Email Deliverability for E-commerce

In today's digital age, email has become an essential tool for businesses to communicate with their customers. For e-commerce businesses, email is not only used for customer communication but also for marketing, promotions, and order confirmations. However, many e-commerce businesses struggle with email deliverability, which can greatly impact their revenue and customer satisfaction.

If you are an e-commerce business owner looking to improve your email deliverability, this blog is for you. We will discuss the importance of email deliverability, common challenges faced by e-commerce businesses, and effective strategies to improve deliverability.

'Email has an ability many channels don't: creating valuable, personal touches - at scale.' - David Newman

Understanding Email Deliverability

Email deliverability refers to the successful delivery of an email to a recipient's inbox without being marked as spam or bouncing back. A high email deliverability rate ensures that your emails are reaching your customers' inboxes, which can lead to higher open and click-through rates.

On the other hand, low email deliverability can result in your emails being lost in the spam folder or not being delivered at all, negatively impacting your business's communication and revenue.

Challenges Faced by E-commerce Businesses

E-commerce businesses face several challenges when it comes to email deliverability. Some of the common challenges include:

Spam filters: Email service providers (ESPs) use spam filters to protect users from unsolicited or malicious emails. However, these filters can sometimes flag legitimate emails from e-commerce businesses, resulting in lower deliverability rates.
Incorrect sending practices: E-commerce businesses often send a high volume of emails to their customers, leading to their emails being marked as spam. Moreover, sending emails to inactive or unengaged email addresses can also damage deliverability rates.
Low email authentication: Email authentication protocols, such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, help establish your business's legitimacy and credibility, which impacts deliverability rates. E-commerce businesses who do not have these protocols in place may see a decrease in their deliverability rates.

As an e-commerce business owner, it is crucial to understand and address these challenges to improve your email deliverability rates.

Improving Email Deliverability for E-commerce

Now that we have identified the importance of email deliverability and common challenges faced by e-commerce businesses, let's discuss some effective strategies to improve deliverability.

1. Follow Email Sending Best Practices

Following email sending best practices is crucial for maintaining a good email reputation and improving deliverability rates. Some of the best practices include:

Sending relevant and personalized emails to your customers.
Sending emails only to engaged and active email addresses.
Regularly cleaning your email list and removing inactive or incorrect email addresses.
Ensuring your email content is well-written, concise, and relevant.
Always including an unsubscribe link in your emails to avoid being marked as spam.
Monitoring your email metrics, such as open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates.

2. Implement Email Authentication Protocols

Implementing email authentication protocols, such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, can greatly improve your email deliverability rates. These protocols help establish your business's authenticity and legitimacy to ESPs, preventing your emails from being flagged as spam.

3. Use a Reputable ESP

The ESP you choose for your e-commerce business can significantly impact your email deliverability rates. It is crucial to select a reputable ESP that follows best practices and has a good reputation with ESPs. Moreover, using a dedicated IP address for your email sends can also help improve your deliverability rates.

FAQ

How do I know if my emails are being marked as spam?

If you notice a decrease in your email open rates, it could be a sign that your emails are being marked as spam. You should regularly monitor your email metrics and check the spam folders of your email recipients.

Why are my emails being marked as spam?

Emails can be marked as spam due to various reasons, such as using misleading subject lines, sending irrelevant or unsolicited emails, or not following proper email sending practices.

Can email deliverability be improved?

Yes, email deliverability can be improved by following best practices, implementing email authentication protocols, and using a reputable ESP.