So, what is email deliverability? Essentially, it’s the rate at which an email actually lands in a subscriber's inbox. There are several factors that could determine whether your email does land in the recipient's inbox, all of which we’ll go through in this blog.
Why is email deliverability so important?
Picture this: you’ve crafted a beautifully designed email with a strong call-to-action and engaging content, but only a fraction of your subscribers actually see it. This is where email deliverability comes in. A high deliverability rate means that your emails aren’t just being sent—they’re being received by your subscribers where it counts: their primary inbox, not the spam folder.
Email providers like Gmail and Yahoo look at your sender reputation, bounce rates, and engagement levels to determine whether your email makes the cut. This means that understanding and improving your deliverability is a vital part of your email marketing strategy. Let’s explore what factors affect this rate and how you can turn things around.
What affects email deliverability rate?
To get your emails delivered successfully, it’s important to know what can influence your deliverability rate. Here are the key elements that email service providers (ESPs) look at when evaluating your emails:
IP Reputation
Just like your business has a reputation, so does your IP address. Your IP’s track record — whether it’s been flagged for spammy behaviour, or if it’s associated with high bounce rates — affects your deliverability. A good IP reputation increases the chances of your emails landing in the inbox, while a poor one can send your campaigns straight to the spam folder.
Content
Content matters when it comes to deliverability — both the content you use and how it’s structured. Email providers flag emails that use spammy language (like “100% Free!” or “Limited Time Offer!!!”) or contain poorly formatted HTML and a disproportionate number of images to text. These factors can trigger spam filters, making it less likely that your emails will be delivered, or land in that all-important Primary Inbox.
Recipient Engagement
Email providers love engagement. The more your recipients open, click, and interact with your emails, the better your deliverability score. Low engagement rates signal that your emails might not be relevant or valuable, which can lead to your emails being filtered out over time.
Sending Domain Reputation
Your domain’s reputation plays a significant role, just like your IP reputation. ESPs evaluate your sending domain’s history — such as how often your emails have been marked as spam, or whether your domain is authenticated correctly. This impacts your sender score and determines whether your emails are trusted enough to reach the inbox.
What is a good email deliverability rate?
Developing a strong deliverability score is closely linked to four key metrics:
- Open Rate: How often recipients open your emails.
- Click Rate: The percentage of people who click on links within your email.
- Bounce Rate: The rate at which your emails are not delivered and ‘bounce’ back.
- Spam Complaints: The number of times your emails are marked as spam.
At Get Better, we aim for open rates of 45% to 50% for our campaigns—well above industry standards. And this is no accident; it’s the result of a consistent focus on email deliverability and constant list hygiene.
Fix email deliverability before big campaigns
Mass holidays or events such as Black Friday, Christmas, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day will have had a well-thought-out strategy, but have you considered your current email deliverability score? When you’re due to send large-scale emails, you need to ensure that your emails will actually hit the inboxes of your subscribers.
Boost your email deliverability for better results
Email deliverability isn’t just about sending more emails; it’s about making sure those emails reach the right place at the right time. By focusing on key factors like IP and domain reputation, content quality, and audience engagement, you can ensure your emails consistently reach the inbox.
A strong deliverability rate means higher engagement, better campaign performance, and a healthier email list overall. At Get Better, we’re experts in crafting and executing campaigns that not only look great but also perform exceptionally well, by prioritising deliverability. Ready to improve your email deliverability and maximise the impact of your campaigns? Let’s make sure every email you send reaches its full potential — straight to the inbox by getting in contact with us today!
