Professional Email Marketing – Why You Need a Professional SMTP Service
Typically, a hosting server is not intended to be an email server. So, if you are sending out bulk emails or newsletters, we always recommend the following alternatives to get the best results:
- Use professional third-party email marketing software that is not part of WordPress
- Use a transactional email service provider (HTTP or SMTP API) in conjunction with your WordPress newsletter plugin
Disadvantages in Using Your Host's Email Server
Email plays a very important role in the workflow as it is the main medium used to keep you and your customer informed about what is happening with your site and your business. That is why it is very important that there is an established system that you can trust. The following are just a few examples of emails that a website can send daily:
- Notify new WordPress users of an account and location to log in
- Password reset and change notifications
- Notifications of new comment on your blog
- Pingbacks and trackbacks if enabled
- New Email Sales Notifications in WooCommerce or Easy Digital Downloads
- Lead submissions and contact forms from form plugins
- Plugin security notifications like WP Security Audit Log or WordFence.
- Email newsletters if the plugin is used within WordPress
- New feature announcements
- Communication with affiliates
If you think about it, those are many things! Especially on the larger sites, as they might receive emails sent every two seconds. If you do not use a professional email marketing software or transactional email service provider, you are subject to encountering the following issues that can actually hurt the success of your site and campaigns:
1. Your Host Doesn't Always Fix It
A good way to think about how email works is that it's like shared hosting. It is tied to the IP addresses that your hosting has configured for outgoing mail. If something goes wrong with that, such as a customer suddenly spamming, there is a possibility that the IP address could get blacklisted as spam. Then you are suddenly left at the mercy of waiting for your host to solve the problem with the provider or ISP. This could result in irregular deliveries and wait times for your emails, which is never a good thing.
2. Email Delivery Problems
One of the biggest drawbacks for email messages is delivery issues. Third party email marketing software platforms and transactional email services are installed and configured in such a way that they can greatly increase your chances of reaching the customer's inbox. They also have entire teams working around the clock to ensure that their emails reach their destination and that their associates are not blacklisted.
3. It is not always possible to configure Email Authentication (DMARC)
Email authentication, also known as domain authentication or validation (DMARC), refers to the process of better identifying the sending origin or domain so that ISPs can better route your mail. This is a great technique to prevent identity forgery and phishing in the event that the email appears to be from one domain, but is effectively delivered to another. In other words, email authentication allows your email marketing tool to send emails on your behalf, but as your domain. This is not mandatory, but it is always recommended!
4. You May Have Resource Problems on the Server
And the last thing to keep in mind when it comes to sending emails is that you could run into server resource issues. With some accommodations, especially shared accommodations, this could even get you suspended. This is because even small things like sending email messages require server resources. Especially this becomes a problem with those trying to send bulk emails. This is the reason why third-party transactional email providers exist and why many hosts simply block email delivery on standard ports entirely.
Email Marketing Software Recommendations
The email marketing software tools are typically used for the following types of messages:
- Newsletters
- New product or featured announcements
- Sales or other promotion for a product or service
- Invitations to events
- User participation and incorporation of notices
- Communication with affiliates
Professional SMTP services
Many email marketers try to send their newsletters, special offers, and other marketing materials using free SMTP servers offered by various popular services like Hotmail and Google. Something important that beginners are unaware of is the fact that these free services have strict limitations on use, and very low delivery rates. These limitations can mean that the vast majority of your carefully worded messages never reach the intended recipients.
When it comes to SMTP services, email marketers prefer a professional quality provider. Premium SMTP services offer email marketers a wide range of benefits, from higher delivery rates and faster speeds, to the availability of real-time statistics and the flexibility and scalability of having dedicated servers at their disposal. One of the biggest advantages of having a premium SMTP service by your side is that it helps marketers avoid having their messages blocked by spam filters and similar technologies. Internet service providers use technology to block spam and malicious email messages, but these filters can also catch legitimate emails, especially those messages originating from free SMTP services.
Email marketers can also reduce the chances that their messages will be trapped by phishing schemes and similar programs. Free SMTP services are targets of attack by scam artists, and if a message from you falls victim to these schemes, it could cause irreparable damage to your business, trademark, and identity. A professional SMTP service offers the expertise to avoid potential problems, and the technology to discover potential fraud before it occurs.
Scalability and flexibility are two extra reasons to select a professional SMTP service over a free alternative. Free SMTP services offered by free internet service providers and email services like Gmail and Google impose strict limits on the number of messages a person or business can send, and this limit is easily exceeded when your business begins to grow. This could quickly put you out of SMTP service quickly, and you must find an alternative quickly.
A professional SMTP service allows your business to grow smoothly, without interruptions in the flow of marketing messages that have led your business to success. With a professional SMTP service, you can easily scale your list of contacts and leads. By having a professional SMTP service you also have the flexibility to change your email marketing in real time and perform real time analysis and determine messages provide the greatest impact.
Speaking of analytics, professional SMTP services provide marketers with the ability to quickly and easily access a wealth of information about the effectiveness of their email marketing messages and marketing campaigns. Professional SMTP services provide information on everything from return rates to delivery statistics and response rates.
It can be very tempting to go for a free SMTP service, especially when you are starting your business, but this decision can hurt you. Sometimes you get what you pay for - and a professional SMTP service is a good example.