How to make sure your emails get delivered

In today's digital world, a website's functionality and user experience are inseparable from a company's success. Yet one important aspect often goes unnoticed — whether the emails sent through the website reliably reach the customer's inbox. When those messages land in the spam folder, it can damage the company's reputation and cut sales opportunities.

The problem is widespread, but the good news is that it is entirely solvable. In this article we look at why emails sent from a website can end up in spam, how to detect the problem and which steps get your messages into the right inbox.

Why do website emails end up in spam?

1. Message authenticity and sender reputation Email services like Gmail and Outlook use sophisticated algorithms to detect spam. If the website's server is not configured correctly or the domain's reputation has been damaged earlier, messages may end up in spam.

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework): defines which servers may send mail on behalf of your domain.
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): adds a digital signature to messages that confirms their authenticity.
• DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance): coordinates the use of SPF and DKIM and instructs how messages should be handled when they fail those checks.

2. Message content and formatting Spam filters analyse the text and HTML of messages, looking for the hallmarks of spam:

• Words like “free” and “win now” can increase the chance of being marked as spam.
• Excessive use of links or poor link text (such as “click here”) can also trigger spam warnings.

3. Problems with the sender's IP address If the server's IP address has ended up on a blacklist or been identified as a spam sender, there is a high chance that every message sent from it goes to spam.

How to tell whether your messages go to spam

1. Check the recipient's inbox See whether the messages reach the addressee. Check accounts with several different providers (for example Gmail, Outlook).

2. Use tools such as Mail-tester and MxToolbox These web services analyse your messages and give recommendations for avoiding spam.

3. Check the server logs The logs show whether messages are sent successfully and what responses come back from the receiving server.

How to avoid the spam folder

1. Fix your DNS records Configure SPF, DKIM and DMARC correctly. Use DNS tools to verify that those records work.

2. Optimise the message content Make sure the messages are clear, professional and follow good HTML coding practice.

3. Improve the IP address's reputation If the IP is blacklisted, contact the list operators and request removal, or change server.

4. Use professional email platforms Platforms like SendGrid, Mailgun or Amazon SES offer greater reliability and help avoid spam.

How ArborIT can help

If the problem feels complicated, we are ready to help. SPF/DKIM/DMARC configuration is part of server and website management — take a closer look at our services Linux server setup and management and website and online store maintenance. Among other things we offer:

• Website audit and optimisation: a thorough audit that identifies the problems and offers solutions.
• SPF, DKIM and DMARC configuration: our specialists ensure the authenticity of your emails and protect your domain's reputation.
• Content and HTML optimisation: consultations and practical help with composing better messages.
• IP monitoring and remediation: we help get blacklisted IP addresses removed and keep an eye on the server's reputation.
• Integrating email delivery tools: we recommend and configure platforms that raise the delivery rate.

Summary

Emails ending up in the spam folder is a problem that can damage your company's reputation and reduce sales. Preventing and solving it takes awareness and the right tools. Correctly configured SPF, DKIM and DMARC together with good message content ensure that emails sent from your website reach the right inbox.

If you would like help getting email delivery in order, get in touch.