Introduction
Purpose: This guide provides essential best practices for improving email deliverability, ensuring your messages reach the intended audience effectively.
Context: Email deliverability is influenced by multiple factors, including domain reputation, email list quality, content structure, and compliance with anti-spam regulations. By following these best practices, you can reduce bounce rates, avoid spam filters, and improve engagement rates.
Strengthening Your Domain Reputation
Choose a Strong, Trustworthy Domain
Your domain name plays a crucial role in your email reputation.
Use a clean domain name: Avoid hyphens, numbers, or unnecessary words (e.g., avoid get-brand-name-app.com).
Opt for a .com extension: These domains tend to be more trusted compared to niche extensions (.biz, .info, etc.).
Warm up new domains: If you’re using a new domain, start by sending low-volume emails and gradually increase the volume to build credibility.
Set Up Proper Email Authentication
Email authentication helps verify your emails and prevent spoofing. Implement the following:
SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Defines which email servers are authorized to send on behalf of your domain.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Adds a digital signature to emails to verify sender authenticity.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance): Protects your domain from unauthorized use and improves trust.
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification): Displays your company logo in inboxes (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo), increasing brand recognition and trust.
💡 Tip: Use tools like Google Postmaster Tools to monitor your domain reputation.
Managing Your Email List for Better Deliverability
Maintain a Clean Email List
Sending emails to invalid or inactive addresses can lead to high bounce rates, damaging your sender reputation.
Regularly clean your list using verification tools like ZeroBounce or NeverBounce.
Remove addresses that frequently bounce or remain inactive for long periods.
Avoid buying email lists—these often contain spam traps that can blacklist your domain.
Avoid Sending to Generic Email Accounts
Emails sent to addresses like contact@, info@, or sales@ are less likely to be engaged with and may be flagged as spam. Focus on sending emails to personalized email addresses whenever possible.
Optimizing Email Content for Higher Inbox Placement
Keep Email Design and Formatting Simple
Your email’s structure affects its deliverability.
Use minimal HTML: Excessive formatting, colors, and embedded media can trigger spam filters.
Limit the number of links: More than three links can make your email look like spam.
Avoid URL shorteners: Spammers often use short links to mask malicious URLs.
Craft a Spam-Free Subject Line
Your subject line is the first thing spam filters check. Follow these guidelines:
Avoid all caps: (“🚨 FREE OFFER INSIDE! 🚨”)
Steer clear of excessive punctuation: (“Click NOW!!!”)
Don’t use spam-trigger words: Examples include Act Now, 100% Free, Click Here, Cash Bonus, Urgent.
Keep it concise: Aim for 6-10 words (50 characters or fewer).
💡 Tip: Test your subject line with tools like SubjectLine.com to check its effectiveness.
Focus on High-Quality Email Content
Provide clear, relevant content that aligns with what recipients expect.
Keep email signatures simple—avoid excessive links or images.
Include a plain-text version of your email alongside HTML to improve accessibility.
Ensuring Emails Pass Spam Filters
Check Your Email’s Spam Score Before Sending
Use email testing tools like:
These tools evaluate your email’s spam score, providing suggestions for improvement.
Warm Up Your Email Sending
If you’re sending emails from a new domain or a new email service provider, follow a gradual sending strategy:
Start with small volumes (e.g., 50 emails/day) and slowly increase over a few weeks.
Engage with high-quality recipients first (e.g., most active subscribers).
Monitor engagement metrics (open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates).
Monitoring & Improving Deliverability Over Time
Monitor Email Performance Metrics
Track these key indicators to measure your email deliverability:
Open Rate: Percentage of recipients who open your email.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): Percentage of recipients who clicked a link in your email.
Bounce Rate: Percentage of emails that failed to reach the recipient.
Spam Complaint Rate: Reports from users marking your email as spam.
💡 Tip: A bounce rate above 2% or spam complaint rate above 0.1% is a red flag!
Use a Dedicated IP Address for High-Volume Sending
If you send large volumes of emails, a dedicated IP address prevents your reputation from being affected by other senders on shared servers.
Best Practices/Tips
Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive addresses.
Authenticate your emails with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
Personalize emails for better engagement.
Test email deliverability before sending large campaigns.
Monitor key performance metrics to adjust your email strategy.