> most businesses just need a basic website and an email/accounting
I think those businesses should definitely go to the Cloud - but not IaaS. Use Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace for the email needs and a Website-as-a-service vendor, whether that’s wordpress.com or Webflow.
I'm not saying you're wrong, but why do you call that the cloud again? Mutualized hosting is what we've been doing since "forever".
The part where i disagree: don't go with Microsoft or Google, they're the worst. They've got less-than-stellar service, abysmal support, and they're capitalist assholes. Go with a local tech coop or non-profit (or even just a local tech artisan for-profit company) with friendly support.
I think it's been said in many other threads, but it's always worth repeating: by using Microsoft/Google email services, you make it impossible for others to use a solution of their choice because they will be blocked despite having perfect server configuration.
I think those businesses should definitely go to the Cloud - but not IaaS. Use Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace for the email needs and a Website-as-a-service vendor, whether that’s wordpress.com or Webflow.