What are the pros and cons of sending email from subdomains vs a single domain with multiple IPs, and how can I optimize my signup process and sender reputation for a growing business with small sending volumes?
Summary
What email marketers say12Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Mailjet Blog shares that for new domains or IPs, a gradual IP warm-up is critical. Starting with low volumes and slowly increasing the number of emails sent each day helps establish a positive sending reputation with ISPs. Focusing on engagement (opens, clicks) and avoiding spam complaints is essential during this process.
Email marketer from Email Geeks mentions that SMBs overwhelmingly use Gmail addresses because they don’t know how to connect the dots to make email work for their own domain.
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests not automatically sending to addresses that fail no-captcha and instead sending them for manual account manager review. Also suggests not using freemail addresses as it is highly unlikely that any legitimate business person is going to evaluate payroll software with dinky238585@gmail.com.
Email marketer from Litmus Blog shares that implementing DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is essential for protecting your domain reputation. DMARC allows you to specify how email receivers should handle messages that fail SPF or DKIM checks, helping to prevent spoofing and phishing attacks. Monitor DMARC reports to identify and address any deliverability issues.
Email marketer from Email on Acid Blog states that A/B test different elements of your signup form, such as the headline, call-to-action, and form fields, to see what resonates best with your audience. Make sure your signup process is simple and user-friendly to reduce friction and increase conversion rates.
Email marketer from Campaign Monitor Blog states segmenting your email list allows you to send more targeted and relevant messages, boosting engagement. Send different content to different segments based on their interests, behaviors, and demographics to improve open and click-through rates.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that there's nothing inherently wrong with sending from either multiple sub-domains, or just the one domain. However, to fully address the question, more information about the organization and its deliverability challenges is needed.
Email marketer from HubSpot Blog explains that implementing a double opt-in process ensures that subscribers genuinely want to receive your emails. This helps build a list of engaged and interested recipients, resulting in higher open rates and better deliverability. Also, it helps to reduce the risk of spam complaints.
Email marketer from Sendinblue Blog answers that improving email engagement is critical for deliverability. Encourage recipients to add your email address to their address book and segment your audience based on engagement levels. Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive subscribers, which helps maintain a healthy sender reputation.
Email marketer from Neil Patel Blog explains that using subdomains for email marketing can help segment your email traffic and protect your main domain's reputation. It allows you to isolate any negative impacts from email campaigns to a specific subdomain, preventing it from affecting your primary domain's SEO and email deliverability.
Email marketer from OptinMonster Blog suggests regularly cleaning your email list to remove invalid or inactive email addresses to lower your bounce rate. Using an email verification service can help identify and remove invalid addresses before sending, improving your sender reputation and deliverability.
Email marketer from Gmass Blog explains that cleaning your email list regularly is a must. Remove inactive subscribers and those who haven't engaged with your emails in a while. This ensures you're only sending to engaged users, improving your sender reputation and deliverability.
What the experts say6Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks states that changing the From: domain is not a great idea, as it’s discarding all their history and reputation and brand recognition, even if the From: domain is gmail.com.
Expert from Word to the Wise emphasizes the importance of IP warm-up, particularly when using new IPs or domains. Gradual increases in sending volume and monitoring engagement metrics are crucial. They also address the impact of bounces and complaints on sender reputation, urging proactive management of mailing lists and the establishment of feedback loops.
Expert from Spam Resource explains proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is paramount for establishing trust with mailbox providers. Correctly configured authentication reduces the likelihood of emails being marked as spam. They also recommend the use of a dedicated IP address for better control over sender reputation.
Expert from Email Geeks says that many small businesses use Gmail addresses, even when they have their own domain for web presence. This is especially true for self-signup services.
Expert from Email Geeks suggests that instead of using a third-party email verification setup, implementing no-captcha on the signup page and sending a confirmation email with a required click-through link is a sufficient and standard practice for SaaS self-signup.
Expert from Email Geeks suggests completely redoing the existing system. They both agree a good starting point is the point that Ken highlights.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from AWS details that maintaining low bounce and complaint rates is crucial for sender reputation. Set up feedback loops to receive notifications about complaints and bounces. Immediately remove addresses that generate hard bounces from your list to prevent further deliverability issues.
Documentation from RFC 4408 defines the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and how it applies to subdomains. It explains that subdomains can have their own SPF records, allowing for delegation of sending authority. This is important for managing sender authentication across different parts of your organization or for different email streams.
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that subdomains inherit some of the parent domain's reputation, but they can also establish their own. If a subdomain sends spam, it can negatively impact the parent domain's reputation. Proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial for both domains and subdomains.
Documentation from Microsoft explains that DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) should be properly configured for both the main domain and any subdomains used for sending email. Correct DKIM configuration helps ISPs verify the authenticity of your emails and improves deliverability. They also advise to rotate DKIM keys periodically for security.