Ever wondered why some emails land in your inbox while others vanish into the dreaded spam folder? If your emails aren’t getting delivered, the numbers won’t be reflected in your sales either! Email deliverability is a critical yet often overlooked part of your email marketing strategy. It’s not just about sending emails—it’s about ensuring they actually make it to your customers’ inboxes. In today’s episode, I’ll break down what email deliverability really means, why it matters, and 4 simple tips to improve email deliverability and boost your sender reputation.
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What is Email Deliverability?
Email deliverability determines whether your emails land where they’re supposed to—your subscribers’ inboxes. Think of it as a soccer (or football) game: your goal is to score by getting into the inbox, while email providers like Gmail and Yahoo act as goalkeepers, protecting their users. If your email doesn’t follow their rules, it could be blocked, sent to spam, or even bounced back.
Here’s the difference between email delivery and email deliverability:
- Delivery: When an email is accepted by the service provider, like Gmail.
- Deliverability: When the email actually reaches your customer’s inbox.
With over 300 billion emails sent daily, inbox providers are selective about what they allow through. Your job? Play by their rules and prove you’re a trustworthy sender.
Why Does Email Deliverability Matter?
If your emails aren’t delivered, your customers won’t see your amazing offers, product updates, or cart reminders. Worse yet, all the time you spent crafting that perfect email will go to waste. Poor deliverability means:
- Wasted effort
- Lost sales
- Lower engagement
4 Simple Tips to Improve Your Email Deliverability
Clean Your Email List Regularly
Inactive subscribers hurt your sender reputation. Inbox providers notice when emails aren’t being opened and assume you’re sending spam. While it’s tempting to hold on to every subscriber, inactive ones do more harm than good.
✅ Pro Tip:
Every quarter, create a segment of inactive subscribers and send a re-engagement email or a 3-email sequence. If they don’t respond, remove them.
💡 Example: “We miss you! Here’s 10% off your next order if you come back today.”
Authenticate Your Sending Domain
Authentication proves to inbox providers that your emails are legitimate and not spam. This is crucial in today’s world of bots and phishing.
✅ How to Set It Up in Klaviyo:
Go to Settings and follow the steps to set up your branded sending domain using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols. It’s easier than it sounds and mandatory if you’re sending emails to more than 5,000 subscribers.
📌 Side Note: If this feels overwhelming, join the waitlist for my course Leads on Autopilot (launching January 2025). I’ll walk you through it step-by-step.
Send Relevant, Engaging Content
Inbox providers track how recipients interact with your emails. Higher engagement (opens, clicks) improves your reputation, while low engagement can hurt it.
✅ How to Personalize Your Emails:
• Use segmentation to target customers based on their behavior.
• Example: Send a discount code to customers who’ve browsed your site but haven’t purchased yet. (Think: browse abandonment flow.)
• For beauty brands: Send skincare tips to one segment and haircare tips to another based on interest.
Your goal with every email? Encourage the click!
Make Unsubscribing Easy
While this might sound counterintuitive, making it easy to unsubscribe reduces spam complaints, which helps your deliverability.
✅ Tips:
• Include a one-click unsubscribe link in every email.
• Use clear language like “Unsubscribe here” instead of hiding it.
It’s better for someone to leave your list willingly than mark your emails as spam.
Quick Recap: 4 Tips to Boost Your Deliverability
- Clean your email list regularly.
- Authenticate your sending domain with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
- Send relevant, engaging content tailored to your audience.
- Make unsubscribing easy to keep spam complaints low.
Start small—pick one tip to implement this week, and you’ll start to see your open rates and engagement improve over time.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Want to send more relevant, engaging emails that actually land in your customers’ inboxes? Download my Ultimate Email Segmentation Blueprint for step-by-step strategies to segment your email list and boost engagement.
Final Notes On Improving Email Deliverability
Improving your email deliverability isn’t just about reaching the inbox—it’s about building trust and staying top of mind with your audience. Start implementing these tips, and you’ll see the impact in your open rates, clicks, and, ultimately, sales.
If you are ready to automate your email marketing and transform your e-commerce business, start by downloading my Free Quickstart Checklist to High-Converting Pop-Ups & Welcome Flows—your step-by-step guide to setting up Klaviyo like a pro. And if you’re ready for the next level, don’t miss my upcoming course, Leads on Autopilot: Build a High-Converting Pop-Up & Welcome Flow in Klaviyo, where I’ll guide you through everything in detail.
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