What Can We Do To Stop Company Emails from Going to Spam

You’re waiting to find out if that big potential client accepted the quote that you emailed them, and you haven’t heard anything in a few days. So, you reach out, only to find that they never received your email and ended up going with a competitor.

You know you sent the email, and after asking the recipient to look further, they find it in their spam folder. But it’s too late, you’ve already lost that business.

The prevalence of spam and phishing have caused email service providers and network security software developers to increase their security and how they filter emails. This unfortunately means that certain legitimate messages end up getting flagged as spam and never delivered to the recipient’s inbox.

You can also be corresponding with a client and have “Warning Potentially Malicious Email,” or something similar, added to the subject line of your email, making your company look bad.

Not having your email properly delivered can cause you to lose business, waste marketing dollars on email promotions that are never delivered, and spend time resending emails other ways just to ensure they make it through.

The trick to getting your company emails delivered is knowing how to speak the language of the mail filter. Avoiding the things that trigger a message as spam and properly verifying your emails can help you avoid delivery problems.

Tips for Getting Your Emails Delivered & Avoiding Spam Filters

Remove Additional Hyperlinks from Your Signature

Some messages get flagged as potential phishing and spam because they have too many hyperlinks in the body of the message.

A link-filled signature is usually the culprit and can mean that if you add just one link to the message itself, it can put you over a spam filter’s acceptable limit.

Remove additional hyperlinks in your email signatures. These may be links to your different social media profiles, or marketing links you’ve added. It’s usually okay to have just a single link, to your website for example. But more than that could get your message sent to a junk mail folder.

Use Email Authentication & Set It Up Correctly

Email authentication involves three protocols (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) that are added to your mail server. The purpose is to authenticate that your messages have been sent from the approved domain.

Using email authentication can help ensure your emails get through spam filters, even when sent to large enterprises with stringent mail security in place.

When using email authentication, make sure it is set up correctly. Sometimes companies forget to add 3rd party services that they use for sending their emails (Mailchimp, Zendesk, etc.), which causes them to get flagged as potential phishing.

It’s best to get help from a professional, like Onsite Techs, when having this authentication set up.

Avoid Spam Trigger Words in the Subject Line

There are certain words that if used in the subject line of your emails can trigger spam filers. These trigger words are known to often be used in spam and phishing emails, so mail filters use them as a guide to help filter out those unwanted messages.

A few of the common spam triggers to avoid are:

  • Clearance
  • Opportunity
  • Cheap
  • Cash
  • Discount
  • Full refund
  • Hidden
  • Passwords
  • Sample

You can find a large list of potential spam trigger words here.

Use a Recognizable “Sender” Name

If you use a generic name as your Sender, such as “Customer Support,” then the recipient might not immediately recognize it and may flag it as spam. Once that’s done, any future messages from your domain will be treated as spam.

Use your company name in the Sender line when sending marketing emails and keep the name consistent so your recipients will immediately recognize it and not mistake your messages for spam.

Include an “Add Us to Your Safe Senders List” After Your Signature

You can improve your chances of getting to recipient inboxes with a simple instruction below your signature. Add a note that instructs the person to “Add Us to Your Safe Senders List.”

If the recipient does this, then the system will automatically recognize that email address as safe and your messages will get delivered.

You can’t assume that people will just know to do this, so adding the instruction to your email signatures can boost your chances that it will be done.

Ensure Your Server IP Address Doesn’t Have a Bad Reputation

Servers that have been used in the past by spammers or have been breached by phishing attackers can get a bad reputation. If you end up getting issued an IP address for your mail server with a bad reputation, it can mean you have emails blocked by multiple mail services.

Check with your web service provider about any IP address issues. You can also check an IP address reputation online to ensure yours doesn’t have problems.

Need Help With Reliable & Efficient Business Email Solutions?

Email is still the most popular form of business communication. Onsite Techs of Rhode Island has email experts that can help your company ensure your business emails are optimized and authenticated properly.  

Contact us today to schedule a consultation at 401-773-7766 or book a video call now.