Summary
Using third-party platforms for product review solicitation presents a mixed bag of benefits and risks. On the one hand, they can streamline review collection, enhance brand credibility, integrate seamlessly with e-commerce platforms, and support multi-channel review collection. They also offer centralized review management. However, they can limit customization options, pose deliverability challenges, inherit sending risks, potentially impact data privacy and brand reputation, and involve significant costs. Experts emphasize the importance of proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and data privacy compliance (GDPR). A thorough evaluation of the platform's sending practices, authentication setup, IP address strategy, and DMARC compliance is crucial to mitigate potential risks.
Key findings
- Process Efficiency: Third-party platforms can streamline the review collection process and automate review requests.
- Credibility Boost: Verified reviews from external sources can enhance brand credibility and build trust.
- Integration Advantages: Seamless integration with e-commerce platforms simplifies review management.
- Deliverability Risks Exist: Poor sending practices or shared IP addresses can negatively impact deliverability.
- Customization Limits: Relying solely on a third-party platform can restrict customization and control.
- Cost Factor: The cost of these platforms can be a significant factor, especially for small businesses.
- Reputation at Stake: Poor sending practices of the 3rd party can negatively affect the senders reputation.
- Importance of Authentication: Authentication is critical to ensure the platform can be trusted.
Key considerations
- Assess Platform Authentication: Ensure the platform properly configures branded emails and authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) using a dedicated sending domain.
- Verify Data Privacy Compliance: Check the platform's adherence to data privacy regulations like GDPR.
- Monitor Domain Reputation: Track your domain's reputation to identify and address potential deliverability issues.
- Evaluate Sending Practices: Thoroughly evaluate the 3rd party platforms sending practices and compliance.
- Consider White Label Option: If available, consider branded/white label options to maintain branding control.
- Established Infrastructure: If possible, send the review link from your established sending infrastructure for greater control.
What email marketers say
12 marketer opinions
Using third-party platforms for product review solicitation offers several advantages, including streamlined review collection, enhanced brand credibility through verified reviews, and seamless integration with e-commerce platforms. They also centralize review management and support multi-channel collection. However, they also present drawbacks such as potential limitations in customization and control, potential deliverability issues, inheriting sending risks and potential negative impact on data privacy and brand reputation and the cost of the platforms, and dependency on their features and compliance.
Key opinions
- Streamlined Process: Third-party platforms streamline the review collection process, offering tools for automation and review syndication.
- Enhanced Credibility: Verified reviews from external sources can enhance brand credibility and build trust with potential customers.
- Integration: Seamless integration with e-commerce platforms automates review requests and saves time.
- Deliverability Risks: Using lesser-known platforms can lead to deliverability issues and negatively impact sender reputation.
- Limited Control: Relying solely on a third-party platform can limit customization options and control over the review process.
- Cost Considerations: The cost of using third-party platforms can be a significant factor, especially for small businesses.
- Brand Reputation Risk: The reputation of the email sending source can affect your brand. If they aren't properly following compliance rules you can inherit that risk.
Key considerations
- Data Privacy: Ensure the platform complies with data privacy regulations (like GDPR) and email marketing best practices.
- Sending Reputation: Check the platform's sending reputation and authentication practices to avoid deliverability issues.
- Customization: Evaluate whether the platform's features and customization options align with your brand and desired customer experience.
- Cost-Benefit Analysis: Conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine if the platform's features and benefits justify the cost.
- White Label Options: If available, consider a branded/white label option to maintain control over branding and reputation.
- Authentication: The email source that is used should be authenticated. If not avoid using it to avoid spoofing/phishing attacks.
- Established Sending Infrastructure: If possible, send the review link from your established sending infrastructure.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Shopify Community Forum shares that they experienced deliverability issues when using a lesser-known review platform. They believe it's vital to check the platform's sending reputation and authentication practices to avoid landing in spam folders.
2 Mar 2022 - Shopify Community Forums
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks recalls that such providers are one or two dodgy customers away from it all going south deliverability-wise and, if they have a branded/white label option, it is best to take it, even if it costs more.
20 Jun 2024 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
5 expert opinions
Experts generally agree that using a third-party platform for product review solicitation emails can be acceptable if the platform properly configures authentication and follows good sending practices. Using a dedicated subdomain for authentication is ideal. However, using a platform that doesn't allow custom subdomains, or one with questionable practices, can negatively impact your reputation. Thoroughly evaluating any third-party service provider is essential to ensure compliance and maintain your brand's reputation.
Key opinions
- Proper Authentication is Key: Properly configured authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial for maintaining sender reputation when using a third-party platform.
- Dedicated Subdomain Recommended: Using a dedicated subdomain for review solicitations is the ideal setup for authentication and sender reputation management.
- Inherited Reputation Risk: Using a platform with poor sending practices or a lack of compliance can negatively impact your sender reputation due to association.
- Thorough Evaluation is Essential: It's essential to thoroughly evaluate any email service provider to ensure solid authentication, good sending practices, and clear compliance with email regulations.
Key considerations
- Authentication Configuration: Ensure the third-party platform properly configures branded emails and authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
- Subdomain Usage: Inquire whether the platform allows for custom subdomain usage; avoid services that don't support it.
- Platform Practices: Investigate the platform's sending practices and compliance with email regulations.
- Reputation Assessment: Assess the potential reputation damage associated with using a platform that engages in questionable practices.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise (Laura Atkins) explains that it's essential to thoroughly evaluate any email service provider. If you choose a 3rd party they must have solid authentication, good sending practices, and clear compliance with email regulations. Otherwise you are inheriting that risk and can affect your brand.
5 Mar 2024 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks shares that if the 3rd party properly configures branded emails/authentication, there are no immediate issues with using them. Many companies use multiple ESPs/platforms for different messaging streams.
18 Mar 2023 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Email deliverability documentation emphasizes the importance of proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and data privacy compliance (GDPR) when using third-party platforms for sending product review solicitation emails. The sending domain's reputation directly impacts email deliverability, and using platforms with poor sending practices or shared IP addresses can negatively affect deliverability, leading to emails being marked as spam. DMARC compliance is crucial for preventing email spoofing and phishing attacks, and users are ultimately responsible for how customer data is handled by these platforms.
Key findings
- Authentication is Crucial: Proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential for maintaining sender reputation and ensuring deliverability.
- Data Privacy Compliance: Third-party platforms must comply with data privacy regulations (like GDPR), and users are responsible for how their customer data is handled.
- Domain Reputation Impact: The sending domain's reputation directly impacts email deliverability.
- Shared IP Risks: Shared IP addresses used by some platforms can lead to deliverability issues if other users engage in poor sending practices.
- DMARC Compliance: DMARC compliance is essential for preventing email spoofing and phishing attacks.
Key considerations
- Authentication Setup: Ensure the third-party platform uses a dedicated sending domain and properly configures SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
- Compliance Verification: Verify the platform's compliance with data privacy regulations like GDPR.
- Reputation Monitoring: Monitor your domain's reputation to identify and address any deliverability issues that may arise.
- IP Address Assessment: Inquire about the platform's IP address strategy and the potential risks associated with shared IPs.
- DMARC Enforcement: Confirm that the platform supports and enforces DMARC to protect against email spoofing and phishing.
Technical article
Documentation from Mailchimp notes that when using a third-party platform, it's essential to ensure they comply with data privacy regulations (like GDPR) and email marketing best practices. You are ultimately responsible for how your customer data is handled.
18 Sep 2022 - Mailchimp
Technical article
Documentation from DMARC.org states that proper DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) implementation is essential for preventing email spoofing and phishing attacks. If the third-party platform isn't DMARC compliant, it could expose your brand to these risks.
23 Jun 2022 - DMARC.org
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