What’s arguably the most important thing for e-commerce brands to have (besides the product, of course)? The answer is a reliable way to reach your customers.

This is where Email Marketing enters the chat; it’s more than just sending out promotions. You can leverage email for different avenues like nurturing your affiliates, signing up your existing customer list to become affiliates, updates on commissions, and more. But the foundation of its success depends on whether your campaigns can reach your subscriber’s inbox—this is what we call “deliverability.”

As we head into 2024, major email providers like Gmail, Microsoft, and Yahoo are updating their rules, and these changes will impact how your emails are delivered. If you’re using ESPs (email service providers) like Klaviyo and Sendlane, understanding and adapting to these new rules isn’t just helpful – it’s necessary for your success.

ICYMI, Here Are The Important Updates

Google (Gmail, Googlemail)

• Implementation Date: Starting February 1, 2024.
• Inactive Account Shutdown: Inactive accounts over 2 years will expire.
• Authentication: Authenticate your emails with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
• One-Click Unsubscribe: Include a ‘one-click unsubscribe’ link in your emails.

Microsoft (Hotmail, Outlook)

• Authentication: Ensure your emails are authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and ideally DMARC.
• Inactive Account Shutdown: Like Google, Microsoft is also closing email accounts that have been inactive for over two years.

Yahoo (Yahoo, AOL, Verizon)

• Implementation Date: In the first quarter of 2024.
• Inactive Account Shutdown: Inactive accounts over 1 year will expire .
• Authentication: Similar to Gmail, authenticate your emails with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
• One-Click Unsubscribe: Include a ‘one-click unsubscribe’ link in your emails.

It’s important to note that as these inactive accounts expire, some will become spam traps, turn into hard bounces, and ultimately harm your sender reputation.

Simple Guide to SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Imagine a bouncer at a club. SPF checks if your email is authorized to send from your domain, ensuring it’s on the guest list.
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): This is like putting a tamper-proof seal on your email, confirming that the content hasn’t been changed in transit.
• DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): Think of DMARC as the manager. It uses SPF and DKIM to guide email providers on handling your emails.

If you’re a Klaviyo user, here’s how to set these up.

If you’re a Sendlane user, here’s where you can find how to set these up.

3 Strategies for Healthy Email Deliverability

Avoid spam traps by cleaning your email list.

1. Segment your list by email provider domains:
   • Google: Email Address Contains @gmail.com
   • Microsoft: Email Address Contains @outlook.com OR Email Address Contains @hotmail.com
   • Yahoo: Email Address Contains @yahoo.com OR Email Address Contains @verizon.net OR Email Address Contains @aol.com
2. Include the condition: Hasn’t Opened OR Clicked OR Purchased OR Visited Website in the last 2 years (if it’s Google or Microsoft) or 1 year (if it’s Yahoo).
3. Add to the suppression list & exclude from campaigns OR remove from your account.

Identify and track KPIs for healthy deliverability.

• Bounce Rate: The percentage of emails that bounce (do not reach the recipient’s inbox).
  • Regularly clean your email list to remove invalid and bounced email addresses.
• Spam Complaint Rate: The percentage of recipients who mark your emails as spam.
  • Send relevant and valuable content, make unsubscribing easy, and avoid sending to disengaged subscribers. Implement clear opt-in processes.
• Email Delivery Rate: The percentage of emails that successfully reach the recipient’s inbox.
  • Focus on improving deliverability by following authentication best practices (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), maintaining list hygiene, and avoiding spam traps.

Keep your campaigns & flows relevant.

• Personalization: Use customer data to make your emails more relevant.
• Visual Optimization: Optimize desktop & mobile designs by HTML/CSS Coding for responsive design.

The landscape of email marketing is evolving, but with these changes come opportunities for better engagement and conversion. By implementing these strategies, you can turn the 2024 challenges into a stepping stone for your e-commerce success.

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