9 Proven Strategies to Improve Email Deliverability

Getting your emails to actually land in someone’s inbox isn’t as simple as hitting “send.” Research shows that about 16.9% of all emails never make it to their destination – they end up in spam folders or disappear entirely. But when you follow good email practices, you can boost your success rate to 97%. For businesses and organizations looking to improve email deliverability, understanding and implementing the right strategies is crucial.  With nearly half of all people checking their email on phones these days, it’s more important than ever to get this right. 

What Does “Email Deliverability” Mean?

When we talk about email deliverability, we’re measuring how many of your emails actually make it to the recipient’s main inbox instead of getting marked as spam. 

There’s a difference between “deliverability” and “delivery rate.” Deliverability covers everything that helps your emails reach their destination successfully. The delivery rate is the actual percentage of your emails that make it through.

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What Is Sender Reputation?

Sender reputation is real, and it affects every email you send. Major email providers like Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook track and score your behavior as an email sender. This score determines whether your emails make it to the inbox or get filtered into spam folders.

Your sender score is based on several key factors:

• How many people open your emails.
• How many people mark your emails as spam.
• How many of your emails bounce back.
• Whether you’re sending to valid addresses.
• How often people click links in your emails.
• Whether other senders with your IP address follow good email practices.

Your sender reputation can range from excellent to poor, and it directly affects whether your emails reach the inbox or go straight to spam. Building a good reputation takes time, but losing it can happen quickly if you don’t follow good practices.

For example, if you suddenly send emails to thousands of invalid addresses, your reputation will take a hit. Or if many people start marking your emails as spam, email providers will begin to trust you less. On the flip side, when people regularly open your emails and click on your links, providers see you as a trustworthy sender.

So do not undervalue your sender reputation, as it is the most important factor when it comes to email deliverability.

Let’s look at nine proven ways to get more of your emails into people’s inboxes.

Keep Your Email List Clean and Current

Sending emails to outdated or incorrect addresses is like throwing resources away while damaging your sender reputation. Every bounced email or undelivered message signals to email providers that you might not be maintaining professional sending practices. This can lead them to treat your future emails with more suspicion, potentially sending them to spam folders instead of inboxes.

Here’s how to maintain a healthy email list:

• Run your list through email checking tools every few months to find and remove invalid addresses. For instance, Hunter.io is such a tool.
• Look for subscribers who haven’t opened your emails in the past 6-12 months and consider removing them.
• When someone unsubscribes, remove them right away – it’s not just polite, it’s usually required by law.

Use Double Opt-In to Verify Subscribers

Double opt-in is like having someone sign for a package twice. When someone subscribes to your emails, they get a confirmation email with a link they need to click. Only after clicking are they fully subscribed.

This extra step might seem unnecessary, but it has several benefits:

• It ensures the email address actually works.
• It confirms the person really wants your emails.
• It reduces the chance of people marking your emails as spam later.
• It helps build a list of engaged subscribers who are more likely to read your content.

Group Your Subscribers Thoughtfully

Instead of sending the same email to everyone, break your list into smaller groups based on what you know about your subscribers. This is called email segmentation, and it helps you send more relevant emails to each person.

For example, a software company might send different tips to beginners versus advanced users.

Verify Your Emails Are Really From You

Email authentication tells email providers that your emails are legitimate and haven’t been tampered with. There are three main ways to do this:

SPF (Sender Policy Framework):

• Think of this as a list of approved senders for your domain.
• It tells email providers which servers are allowed to send email from your address.
• It helps prevent others from pretending to be you.

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail):

• This adds an invisible digital signature to your emails.
• It proves the email hasn’t been changed since you sent it.
• It helps build trust with email providers.

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance):

• This sets rules for how to handle emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks.
• It helps protect your domain from being used by scammers.
• It gives you reports about who’s trying to send email from your domain.

Build and Maintain a Good Sending Reputation

Your sending reputation is like a credit score for email. To maintain a good reputation:

• Send emails on a regular schedule instead of in huge bursts.
• Keep track of how many emails bounce back or get marked as spam.
• Fix problems quickly when they come up.
• Use tools (for example Google Postmaster Tools) to monitor your sender reputation.

Improve Email Deliverability with Clear, Engaging Emails

The content of your emails are just as important as the technical setup. Well-written emails and newsletters are more likely to be delivered and read.

Test Your Emails and Learn From the Results

Regular testing helps you understand what works and what doesn’t. Keep track of important numbers like:

• How many people open your emails.
• How many clicks on links in your emails.
• How many emails bounce back.

Try different approaches and compare the results:

• Test different subject lines to see which ones get more opens.
• Try sending emails at different times of day.
• Experiment with different types of content.
• Use what you learn to improve future emails.

Make Your Emails Look Good on Phones

Since nearly half of all emails are read on phones, your emails need to work well on small screens.

Here’s how to make mobile-friendly emails:

• Use designs that adjust to fit different screen sizes.
• Keep subject lines short enough to read on phone screens.
• Use a single-column layout that’s easy to scroll through.
• Make buttons large enough to tap easily with a finger.
• Test your emails on different devices before sending.

Choose a Good Email Service Provider

Your email service provider (ESP) is the delivery service for your emails. Choosing a reliable one makes a big difference in how many of your emails get delivered.

Look for an ESP that offers:

• Tools to track and improve delivery rates.
• Support for email authentication.
• Detailed reports about your emails’ performance.
• Good customer support when you need help.
• Features to help you manage your email list.

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Improving email deliverability is an ongoing and time-consuming process. Keep testing, learning, and adjusting your approach based on what works best for your specific situation and audience.