A common hurdle many Shopify merchants face is the frustration of their marketing and transactional emails ending up in their customers’ spam folders.
This not only diminishes the impact of their messages but also undermines their efforts to engage with their audience effectively.
Importance of Email Deliverability
The journey of an email from the sender’s outbox to the recipient’s inbox is more complex than it may seem.
Email deliverability, the ability of an email to reach the recipient’s inbox successfully, plays a crucial role in the success of any email marketing strategy.
When emails consistently land in the spam folder, it hampers customer engagement, reduces open rates, and ultimately affects sales conversions.
Common Reasons for Emails Going to Spam
Technical Issues
Technical misconfigurations such as missing SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) records can significantly impact email deliverability.
Without these authentication mechanisms, email servers may treat emails as suspicious or unauthorized, leading them straight to the spam folder.
Content-related Issues
The content of the email itself can trigger spam filters if it contains spam-like characteristics.
This includes using excessive capitalization, misleading subject lines, or including attachments or links to blacklisted domains.
Additionally, sending emails with large image-to-text ratios or overly promotional language can also raise red flags for spam filters.
Reputation Issues
The reputation of the sender’s domain and IP address heavily influences email deliverability.
If the sender has a history of sending spammy or irrelevant content, email providers may flag future emails as spam.
Building and maintaining a positive sender reputation requires consistent engagement with subscribers, avoiding spam complaints, and adhering to email marketing best practices.
Steps to Improve Email Deliverability
Technical Fixes
- Setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records: Configuring these authentication protocols ensures that email providers can verify the legitimacy of emails sent from your domain, reducing the likelihood of them being marked as spam.
- Verifying domain authentication: Verifying domain ownership with email service providers like Shopify and ensuring alignment between the sending domain and the email’s “from” address strengthens email authentication and improves deliverability.
Content Optimization
- Crafting relevant subject lines and email content: Personalized, relevant content not only resonates with recipients but also reduces the risk of triggering spam filters.
- Avoiding spam trigger words: Words commonly associated with spam, such as “free,” “guarantee,” or “urgent,” should be used sparingly to avoid being flagged by spam filters.
Maintaining Sender Reputation
- Regularly monitoring email performance: Using Google Postmaster Tools to keep an eye on email open rates, click-through rates, and spam complaint rates helps identify potential issues and allows for timely adjustments.
- Consistently sending valuable content: Providing subscribers with valuable, engaging content builds trust and credibility, improving sender reputation and email deliverability.
Testing and Monitoring
Before sending out email campaigns, it’s essential to test emails across different devices and email clients to ensure they render correctly and aren’t flagged as spam.
Utilizing email analytics tools like Shopify’s built-in email performance metrics or third-party services can provide insights into email deliverability, allowing merchants to fine-tune their strategies accordingly.
Conclusion
In the competitive landscape of e-commerce, every email counts.
By addressing technical issues, optimizing content, and nurturing a positive sender reputation, Shopify merchants can significantly improve the deliverability of their marketing and transactional emails, ensuring they reach their intended audience’s inbox consistently.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take for email deliverability improvements to show results?
The timeline for seeing improvements in email deliverability can vary depending on the steps taken and the sender’s reputation.
However, significant improvements can often be observed within weeks of implementing best practices.
Can I manually move emails from the spam folder to the inbox for my customers?
As a sender, you do not have control over where your emails land in recipients’ inboxes or spam folders.
Encourage customers to mark your emails as “not spam” if they find them in the spam folder to help improve deliverability over time.
Is it necessary to hire a professional to improve email deliverability?
While hiring a professional can expedite the process and provide expert guidance, merchants can also improve email deliverability by following best practices, monitoring performance metrics, and making adjustments as needed.
Are there any specific Shopify apps to help with email deliverability?
Yes, several Shopify apps offer features to enhance email deliverability, such as Klaviyo, Omnisend, and Privy.
These apps often include tools for email marketing automation, segmentation, and analytics to optimize campaigns for better deliverability.
What should I do if my emails continue to go to spam despite following these steps?
If emails persistently go to spam, it may indicate deeper issues with sender reputation or technical configurations.
In such cases, consulting with email deliverability experts or Shopify support can provide insights and solutions tailored to your specific situation.
