Are Your Emails Always Reaching Your Clients, Prospects, and Business Partners?

By Liz Barndt, CFO, OC REALTORS®

A few years ago, you set up your own website and started sending emails using your domain address (joe@myownwebsite.com). It’s a valuable image marketing tool but like everything involving technology, it needs to keep up.

Here are some considerations to improve email deliverability and avoid being flagged as spam:

1. Set up SPF (Sender Policy Framework): SPF is an email authentication method that verifies that the sender of an email is authorized to send emails on behalf of a domain. Contact your domain administrator or hosting provider to add an SPF record to your DNS settings. This helps prevent your emails from being blocked or marked as spam.

2. Implement DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): DKIM is another email authentication process. It helps verify the integrity and authenticity of your emails by adding a digital signature to your outgoing emails. Similar to SPF, you need to work with your domain administrator or hosting provider to set up DKIM for your domain.

3. Configure DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): DMARC builds upon SPF and DKIM to provide additional email authentication and reporting capabilities. It allows you to specify how email servers should handle emails that fail SPF and DKIM checks. Implementing DMARC can help protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attempts.

4. Monitor your email reputation: It's important to keep an eye on your email sending practices and reputation. Regularly check feedback loops and bounce reports provided by your email service provider. This helps identify and resolve any issues promptly, such as high bounce rates or spam complaints.

5. Use a reputable email service or provider: Instead of sending mass emails directly from your email provider, consider using a dedicated email marketing or bulk email service. These services typically have specialized infrastructure and tools to improve email deliverability and provide additional features for managing email campaigns.

Remember that email deliverability can be influenced by various factors beyond your control, such as the recipient's email server configuration and spam filters. By implementing proper email authentication measures and following best practices, you can maximize the chances of your emails reaching the intended recipients.