounts being accessed via the Gmail website
• The Gmail app if it receives your emails using IMAP

then no action is required.

IMAP is more secure, keeps emails synchronised across devices, and is the recommended approach going forward.

What should businesses do now?

A lot of the considerations about this change comes down to whether you like to use Gmail on your computer or laptop as the way you access your emails.

1. I want to continue to use Gmail on my computer

If Gmail is currently pulling emails from other accounts automatically, it may be using POP3. This is especially common in older or customised setups.

In this case you will need to move your emails to Google Workspace. This is a paid service from Google. There are transfer tools available to help with moving your emails into Google Workspace.

It can be a relatively complicated process as it also includes updates to your domain name, so you may need some help with that.

2. I am happy to move to another email program.

Once you choose your email program to use, (some common ones include Outlook, Thunderbird, BlueMail, Apple Mail), then you will need to load your emails into the new program. It is better to add it using IMAP rather than POP to future proof your email set up. You may want to talk to an IT person to help with this process as just adding the email to your new email program may not bring across all of your existing emails.

Some other things to think about

1. Move to IMAP where possible

IMAP provides better reliability and security and works across desktops, laptops, and mobile devices. Most email providers support it by default.

2. Use email forwarding if a single inbox is required

If you prefer everything to land in one Gmail inbox, email forwarding is a reliable alternative. Messages are sent directly from one mailbox to another, without relying on outdated protocols.

3. Take the opportunity to simplify

This change is also a chance to clean up old addresses, unused inboxes, and confusing workflows — improving efficiency and reducing the risk of missed emails.

Why Google is making this change

Google has not published extensive technical detail, but the reasoning is widely understood to be security-driven. POP3 is an older protocol that lacks the protections and flexibility of modern email standards.

By retiring the POP3 option helps reduce risk and aligns Gmail with current best practices for business communication.

The bottom line for New Zealand businesses

This is not a reason to panic — but it is a reminder that technology changes, even when things appear to be working fine.

If your email setup hasn’t been reviewed in several years, taking action now can prevent disruption later and ensure your business email remains secure, reliable, and future-proof.

If you’re unsure where to start, a quick review can often identify whether changes are needed and what the best next step is.

The post Gmail Email Changes Coming in 2026: What Small Businesses Need to Know first appeared on SAJE.

We are bringing back our website workshops again and we are starting with our popular Search Engine Optimisation workshop.

The session will be from 9am to 1pm on the 4th of March at 85 Hendersons Line, Marton.

Cost is a special $95 incl gst

Learn all about the concepts of SEO and then spend time working on your website applying the information and techniques you have learned.

By the end of the workshop, your website will be more SEO’d that it was when you walked in the door!

A 4 hour session, gives us plenty of time to learn, discuss and apply.

Fill out the form below if you would like reserve your spot.

The post SEO Workshop – 4th March 2026 first appeared on SAJE.

Why Headlines Matter More Than Ever

With millions of blog posts published daily, standing out requires more than quality content—it demands compelling headlines. Studies show that 80% of readers never make it past the headline, and traffic can vary by up to 500% based solely on the headline’s effectiveness.

The Evolution of Headline Strategies

Platforms like Upworthy revolutionized headline writing by tapping into emotional triggers and curiosity gaps. Their approach demonstrated that well-crafted headlines could drive massive traffic. However, as audiences become more discerning, it’s crucial to adapt and refine these strategies.

Key Psychological Principles for Effective Headlines

1. Curiosity Gap: Craft headlines that pique interest without giving everything away. For example, “You Won’t Believe What Happened Next” leverages curiosity but should be used judiciously to avoid seeming clickbait.
2. Emotional Triggers: Use words that evoke emotions—be it surprise, fear, or joy—to create a connection with the reader.
3. Specificity and Numbers: Incorporate specific numbers or facts to add credibility and clarity. Headlines like “7 Proven Strategies to Increase Website Traffic” are more compelling.
4. Urgency and Scarcity: Phrases like “Limited Time Offer” or “Only 3 Spots Left” can prompt immediate action.
5. Negative Superlatives: Surprisingly, headlines with negative words like “worst” or “never” can outperform positive ones, as they tap into readers’ desire to avoid mistakes.

Best Practices for Website Owners

• Test and Analyze: Regularly A/B test your headlines to see what resonates with your audience.
• Align with Content: Ensure your headline accurately reflects the content to build trust and reduce bounce rates.
• Stay Updated: Trends evolve; stay informed about what headline styles are currently effective.

Final Thoughts

Your headline is often the first—and sometimes only—chance to engage a potential reader. By understanding and applying psychological principles, you can craft headlines that not only attract clicks but also foster meaningful engagement.

The post The Psychology of Headline Writing: What Website Owners Need to Know in 2025 first appeared on SAJE.

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The post SEO Workshop – 16th May 2024 first appeared on SAJE.

When we build our websites we try to use the best plugins and resources that we can. Over time we have chosen what we consider the best to use on our clinets sites. It is interesting to see so many of the tools we use being voted as the best in class.

There are some differences (especially SEO and Caching plugins) but we believe our set of development tools works best for both us and our clients.

Here are the winners in full:

• Astra – Best WordPress theme
• Elementor – Best page builder
• Gravity Forms – Best form plugin
• ACF Pro – Best dynamic data plugin
• Kadence Blocks – Best Gutenberg addon
• Crocoblock – Best Elementor addon
• All-in-One Migration – Best backup migration plugin
• RankMath SEO – Best SEO plugin
• Wordfence – Best security plugin
• MemberPress – Best membership and courses plugin
• FluentCRM – Best marketing automation plugin
• Automatic CSS – Best developer tools
• GiveWP – Best WooCommerce tools
• Cloudways – Best hosting service
• WP Rocket – Best performance plugin
• WPML – Best content tools
• ManageWP – Best WP support and service
• WP Beginner – Best WordPress blogs
• WP Builds – Best WordPress podcast
• The Admin Bar – Best WordPress community
• WPTuts – Best YouTube channel
• Website Owner’s Manual – Best WP learning and resources
• The Events Calendar – Best event and planning plugin
• WP Social Ninja – Best niche plugin

The post Winners at the WordPress Awards 2022 first appeared on SAJE.

Getting more out of your website with Online Forms

What are online forms?

Online forms are digital version of things you might fill out on a piece of paper.

You have probably already used them for a variety of things such as:

• Sending a enquiry via a website
• Buying something online
• Answering a questionnaire
• Filling in an application form

There are a wide range of uses for online forms that for small business has only really scratched the surface.

Setting aside traditional shopping carts (these are generally handled in their entirety inside a process on your website) we will delve into a few ways online forms can help your business.

What makes online forms so useful?

By using online forms, you can improve your workflow, speed up processing of applications or other information gathering forms.

One of the biggest benefits that has been reported back to us from a client who went paperless in their office with our online forms was that it reduced mistakes when written applications can be difficult to read and therefore open to mistakes in transcribing the entered information.

Let's look at some example uses

Here are a few uses for online forms that might help your business.

Book a job forms

If you are forever getting phone calls and emails from people looking to book your services, an online booking form could be the solution.

There are external full service options out there that you subscribe to such as Timely or you can use form builders on your website to take simple bookings.

Application forms

Wther it is por insurance, a car loan, self storage units or a myriad of other reasons, you can offer the ability to at least start the signup process with an online form.

There are plenty of great form plugins for WordPress that will allow for great forms. 

There are many things that these forms can do apart from gather basic information including: upload documents or images, allow for signatures, take payments and more.

Request a quote forms

Rather than relying on incomplete information, you can use an online form to ask specific questions you need before you respond, this can save an amazing amount of time getting to the point of closing a sale.

There are also other workflow options where you can have the data captured saved into a CRM such as HubSpot or Zoho or into other systems using an automation service such as Zapier to connect disparate systems and make your website part of a wider sales and marketing tool.

In Summary

Online forms are great way to make it easier for people to do business with you. There are so many opportunities to integrate a form into your site.

If you have an idea on how a form might improve your website and business, get in touch and we can let you know what is possible. Go on, use our Contact Form or our Request a Quote form 🙂

The post Online Forms first appeared on SAJE.

Our first one is a phishing scam trying to get email login details so they can then use your account to either access and control your account, or to use the email address to send out spam. Most use fear as their overriding emotion, putting errors and the threat of account deletion as a way of compelling people to click their links

The Email:

Dear webmaster@deepweb.co.nz

Some Incoming Messages were Undelivered to Inbox

You have some important email messages that were undelivered to your inbox since 10th  May. 2021.

This is due to a IMAP and POP settings error on your e-mail, webmaster@deepweb.co.nz incoming messages were delayed.

Log on to deepweb.co.nz Portal to recover your delay messages.

[ Proceed Here to Fix Errors ]

Find some of the errors being detected by the mail server for  deepweb.co.nz listed below:

• Underlivered to inbox
• Undelivered to inbox
• Underlivered to inbox
• Pending delivery

Copyrights© 2021
Help & Contact – Fees – Security – Features 

This message link is secured and encrypted by Avast.
www.avast.com

The Analysis:

The scammer uses a mix of valid links pointing to both the targets domain name (footer links plus portal link) and a single link (the Proceed Here to Fix Errors] to the scammer login page where they would scrape the entered login details

They even use a fake footer to refer to Avast antivirus to give the impression that the email has been scanned and verified as safe to open and click links.

With all of these kind of emails be very wary of anything threatening to shut down services or disable access. If you are unsure contact the provider directly to verify the information.

The post Another Spam Email Example first appeared on SAJE.