Email deliverability is a serious subject. With the online world always adjusting, it is important that we continue to adjust, too, to ensure that your emails don’t end up in recipient’s spam boxes. Below are some advice that will help ensure that this doesn’t happen.
- Avoid Phishing Phrases and Spam Trigger Words
While there isn’t a comprehensive list of spam trigger words out there, and it may not always be the case that your email ends up in a spam folder for using the so-called triggers, it is important to remember that a spam filter’s job is to remove commercial promotions and ads. So, words that are common in those types of emails should be avoided. As for phishing emails, those are designed to steal identities by getting recipients to click on fraudulent links. Typically, these emails are disguised as legitimate emails, like those from banks. So, try to avoid using phrases that normally pop up in these kinds of messages.
- If You Send HTML Emails, Include a Text Version
This is one of the easiest ways – and most – preventable – for getting emails sent to spam. Including a text version if you are sending out HTML emails is a good way to stay out of spam folders and help your recipient if they cannot view HTML. The same concept applies to email signatures. A reliable signature generator will help with this issue.
- Use Spam Checkers
Before hitting send on your emails, try to make use of a spam checking service. There are plenty of free programs and tools available online that will check your emails for deliverability.
- Avoid, or Get Off, Blacklists
If you find your email server to be on a blacklist, it can be difficult to reliably send out your emails, especially to new people on your lists. The first thing to do is check whether or not your email server is on a blacklist – again, there are free services online that you can use. If the server is found to be on a blacklist, you will have to follow up with the website that put it on a blacklist.
- Keep a Good Image to Text Ratio
While it is okay to include a well-designed image in your email signature, it is probably better not to use images in the body of your email. If you absolutely must use images, follow these tips:
- Make sure you use well-formed HTML.
- Do not send any emails that are image-only.
- Try to optimise the images as best you are able to.
- For every graphic, try to include at least two lines of text.
- Avoid the Spam Traps
Spam traps are usually email addresses that service providers flag as being no longer in use by a human. To avoid using a spam tramp email, make sure you use an opt-in process and never buy email lists from brokers.
- Don’t Attach Larger Documents
Typically, .pdf, .png, .gif, and .jpg attachments are safe to send in an email, as long as there is also content included in the email. Executable attachments, though, such as .exe or .zip files should be avoided at all costs.
Keep these tips in mind and keep your emails out of the spam folder.
