The Email Hierarchy of Needs: Deliverability is the Foundation
If you're not getting the most out of your email messaging, you might not be asking the right questions.
I can't count how many times I've been asked, "What's the best day of the week to send email?" "What's the best time of day to send email?" "Which is the best email provider?" These questions are much less important than the big ones: "Is my email getting to my subscribers?" "Can subscribers read my emails on their mobile device?" "Do subscribers want to receive my email or are they hitting ‘spam’?"
Many times companies want to run before they walk. There are times when first to market or a beta version of a product is more important than getting it perfect the first time. However, if you take that approach with email messaging, you better make sure you have your fundamentals squared away first. What does it matter what time the email is sent if it gets sent to the "spam" folder anyway? It doesn't matter what email provider you use if you keep mailing outdated lists.
The foundation: Deliverability and inbox placement
In the end, none of your email messaging efforts are going to make any impact if the subscriber doesn't receive the email. The first barrier to overcome in email marketing is deliverability. Email services, ISPs that provide email services and the software on which subscribers view emails have an arsenal of anti-spam tactics they use to keep your email from getting to subscribers. In a world of spammers, phishers and corporate network admins trying to increase productivity by filtering distracting emails, the odds are stacked against you that your email message will be delivered to your subscribers. There are a number of factors that contribute to your deliverability and inbox placement, including the following:
