Despite new communications tools and apps popping up daily, email remains a crucial communication channel for businesses, connecting them with customers, partners, and stakeholders. However, email does come with challenges at times. One of these challenges is email deliverability.

Many businesses struggle with email deliverability issues, where messages end up in spam folders, fail to reach their destinations, or your domain gets flagged or black-listed. This problem can have severe consequences, including missed opportunities, damaged relationships, and lost revenue.

Why is Email Deliverability Important?

Email deliverability is, without a doubt, one of the most important aspects of email outreach. Having high email deliverability is crucial for maximizing your reach and achieving better interaction and conversion rates. Even though it’s an often-overlooked metric, email deliverability has an immense impact on the success of your digital communications.

When your emails make it to the inbox, they’re more likely to be opened, read, and prompt the desired action from your recipients. On the other hand, if your emails end up in the spam folder or get blocked by the recipient’s email provider, all your efforts in creating engaging content are wasted.

Understanding Email Authentication Protocols

As a business owner, you rely on email to communicate with customers, suppliers, and partners. But what happens when your emails end up in spam folders or worse, get blocked by email providers? Not only does this affect your ability to communicate effectively, but it can also damage your business’s reputation. That’s where email authentication comes in.

Email authentication is a way of verifying that your email is legitimate. This includes verifying the server sending the email. It also includes reporting back unauthorized uses of a company domain.

Email authentication uses three key protocols, and each has a specific job:

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Records the IP addresses authorized to send email for a domain.
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Allows domain owners to digitally “sign” emails, verifying legitimacy.
• DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): Gives instructions to a receiving email server. Including, what to do with the results of an SPF and DKIM check. It also alerts domain owners that their domain is being spoofed.

SPF and DKIM are protective steps. DMARC provides information critical to security enforcement. It helps keep scammers from using your domain name in spoofing attempts.

Here’s how it works:

• You set up a DMARC record in your domain server settings. This record informs email receivers (like Google and Yahoo). It tells them the IP addresses authorized to send emails on your behalf.
• What happens next? Your sent email arrives at the receiver’s mail server. It is looking to see if the email is from an authorized sender.
• Based on your DMARC policy, the receiver can take action. This includes delivery, rejection, or quarantine.
• You get reporting back from the DMARC authentication. The reports let you know if your business email is being delivered. It also tells you if scammers are spoofing your domain.

Benefits of Implementing Authentication Protocols

Setting up effective email authentication isn’t just about complying with new requirements. It offers a range of benefits for your business:

• Protects your brand reputation: DMARC helps prevent email spoofing scams. These scams could damage your brand image and customer trust.
• Improves email deliverability: Proper authentication ensures delivery. Your legitimate emails reach recipients’ inboxes instead of spam folders.
• Provides valuable insights: DMARC reports offer detailed information. They give visibility into how different receivers are handling your emails as well as help you identify potential issues. They also improve your email security posture.
• Reduced Risk of Spoofing and Phishing Attacks: By making it more difficult for malicious actors to spoof email addresses, these protocols help mitigate the risk of phishing attacks and other email-based threats, protecting both the business and its customers.
• Compliance with Industry Standards and Regulations: Many industries and regulatory bodies mandate the implementation of email authentication protocols to ensure secure and trustworthy communication channels.

Need Support to Improve Your Email Deliverability?

Email will continue to be one of the main methods of business communication in the coming years, so it’s important to follow the best practices to maintain effective and secure communication. Remember, email deliverability is an ongoing process that requires continuous attention and maintenance. By staying up to date, you can ensure that your emails reach the right inboxes and achieve the desired results.

At PointSolve, we understand that email deliverability issues can be frustrating and time-consuming. That’s why our expert team has extensive experience in helping businesses set up DMARC, DKIM, and SPF records for their domains. We know how to navigate the complexities of email authentication, and we work closely with our clients to ensure that their email communications are secure and effective.

By partnering with us, you can trust that your email communications will be taken to the next level, and you can focus on what really matters – growing your business. Don’t let email authentication issues hold you back any longer. Our experts will guide you through the process and help ensure that your emails all meet deliverability standards.  Get started today and contact PointSolve.