Email is a powerful tool for businesses, but one of the biggest challenges is ensuring your messages reach the inbox rather than getting stuck in the SPAM box. Here are ten practical ways to improve your email deliverability, along with tips on how Crossware’s solutions can support these efforts.
Why Email Deliverability Matters
In today’s digital age, emails remain a core part of business communication. Unfortunately, a high volume of business emails are marked as SPAM, often due to avoidable mistakes. By understanding the factors that affect email deliverability and making minor adjustments, businesses can significantly reduce the chances of emails landing in the SPAM box.
1. Avoid Spammy Keywords and Phrases
Using words like ‘free,’ ‘discount,’ or ‘buy now’ can trigger spam filters. Avoid excessive promotional language and opt for straightforward, clear communication. Tip: Crossware’s signature management tool helps you keep language consistent across the team, reducing the chance of triggering SPAM filters.
2. Keep Your Signature Simple and Compliant
Email signatures with excessive images, bright colors, or complex HTML elements can flag SPAM filters. Crossware’s solutions are designed to maintain compliant, streamlined signatures that add professionalism without risking SPAM placement.
“Keeping email signatures professional and simplified is a best practice for businesses seeking to avoid deliverability issues.” — Email Marketing Benchmarks
3. Authenticate Your Domain with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
Domain authentication builds your sender reputation, making it more likely that your emails will be delivered to inboxes. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are protocols that help email providers confirm the authenticity of your domain. Proper setup of these protocols tells ISPs that your emails can be trusted. Tip: If you’re uncertain, consult with your IT team or consider Crossware’s solutions, which are built to be compatible with these protocols for improved deliverability. This is especially true when using a CRM to send your email, as failing to set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC can result in headers that say ‘Sent via example.com,’ which can negatively affect your deliverability.
4. Limit Large Attachments
Attachments over 5MB can increase the likelihood of your emails being filtered. To ensure smooth deliverability, keep attachments small and focus on including essential information only.
“Avoiding large attachments not only improves deliverability but also enhances user experience.” — Mailchimp Deliverability Guidelines
For large files, try using Dropbox and share the link. You can send large images, audio files, ebooks, etc.
5. Consistent Branding and Trusted Links in Signatures
A consistent brand identity, including using trusted links in your signature, contributes to your sender reputation. Crossware makes it easy to include trusted links and brand assets, helping your emails stay out of SPAM filters.
6. Proper Signature Design
Overly complex HTML in email signatures, such as multiple images and fonts, can flag SPAM filters. Instead, focus on a clean, professional design. Crossware offers templates that ensure email signatures are simple, compliant, and professional.
7. Avoid Overuse of Capital Letters and Exclamation Marks
Excessive capitalization and punctuation in email content can give a “spammy” impression to spam filters and recipients. For example, “CLICK HERE NOW!!!” can be flagged, while “Click here for more details” reads as more trustworthy and professional.
8. Personalize Content and Check for Typos
Emails that feel impersonal or contain grammatical errors are more likely to end up in SPAM. Simple personal touches and careful proofreading go a long way toward improving deliverability. Tip: Crossware’s centralized management ensures consistency, reducing the risk of errors that could impact your reputation.
9. Regularly Update Contact Lists
Using outdated email lists can lead to high bounce rates, which spam filters view negatively. Ensure your contact lists are accurate, removing addresses that are no longer active or show no engagement.
“High bounce rates can be a red flag to ISPs, leading to lower deliverability rates.” — HubSpot Email Deliverability Guide
10. Use Analytics to Improve Email Performance
Analyzing metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates provides insights into how recipients interact with your emails. Crossware’s analytics allow you to monitor these metrics, offering valuable data to help improve your email strategy.
These 10 tips assume that you’re sending 1-to-1 or maybe to an email list. However, if you are sending bulk emails (1-to-many), it’s crucial to clean and verify your list regularly. Using list validation tools helps ensure that every email address is valid, reducing the chances of hitting spam traps or inactive addresses, which can negatively impact your sender reputation and deliverability.
Conclusion
Improving email deliverability requires a combination of best practices and reliable tools. By following these ten tips, you can reduce the chances of your emails being flagged as SPAM and improve your outreach effectiveness. Using Crossware’s centralized email signature solutions helps enhance professionalism, ensuring consistent branding and improved deliverability.
Ready to Boost Your Email Deliverability?
Start your 30-day free trial with Crossware and see how our email signature solutions can help keep your messages out of the SPAM box. Sign up here and improve your email communication today!
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