Summary
Evaluating an ESP for deliverability before setup involves a multi-faceted approach, encompassing technical, investigational, and practical steps. Initial deliverability issues are often intrinsic to the sender's mail flow, content quality, and overall email program setup; new ESPs won't automatically fix bad practices. Inquire about the ESP's customer base, technical features (particularly custom domains for images, click tracking, DKIM signing to isolate reputation), enforcement policies, and onboarding process, assessing whether your email program is a good fit. Sender authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is paramount, and testing that the ESP is set up to authenticate mail correctly is critical. Actively monitor the ESP's sender reputation through IP ranges, domain reputation, and blacklist checks. Implement practical testing strategies, including free trials to test deliverability across different email providers, focusing on real user addresses rather than solely seed lists, and analyzing content against spam filters. Engaging with ESP deliverability support, warming up IP addresses, and checking for ISP feedback loops are also important steps. Finally, monitoring reputation via tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS, and understanding whether the ESP offers dedicated IP addresses are vital for ongoing management.
Key findings
- Sender Practices Matter Most: Your existing mail flow, content, and email program setup have a major impact on deliverability, often outweighing the ESP's direct influence.
- ESP Evaluation is Crucial: Thoroughly evaluate the ESP's technical features, customer base, and policies to ensure they align with your needs.
- Authentication is Non-Negotiable: Proper sender authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential to prevent your emails from being flagged as spam.
- Reputation Monitoring is Key: Actively monitor both the ESP's and your own sending reputation through IP ranges, domain reputation checks, and reputation tools.
- Real-World Testing is Best: Test deliverability with real user addresses to obtain the most accurate results, avoiding reliance on seed lists alone.
- Support Can Be A Differentiator: High-quality support can improve your deliverability.
Key considerations
- Program Fit: Will your program benefit from their services and features and will you adhere to their policies? Ensure that the ESP's platform aligns with your email program's requirements and practices.
- Authentication: Will the ESP fully support Authentication? Verify the ESP's commitment to proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) setup.
- Dedicated vs Shared IPs: Does the ESP offer dedicated IP addresses? Understand whether you need a dedicated or shared IP based on your sending volume and practices.
- Customer Base: Check customer reviews and history of the ESP. Research the ESP's reputation and customer reviews for insights into their deliverability track record and overall service quality.
- IP Warm-Up: Warm up slowly. Ensure you have a clear plan for warming up your IP address (if applicable) to establish a good sending reputation.
- Content Checks: Test and retest. Check your content with various tools that will help your emails be delivered and not spam.
What email marketers say
12 marketer opinions
Evaluating an Email Service Provider (ESP) for deliverability before fully committing involves assessing various factors. These include the level of support provided, the opportunity to meet with deliverability experts, and understanding that ESPs generally have similar deliverability rates. Before migrating, warming up the IP address and focusing on proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are critical. Checking the ESP's sender reputation through blacklist checks and monitoring IP address ranges is also essential. Utilizing free trials to test deliverability across different email providers, researching customer reviews, testing with real email addresses instead of solely relying on seed lists, and evaluating content against spam filters are all valuable steps. Understanding if the ESP offers feedback loops and dedicated IP addresses are also important considerations.
Key opinions
- Support Matters: The level of support offered by the ESP can significantly impact your success, especially regarding advice on improving sending behavior.
- Authentication is Key: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial to ensure emails are trusted by receiving servers.
- Reputation Checks: Investigate the ESP's sender reputation, including IP address ranges and domain reputation, to identify any potential issues.
- Trial Testing: Utilize the ESP's free trial to test deliverability rates across various email providers.
- Real-World Testing: Test with real email addresses to understand how your target audience perceives your mail and whether it's going to their inbox.
- Dedicated IP Benefits: Dedicated IP addresses allow you to build and maintain your own sending reputation, increasing deliverability success.
Key considerations
- ESP Support: Consider the level of support the ESP offers, as it can significantly impact your email marketing success.
- Authentication Protocols: Ensure the ESP supports and guides you through setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records correctly.
- Sender Reputation: Check the ESP's sender reputation and blacklist history to identify potential issues.
- Testing Methods: Employ a combination of testing methods, including free trials, seed lists, and real email addresses.
- Content Evaluation: Test email content against spam filters to identify any problematic words or phrases.
- Dedicated IP vs Shared IP: Understand whether the ESP offers dedicated IP addresses and the implications for your sender reputation.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests requesting a meeting with the ESP's deliverability support leader to ask detailed questions about reputation management, shared vs. dedicated IPs, service level options, ISP communication, and recommendations for your specific program.
18 Oct 2021 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from Mailjet shares that before fully migrating to a new ESP, it's important to warm up your IP address by gradually increasing sending volume to build a positive reputation with ISPs. Start with your most engaged subscribers.
29 Oct 2023 - Mailjet
What the experts say
5 expert opinions
Evaluating an ESP for deliverability involves several crucial steps. Primarily, focus on factors within your control, as delivery issues often stem from mail flow, content, and email program quality. Investigating the ESP's practices, asking about their clients, technical features, enforcement policies, and onboarding process, is essential. Prioritize whether your email program will thrive on their platform. Custom domain usage for images, click tracking, and DKIM signing can help isolate your reputation. Thorough deliverability testing beyond seed lists, evaluating authentication, content, and overall setup, is necessary, even if it requires a paid service. Ensuring the ESP uses proper sender authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is a fundamental aspect of pre-emptive deliverability assessment.
Key opinions
- Internal Factors Matter: Your mail flow, content, and overall email program quality significantly impact deliverability.
- ESP Practices Investigation: Inquire about the ESP's other clients, technical features, enforcement policies, and onboarding process.
- Custom Domain Advantages: Custom domain usage helps isolate your sender reputation.
- Comprehensive Testing Required: Thorough deliverability testing, including authentication and content assessment, is critical.
- Sender Authentication is Key: Proper sender authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) ensures emails are less likely to be flagged as spam.
Key considerations
- Your Email Program: Consider if your email program will thrive on the ESP's platform based on its features and policies.
- ESP Customer Base: Evaluate the ESP's existing customer base and their sending practices.
- Authentication Protocols: Ensure that the ESP uses proper email authentication protocols.
- Testing Services: Consider investing in a thorough deliverability testing service.
- Domain Reputation Isolation: Prioritize ESPs that offer custom domain options for improved reputation management.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that doing a thorough deliverability test with a new ESP is crucial. This includes more than just seedlists, and that you should evaluate authentication, content and overall setup. This may be a paid service but is worthwhile.
31 Jul 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that ensuring the ESP uses proper sender authentication protocols such as SPF, DKIM and DMARC is the first and crucial step in evaluating them for deliverability. These ensure that the sent emails are properly authenticated and are less likely to be flagged as spam.
3 Jun 2022 - Spam Resource
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Evaluating an ESP for deliverability involves understanding and implementing key email authentication protocols and monitoring tools. SPF records authorize mail servers to send email on behalf of a domain, preventing spoofing. DMARC builds upon SPF and DKIM to provide a policy framework for handling authentication failures. DKIM uses cryptographic signatures to verify the domain and message integrity. Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS allow monitoring sending reputation with Gmail and Microsoft services respectively, enabling identification and correction of deliverability issues.
Key findings
- SPF Authentication: SPF records specify authorized mail servers, preventing email address forgery.
- DMARC Policy: DMARC provides a policy framework based on SPF and DKIM for handling authentication failures.
- DKIM Integrity: DKIM uses cryptographic signatures to verify the domain and message integrity.
- Google Monitoring: Google Postmaster Tools helps monitor sending reputation with Gmail.
- Microsoft Monitoring: Microsoft SNDS helps monitor IP reputation with Microsoft services.
Key considerations
- Implement SPF: Ensure your domain has a correctly configured SPF record.
- Implement DMARC: Implement DMARC to set policies for handling authentication failures.
- Implement DKIM: Ensure your ESP supports DKIM signing for message integrity.
- Monitor with Google: Use Google Postmaster Tools to monitor your sending reputation with Gmail and proactively address issues.
- Monitor with Microsoft: Use Microsoft SNDS to monitor your IP reputation and address potential deliverability problems with Microsoft services.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools explains that it allows domain owners to monitor their sending reputation with Gmail. By analyzing the data provided, you can identify deliverability issues and take corrective actions to improve your sender reputation.
24 Dec 2022 - Google Postmaster Tools
Technical article
Documentation from DKIM shares that DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) is an email authentication system designed to verify the DNS domain of an email sender and the integrity of the message. It uses cryptographic signatures to provide assurance that the email was not altered in transit.
14 Oct 2023 - DKIM
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