How to Improve Deliverability of Your Ecommerce Newsletter

How to Improve the Deliverability of Your Ecommerce Newsletter

Posted 3 years ago by Irina Maltseva

Benjamin Franklin started publishing Poor Richard�셲 Almanac in桂1734桂to桂promote his printing business. He桂published trivia, wisdom, weather reports, and桂practically everything people found useful at桂the桂time. Franklin ended up桂selling 10,000桂copies a桂year. It桂was the桂first time newsletters were used for桂content marketing and桂promoting a桂brand.

Newsletters worked back in桂1734, and桂continue to桂do桂so桂in桂2022. They are especially useful for桂ecommerce businesses. An桂ecommerce newsletter helps keep customers updated with new products and桂company news, making your recipients think of桂your business first when they need something. However, ecommerce newsletters are not just effective tools (aka, attracting potential buyers).

59% of桂buyers are influenced by桂marketing emails, according to桂.
4.14桂billion people check their email every day. Email marketing revenue is桂set to桂cross $10桂billion next year, as桂stated by桂.

In桂an桂oversaturated market where ecommerce brands struggle to桂capture consumer attention, newsletters have become an桂effective way to桂build brand loyalty without shelling out millions. However, the桂success of桂ecommerce newsletters depends a桂lot on桂how many users actually receive them in桂their inboxes.

What is桂Email Deliverability?

Email deliverability is桂the桂ability to桂reach subscribers�� inboxes. This does not take into account the桂number of桂emails that go桂to桂the桂spam folder or桂are turned down by桂the桂recipient server.

If桂you send out a桂newsletter to桂100桂subscribers, you may see that it桂reached only 90桂inboxes. Low email deliverability means reduced engagement, increased spam reports, and桂a桂high percentage of桂emails that have not successfully reached recipients. Poor email delivery doesn�셳 just impact , but also endangers crucial transactional alerts, such as桂emails that notify customers about order and桂payment status updates.

In桂email deliverability terms, low open rates and桂engagement are clear signals to桂internet service providers that your recipients aren�셳 interested in桂your content. Low engagement can even lead to桂providers blocking your email campaigns.

As桂you can see, email deliverability is桂the桂first thing ecommerce owners need to桂track in桂their .

How to桂Track Your Newsletters�� Deliverability?

Let�셲 start with the桂끓껸끅쓩낌끅�뱈껸꾈꿎 allow you to桂check email deliverability directly in桂your email reports. This is桂the桂first place you should look at. For example, if桂you send emails via , you�셪l get a桂report for桂every email campaign you send. You�셪l see information about email deliverability in桂those reports:

If桂you want to桂get more insights to桂understand where you stand, you can also check out these tools that offer a桂free plan or桂a桂generous free trial:

MailTester: MailTester offers quite a桂lot for桂free. It桂analyses your emails to桂determine their quality and桂offers solutions to桂improve your score. With the桂paid version, you can integrate the桂report into your email provider services and桂keep a桂list of桂purchased tests.
MXToolbox: If桂you�셱e looking for桂a桂more feature-rich email deliverability tool, MXToolbox can be桂the桂answer. It桂checks security protocols and桂shares reputation change alerts and桂geolocation of桂subscribers.
GlockApps: GlockApps is桂a桂robust deliverability tool that tests authentications, spam score, and桂IP桂reputation for桂seed list accounts (test email addresses created for桂the桂purpose of桂monitoring where messages will land when sent.) You can also see whether your newsletters are reaching the桂inbox, promotional, social, or桂spam folders. With GlockApps Bounce Monitor, you can check the桂bounce rate of桂your emails (aka the桂percentage of桂failed deliveries).

Now that you know the桂ways to桂check your ecommerce newsletter deliverability, it�셲 time to桂figure out the桂success of桂your campaigns.

Is桂Your Email Deliverability OK?

Ideally, you want to桂reach 100% of桂subscribers, 100% of桂the桂time. But the桂reality is桂often disappointing. According to桂the桂:

The average deliverability of桂major email tools is桂85.3%. So桂if桂your deliverability is桂above 90%, you�셱e in桂a桂good spot.
Deliverability changes each year slightly so桂focus on桂consistency.
The ecommerce industry sees an桂average hard bounce rate (when the桂email has been returned to桂the桂sender because the桂recipient�셲 email address is桂invalid) of桂0.19% and桂a桂soft bounce rate (indicates a桂temporary delivery issue) of桂0.26%. Make sure you�셱e below these numbers for桂an桂email campaign to桂be桂effective.

How to桂Improve Your Email Deliverability?

If桂your email deliverability is桂not where you want it桂to桂be, that might be桂because of桂a桂content or桂technical problem. Fortunately, you can improve your numbers with a桂few tweaks.

Clean Your Email List

A桂lot of桂business owners buy pre-curated email lists to桂kickstart their campaigns. This is桂a桂grave mistake for桂many 곶깎껸끅늡꾈끅�봳농깎 first is桂the桂lack of桂updated or桂real addresses.

You should always try to桂build a桂subscriber list via in-house lead generation techniques such as桂opt-in forms, site pop-ups, email collection forms on桂the桂landing page, Facebook Lead Ads, etc. If桂you run an桂붚죕쳔 store, you can collect customers�� email addresses :

Even if桂you built your own list, many previous customers will stop opening your emails after some time. You need to桂either get rid of桂addresses that are inactive or桂send a桂reconfirmation email. It桂is桂an桂email that reminds your customers about your business and桂asks them to桂confirm their interest in桂your newsletters.

Periodically use an桂 to桂trim your list and桂keep it桂updated. Failing to桂do桂so桂will increase your bounce rate, which is桂a桂red flag for桂the桂recipient�셲 email service provider (ESP). Over time, you will receive a桂low sender score, which is桂basically a桂credit score for桂your email campaigns. Once it桂is桂too low, email service providers may divert your emails to桂the桂spam folders.

When it桂comes to桂ecommerce newsletters, an桂engaged audience is桂far better than having many inactive recipients.

Make It桂Easy to桂Unsubscribe

With the桂conversation around GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and桂 growing stronger, double opt-ins have become standard. A桂double opt-in requires a桂subscriber to桂verify their email address and桂then confirm interest to桂receive a桂newsletter.

Even if桂your subscribers verify their emails, it桂doesn�셳 mean they want to桂stay in桂your list forever. That�셲 why you must allow them to桂easily unsubscribe from your list. One way you can do桂this is桂by桂adding an桂Unsubscribe link to桂each of桂your newsletters:

If桂you purposely make it桂hard to桂leave your email list, people might move your newsletter to桂the桂spam folder to桂avoid interacting with it. Getting a桂lot of桂spam reports might lead to桂your account being blocked or桂suspended by桂your ESP.

Overstaying your welcome might ruin the桂relationship with your customers permanently, so桂make sure to桂show you are willing to桂help your audience out. Word of桂mouth praise will increase brand loyalty, and桂you want to桂come off as桂flexible and桂understanding rather than spammy.

Personalize Your Emails on桂a桂High Level

Email is桂unique in桂the桂way it桂offers a桂detailed, personalized conversation between brands and桂customers. Focus on桂building high-quality relationships with your audience so桂that they keep engaging with your content. This can be桂new product launches, asking them for桂feedback, showing them user-generated content (UGC), sharing brand updates, or桂even a桂discount for桂a桂special occasion:

A桂warm and桂friendly approach combined with highly personalized content will win you a桂lot of桂customers and桂pull you out of桂the桂deliverability woes.

Avoid Spam Traps

Spam traps are an桂internet service provider�셲 way of桂protecting users. These decoys are meant to桂catch spammers, but can accidentally catch legitimate marketers.

The ESP will use fake email addresses as桂traps. These addresses are either not linked with any桂real person, spelled incorrectly, inactive, or桂recycled, meaning that the桂ESP takes a桂previously active account and桂reuses it桂for桂trapping reasons. The moment you send an桂email to桂one of桂these accounts, your deliverability takes a桂huge hit. Spam traps lead to桂blacklists, and桂blacklists lead to桂the桂death of桂ecommerce newsletters.

This is桂why you should use double opt-in to桂confirm a桂user�셲 consent or桂add a桂reCAPTCHA to桂your email collection forms to桂prevent bot attacks. On桂top of桂that, never buy an桂email list. The email addresses collected are often inactive or桂contain spam traps.

A桂quick note: if桂you want to桂add a桂video to桂your email, it�셲 always better to桂. Blasting out video links or桂using HTML codes will potentially mark your newsletters as桂spam.

Write Non-Spammy Subject Lines

There�셲 no桂point in桂writing a桂captivating email copy if桂you don�셳 spend as桂much (or even more) time on桂writing a桂subject line and桂preheader text. Here are some pointers on桂writing non-spammy subject lines:

Focus on桂providing genuine value to桂the桂readers upfront.
Use attention-grabbing lines that are close to桂the桂reader�셲 persona.
Use names or桂recognizable references to桂drive relevance.
Don�셳 use exaggeration to桂get clicks. Readers who feel deceived will mark your email as桂spam.

Take a桂moment to桂learn about Email Fails You Need to桂Avoid.

Protect Your Sender Reputation

This part is桂for桂more techy users, but we桂think it�셲 crucial for桂all ecommerce sellers to桂think about. The sender reputation score judges the桂reputation of桂the桂sender�셲 address on桂a桂scale of桂0桂to桂100. This is桂an桂umbrella metric that considers many aspects of桂your email campaigns, including bounce rate, spam complaints, spam traps, open and桂click-through rates, as桂well as桂quality of桂content.

The reputation score is桂also dependent on桂the桂consistency of桂your email volume. A桂sudden uptick or桂decrease may alert an桂ESP of桂your emails. If桂you�셱e just starting out, gradually increase the桂volume of桂emails you send over time, as桂shown in桂the桂graphic below, so桂as桂to桂appear like a桂legitimate business:

Finally, use the桂authentication protocols. Sender Policy Framework (SPF) verifies the桂IP桂address of桂the桂sender while DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) checks the桂ownership of桂the桂email in桂transit. These protocols are easy to桂set up, even if桂you don�셳 consider yourself tech-savvy.

Check out on桂how to桂prove your identity and桂secure your email account in桂just a桂few clicks.

Summing Up

You should only use emails to桂build your brand if桂you know your newsletters are being delivered properly and桂efficiently. To桂improve the桂deliverability of桂your ecommerce newsletters, create emails that are worth opening. Stay consistent in桂your strategy and桂personalize as桂you go. Follow in桂Benjamin Franklin�셲 footsteps when making a桂great newsletter, and桂you are sure to桂succeed!

桂

About The Author

Head of Marketing at , Irina works on product marketing strategies and growing SaaS companies with inbound marketing.

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