Don’t let your e-mails end up in SPAM! Google and Yahoo are making changes

If you want your e-mail campaigns to continue to achieve satisfactory outcomes, they are worth learning about.

What is the purpose of the changes being introduced?

The announced changes aim to prevent and control SPAM, increase the security of inboxes against unwanted messages, and simplify the ability to unsubscribe with one click. It is a process aimed at introducing new required standards in mass e-mail marketing campaigns.

Is it necessary to implement changes?

Definitely yes! The issue of e-mail deliverability is critical for your e-commerce. If you do not follow Google and Yahoo’s rules, your messages will no longer reach recipients. You don’t want your efforts and e-mails to fall on deaf ears, do you?

Take this topic seriously to avoid losing e-mail contact with your customers. You have a lot to lose!

If your company has used most of the standard good e-mail marketing practices, there will be less work. They will only change their nature from recommended to required.

If not, read on. Later in the article, we will present several things that must be done to fit into the new Google and Yahoo standards perfectly.

Read also: How to create newsletters? – 3 newsletter types you should know

Who will be affected by these changes, and how to prepare?

The changes announced by Google and Yahoo will apply to all senders of mass marketing and transactional e-mails. Google requires anyone sending more than 5,000 messages daily to meet specific authentication measures. As for Yahoo, it did not set a minimum number of messages but said it would adhere to the same standards as Google.

What authentication standards does Google require?

1. E-mail authentication using DKIM and DMARC records.
2. Keeping the SPAM rate below 0.3%.
3. Unsubscribe with one click and place the message in a visible place.

To learn more about the technical details of these changes, visit our help center. 

What if you don’t adapt to the changes?

Your messages will be blocked if you do not meet Google and Yahoo’s requirements. They will not even be delivered to the SPAM folder. If you send newsletters to your customers, this is a key issue for you. Failure to adapt to the upcoming changes will result in the inability to reach most addresses in your database.

Example: If your list includes 58% of Gmail and 1% of Yahoo domains, you will lose almost 60% of your audience without implementing the requirements.

Why implement Google and Yahoo requirements?

Building an audience base is a long-term process. In particular, winning customer loyalty and building solid and lasting relationships through e-mail can require significant work and time. Therefore, it would be against reason for your store to ignore the proposed changes because you can lose a lot.

The new requirements are scheduled to come into force in February 2024, but Google has announced that tests will start much earlier.

Check also: E-mail deliverability: 18 ways to avoid the SPAM folder.

What is e-mail deliverability, and why is it so important?

E-mail deliverability is the ability of an e-mail message to reach the recipient’s inbox and not the SPAM or other e-mail folders. This is a crucial issue for online stores sending newsletters. Why?

1. Increasing visibility and engagement: If the e-mail lands in the inbox, the recipient is much more likely to notice and read the message. As a result, there will be a chance that your newsletter or product offers will arouse their interest.
   
2. Protecting your sender’s reputation: Good e-mail deliverability helps maintain and build a positive sender reputation. Mail servers and ISPs monitor how inboxes respond to incoming e-mails. If messages often end up in the SPAM folder, the sender’s reputation may suffer.
   
3. Increasing sales and ROI: Newsletters are an essential marketing tool for online stores. Delivered effectively, e-mails can increase brand awareness, promote products, and ultimately increase sales and return on investment (ROI).
   
4. Taking care of legal compliance: Many countries have regulations regarding sending e-mails (e.g., GDPR in Europe). Ensuring that e-mails are only delivered to those who consented is vital to staying compliant with these regulations.
   
5. Campaign analysis and optimization: Good deliverability allows for more accurate analysis of the results of e-mail marketing campaigns. Online stores can better understand which elements of the newsletter work and which require optimization.

E-mail deliverability is a vital element of an effective e-mail marketing strategy for online stores because it affects communication effectiveness, brand reputation, sales results, and legal compliance. That’s why it’s so important to quickly and efficiently implement Google and Yahoo requirements to ensure continuity of communication with customers and safe-proof your messages against being blocked by the algorithm.