SocialA test by EmailToolTester found that one in six emails never made it to users’ inboxes. Around 16% of emails go to waste due to deliverability issues.
Even though this number might seem small, it can have a significant effect on your ROI. That’s why doing an email deliverability audit at regular intervals is so important.
What Is an Email Deliverability Audit
An email deliverability audit is a series of checks to see whether your emails are reaching users’ inboxes.
These checks include reviewing sender reputation, domain health, email quality, and list management. The goal is to identify and fix any problems preventing successful delivery. An audit also guides best practices, such as warming up a new IP address, improving email content, and keeping your contact list updated.
Importance of Email Deliverability Audits
An audit is crucial to ensure your emails reach recipients effectively.
Improved inbox placement helps identify why emails may end up in spam, increasing the chance they land in the inbox. Better engagement rates follow when emails are seen by the intended audience, driving higher click-through and conversions.
Regular audits protect your sender reputation by uncovering poor sending practices. They also help you stay compliant with regulations like CAN-SPAM and GDPR. By analyzing delivery rates and other metrics, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize future campaigns and use your budget more efficiently.
Email Deliverability Audit Steps
An email deliverability audit involves several steps to confirm all parts of your infrastructure work as they should.
Review Email Authentication
Start by checking your domain DNS records (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) to see if they are properly set up.
You can view these records in your email marketing platform. Tools like MailTester and MxToolbox also help by analyzing your authentication status when you send a test email.
Blocklist Check
Check your domain against major blocklists, as being listed can harm your deliverability. Even if you haven’t noticed issues, it’s worth verifying since a past incident could have put you on a list.
Check Contact List Health
Your contact list has a big impact on deliverability.
Remove email addresses that no longer exist—custom addresses like name@company.com often get deleted over time. Also, identify inactive subscribers. If a re-engagement campaign doesn’t work, remove them to improve deliverability and avoid unnecessary costs.
Verify Sender Reputation
Sender reputation is like a credit score for your email domain.
A higher reputation increases the chance your emails reach the inbox instead of spam. Your score depends on factors like bounce rates, spam complaints, engagement levels, and proper authentication. Maintaining a good reputation is essential for email success.
Review Engagement Metrics
Tracking engagement metrics shows how your emails perform.
Open rates reveal if your subject lines attract attention or if emails are landing in spam. Click-through rates indicate whether your content resonates. Bounce rates highlight delivery problems that can hurt your reputation. Unsubscribe rates show whether your content meets audience expectations.
Reviewing these metrics regularly helps you refine your strategy to improve results.
Conclusion
An email deliverability audit is essential when running email marketing at scale. Regular audits ensure your emails reach inboxes, improve ROI, and protect your sender reputation.
Staying focused on data, maintaining a healthy list, and monitoring engagement will help you maximize your marketing budget and achieve your goals.
