How can I be sure an email I send doesn't get stuck in the customer's spam folder?
There is no guaranteed method of ensuring an email will not get caught in a spam folder. There are steps that you can take to lessen the chances of a message getting caught in spam.
- Avoid using words like, "sale" or "specials". These words will likely cause the recipients' mail host to flag your message as spam. Follow this link to view an extensive list of words and phrases to avoid sending to your customers.
- Ensure your message format is structured properly to decrease the chance of being caught in a spam filter. Things such as unusual font colors and heavy use of HTML can factor into the "spammy-ness" of your email message. You can use a free online spam tester to review and score your email prior to sending it.
- Follow up with your customer via phone to ensure they mark you as a "safe sender" if your message did end up in their spam folder. Once you are marked as a safe sender you will be able to have regular email correspondence with the customer.
What is the difference between deliverability and being caught in spam?
A message that is sent to a spam folder has been delivered. A message that is not delivered will not be in any folder in the customer's email box (spam or inbox). DealerPeak maintains a 98% deliverability rate. The rate of messages being caught in a spam folder cannot be determined. The mail host (the customer's email provider) will reply to us with a packet stating whether the message was delivered or undelivered. The folder that the message ultimately ended up in, inbox or spam, is not relayed to the sender so that cannot be determined.
Did the customer read my message?
Message read receipts are not always going to accurately reflect the true number of customers that opened your message. In order for our CRM to receive a read receipt, the customer must choose "download images" when viewing the message. The reason they must download/view images is that the web bug (which is how read receipts operate) which is a very small transparent image that once downloaded, notifies our server that the message has been read. If the customer does not download the images in the message we will not receive a read receipt. This means that the number of customers who read the message could be greater than the number of customers who returned a read receipt. A read receipt cannot be a concrete method of determining if a customer has read the message, it should be used as a ballpark method for determining your email effectiveness.