Email deliverability indicates the arrival of message in the recipient’s inbox as intended. It should not be confused with email delivery since latter refers to the successful delivery of an email to the receiving server. Email deliverability failure refers to when your message is either routed to the junk folder or is blocked by an Internet Service Provider.
Analyzing these metrics over a period helps in studying audience engagement and activity. This measurement of email deliverability is known as delivery rate of an email. The rate is represented in the form of percentage which is directly proportional to the reach of email among subscribers. Higher the percentage is, more is the number of subscribers that received emails.
So, where do most businesses lag?
While on one hand, there are various parameters that improve the email deliverability; on the other hand, there are several other that disturb the smooth deliverability of emails, which includes:
· sending email from a free domain email address
· using spam flashing email subject lines
· sending without custom authentication,
· using URL shorteners,
· single opt-in,
· making it difficult to unsubscribe and
· sending emails that contain too many images.
How can businesses maximize email deliverability?
Email deliverability is assured when an email passes on the parameters of DKIM and SPF. Email deliverability is measured on the following parameters that include:
- SPF: SPF is a method through which receiver can validate whether the emails claiming to be sent from a domain comes from an IP address which is validated by the administrators of that domain. DNS records of a domain contains the list of the authorized sending hosts and IP addresses of that domain. The purpose of an SPF record is to detect spammers and prevent them from sending messages with forged sender addresses on your domain.
2. DKIM: Domain Keys Identified Mail provides a mechanism to verify whether the email has come from the claimed domain and if the message has been tampered or not. DKIM prevents email spoofing by adding a digital signature to the headers of outgoing email messages. This involves using a private domain key for encrypting domain’s outgoing message headers and adding a public version of the key on to domain’s DNS records. Recipients can then retrieve the public key from DNS records and use it for decrypting email message headers. This will ensure that the message comes from your domain and has not been tampered.
3. DMARC alignment: DMARC allows email senders and receivers to determine if an email is legitimate or not. In case, the email is found to be malicious, DMARC helps in dealing with the email. DMARC maintains the record of SPF and DKIM for authenticating the legitimacy of the email. A DMARC policy allows the sender to indicate that their messages are protected through either SPF and DKIM or any one of them. It instructs the receiver on what to do even if neither of those authentication methods passes.
4. Analytical Tool: An analytical tool such as KDMARC enables user to protect their email domain against any unauthorized use including email scams, business email compromise, phishing emails and other threat activities. On a granular level, the tool analyses every incoming email on two parameters including SPF and DKIM. If the email
Passes both the parameters: Email will land in the user’s inbox
Fails both the parameters: Email will end up in the spam box.
Here, the tool helps in maintaining email deliverability. In case, the email fails both the parameters; the tool provides an option to quarantine the email. This will enhance email deliverability since failed emails can be redirected to the inbox.
Doing business is all about an effective and smooth communication between business providers and customers. One of the most effective way of communication is email. It is, therefore, essential to maintain a smooth communication between the two. Investing in email deliverability solutions like KDMARC ensure that a genuine email lands up exactly where it should be, that is; in your inbox.