As we move into 2024, keeping our email conversations secure and trustworthy is increasingly vital. Gmail and Yahoo have introduced new standards to protect bulk email senders this year, so businesses need to get on board with these changes.
In this blog post, we will lay out the necessary steps for senders to ensure compliance. While it might not be the most exciting task, adhering to these guidelines will enhance your business professionalism and significantly improve your email deliverability.
What All Marketing Email Senders Should Do
If you’re still using a free email address like @gmail, @yahoo, or @outlook.com, it’s time to make the change. In 2024 and beyond, marketing emails sent from these addresses will be headed straight to the spam folder.
The better alternative is to get a custom domain through a service like GoDaddy or Namecheap and set up a professional email address. Not only will this boost your credibility and brand recognition, but it’ll also significantly increase the likelihood of your emails landing in your contacts’ inboxes, where they belong.
Getting a Professional Email Address On Your Own Domain
Follow These Steps:
- Register a Domain: Choose a domain name that reflects your brand or business. You can register a domain through domain registrars like GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Google Domains.
- Choose an Email Hosting Provider: Decide on an email hosting provider that suits your needs. Some popular options include Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), Microsoft 365, Zoho Mail, and Rackspace Email.
- Sign Up for Email Hosting: Sign up for an email hosting plan with your chosen provider. This typically involves selecting a subscription level based on the number of email accounts you need and the features you require.
- Configure DNS Settings: Log in to your domain registrar’s website and update your domain’s DNS settings to point to your chosen email hosting provider’s mail servers. This step is necessary to ensure that emails sent to your domain are delivered to your email hosting service.
- Create Email Accounts: Once your domain is set up with the email hosting provider, you can create professional email accounts using your domain name (e.g., yourname@yourdomain.com). Follow the provider’s instructions to set up email accounts, passwords, and any additional settings.
- Access Email: Access your professional email accounts through the email hosting provider’s webmail interface or configure them in an email client like Outlook, Apple Mail, or Thunderbird using the provided settings (e.g., IMAP/POP3 server, SMTP server).
By following these steps, you’ll comply with the new email sending rules, greatly boosting your email deliverability. Additionally, you’ll enhance your brand image and credibility when communicating with clients and customers.
What If I Don’t Follow These Requirements?
If you don’t follow the requirements for setting up a professional email address on your own domain, several potential consequences may arise:
- Email Deliverability Issues: Marketing emails sent from free email addresses are likely to be flagged as spam leading to deliverability issues.
- Loss of Credibility: Using a generic free email address like @gmail.com or @yahoo.com makes your business appear less credible and professional to recipients.
- Brand Inconsistency: A custom domain email address aligns with your brand and ensures consistency across your online presence, preventing any brand inconsistencies.
FAQ’s
Q. Are these requirements just for AllClients users?
A. No. Gmail and Yahoo require these rules, regardless of your email provider. All email service providers, including MailChimp, Constant Contact, and AllClients, must adhere to these new requirements.
Q. When do these new rules take effect?
A. Starting in 2024, these requirements are rolling out, and you’ll notice stricter enforcement over time.
Q. Do these new requirements only apply to sending emails to @gmail and @yahoo addresses?
A. Yes and No. Gmail and Yahoo collaborated to set these rules, so the rules will definitely apply to their platforms. However, it is likely that other email providers will adopt them soon too.
Q: Is there anything else I need to do?
A. Yes. Once your custom domain and email address are established, you’ll need to take a few steps to authenticate your new email address for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC compliance. AllClients has built-in tools to assist you with this process, which can be completed in just a few minutes.
