Customer Service

Are Your Emails to Gmail Accounts Bouncing?

Customer Service, ecommerce, Email, Google, Marketing, Tips / By /

If you send emails to Gmail users for your business, this information is extremely important. It could mean the difference between your messages hitting the inbox or bouncing back with an error.

Don't think it is important? Consider this: In the United States, Gmail holds a 50% market share for email clients! If your emails aren't getting through to Gmail, you are missing half your audience.

Google has significantly tightened its security rules to combat spam and phishing. If your domain isn't properly authenticated, Google will block or bounce your legitimate emails.

To keep your emails delivering smoothly, Google requires three core authentication methods to be set up in your domain’s DNS (Domain Name System) settings: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

The Big Three: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

Think of these three records as a digital passport, a verified signature, and an instruction manual for your emails.

  1. SPF (Sender Policy Framework): This is a list published on your domain that specifies exactly which mail servers and IP addresses are authorized to send email on your behalf.
  2. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): This adds a secure, cryptographic signature to the header of every email you send. It proves that the email truly originated from your domain and wasn't altered in transit.
  3. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): This is the missing puzzle piece that ties SPF and DKIM together. A DMARC policy tells receiving servers (like Gmail) exactly what to do if an email fails SPF or DKIM checks. You can set it to do nothing but report it (p=none), quarantine it to the spam folder (p=quarantine), or reject/bounce it entirely (p=reject).

Google requires a minimum DMARC policy of p=none for bulk senders, but having it active is essential for baseline delivery.

What You Need to Do Next

Check your records: Reach out to your email or web hosting provider to see if your domain has active SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.

For many years, when new domains were registered, systems might have automatically generated a basic SPF record, but rarely a DKIM or DMARC record. Today, you must actively ensure all three are configured correctly.

Because modifying DNS records requires precision, it is highly recommended to have a professional handle it to avoid accidentally disrupting your website or current email flow.

If you are a WebWise Design & Marketing client, and you are experiencing email bounces, please reach out to us. We can review your current DNS setup, implement the necessary SPF, DKIM, and DMARC updates, and make sure your business communications keep landing exactly where they belong, in the recipient's inbox.

Is Your Website Ready For Visitors?

Customer Service, Marketing, Tips, Web Design / By /

Is your website, the place you hope to convert prospects to customers, ready to receive visitors?

When we use links to our websites using Social Media, we essentially invite people to our website. When we invite people to our homes, we generally check to see if everything is in its place and that there is nothing seriously amiss. Is that true with your website? When was the last time you reviewed your website to see if it reflects your business and your products or services as they are today?

Here is a little check list to make sure your website is ready for visitors.

  • Know and state who you are, what you do, and the benefits of what you offer to your visitor.
  • Know who you would like to visit your website.
    • Knowing your audience is critical. If you believe your audience is everyone, you will likely fail.
    • Who are they? Why would they want what you offer? When would they want it?
  • Speak to your visitors from their perspective, not with an industry-speak sales pitch.
    • Explain that you know some of their challenges, and how they can benefit from your products or services. If possible, show some specifics.
  • Does your navigation present a clear and easy path to your most important content?
  • Is your contact and location information readily visible?
  • Is your website mobile friendly?

If your website looks as good as you would like, and you check off all the items in the list, your website should be ready for visitors.

Of course, we are always happy to help. Email or call us today! — 1-800-281-9993 or 608-822-3750

12+ Tips for Empowering Automated eCommerce Emails

Customer Service, Email / By /

Sending emailDo you know what the automated emails sent from your website, especially your ecommerce website, look like? Hopefully, you carefully crafted them before your website went live. If not, please do yourself a favor and review them now.

Here are some quick tips to make your emails look professional. Because of the seasonal timing, we are going to talk about ecommerce “transactional” emails, though many of these tips apply to other automated emails as well.

  • Do not send them from a no-reply@yourcompany.com email account. Send from an email address that gets monitored daily (preferably multiple times per day). Respond quickly to any email received.
  • Put the most important information right at the beginning of the subject, to make your emails more helpful, e.g., “Thanks for Order #12345 – My estore” (Be careful of the length so it does not get truncated.)
  • Make sure your emails are consistently branded and well-designed.
  • Make the words Thank You bold or bigger than the other text. While you are at it, tell them you appreciate their business.
  • If you won’t be furnishing a tracking number, tell them why, and when and how they can expect delivery.
  • Include links back to your shipping and returns page(s).
  • Be sure to prominently display your Toll-Free phone number. If you don’t have a Toll-Free customer service number, you are not serious about wanting repeat customers.
  • Include office hours (and time zone), so your customers have the opportunity to talk to a real person.
  • Prominently display your customer service email address they can use if they want to contact you later instead of having to use your form again.
  • Use Google’s URL Builder for Google Analytics (or something similar) to track your links. Remember marketing without measurement is not marketing.
  • Test all of your email responses with multiple email clients for both PC and Apple computers.
  • Don’t forget to test on mobile devices including iPhones & iPads, Android Phones & tablets, and others when possible.

Please don’t underestimate the power of automated email. They are often read at a critical point of your relationship with your customers. Use the opportunity wisely.