Preventing spam emails

Simple steps for better email delivery

Simple steps to prevent your emails from ending up in spam

Even in these digital times, e-mail remains a crucial means of communication for businesses and individuals. Yet there is nothing more frustrating than important emails ending up in the dreaded spam folder. In this blog post, we explore why emails are often flagged as spam, how to correct your MX record for proper email delivery and the importance of following email content rules. We also introduce an indispensable tool, Litmus, that ensures your emails look and function well.

Why emails end up in spam

Understanding the reasons why emails are flagged as spam is the first step toward a solution. Here are some common reasons:

SUSPICIOUS CONTENT

  • Keywords: emails with phrases such as “free money,” “win a prize” or “click here” are often filtered by spam filters.

  • Links: including too many links or links to suspicious websites can give your e-mail the appearance of spam.

  • Attachments: attachments, especially executable files (.exe), are often associated with spam and can trigger filters.

  • Design: emails that consist of only one large image or have unusual formatting may be considered spam.

SENDER REPUTATION

  • Domain reputation: the reputation of your e-mail domain affects whether your e-mails end up in spam. A history of sending spam-like emails can damage your reputation.

  • Recipient interactions: if recipients often delete your emails without reading or mark them as spam, this has a negative impact on your sender reputation.

Correcting the MX record

The MX (Mail Exchange) record is crucial for proper e-mail delivery. Here’s how to correct it:

  • Get the correct MX record information:

      • Obtain the MX record information from your e-mail service provider, including the mail server address and priority settings.
      • Check your email service installation instructions for the exact code or settings you need to add.
  • Access your domain’s DNS settings:

      • Log in to your domain host (such as GoDaddy, Namecheap or Bluehost).
      • Navigate to the DNS management section.
  • Add or update the MX record:

      • Find the section for MX records within your DNS settings.
      • Enter the new record information provided by your email service:
        • Hostname: the address of the mail server.
        • Priority: a number indicating the priority of the server (lower numbers mean higher priority).
      • Save the changes.
  • Verify the changes:

      • Wait for the changes to take effect, which may take several minutes to several hours.
      • Send a test e-mail to verify that it is delivered correctly and does not end up in the spam folder.

Creating good email content

Creating high-quality email content is crucial to avoiding spam filters. Here are some best practices:

Introduce Litmus for email testing

To ensure that your emails are not only delivered, but also look and function well, consider using Litmus. Here are the benefits of Litmus:

Email examples

Litmus provides examples of how your email will look on different email clients and devices, so you can ensure a consistent look.

Spam Testing

It checks your e-mail against common spam filters, so you can identify and fix problems that may send your e-mail to the spam folder.

Performance Analysis

Litmus provides detailed analytics on how recipients interact with your email, including open rates and link clicks.

Samenwerkings-
tools

It allows teams to collaborate on email design and testing, streamlining workflow.

Conclusion

To make sure your emails end up in the inbox and not the spam folder, you need to follow both technical settings and email content best practices. Configuring your MX records correctly and following email content guidelines will improve your email delivery. Using tools like Litmus will also help you optimize your emails for maximum effect. Contact RedCard.Digital today to find out how we can help you improve your email marketing strategies and increase your digital engagement.

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