How to Minimize Bounces

Hitting the "send" button doesn't mean your work is done.  Managing email bounces can be difficult and time consuming.  Here are some tips to reduce bounces and save you from extra work:

• ISPs recommend retrying hard bounces no more than three times. In our experience, retrying a hard bounce only once after a period of two to four days is sufficient.

• Remove hard-bounced addresses from the list either immediately or after the retry attempt fails. Remove soft-bounced addresses from the list if the address repeatedly generates bounces over a period of four to five e-mail campaigns.

• Scan keywords when processing bounces to help deal with nonstandard bounce messages.

• Use a double or confirmed opt-in subscription process to minimize incorrect and false addresses from the start.

• Use an e-mail change of address service to help combat e-mail address churn in your mailing list.

• Add an e-mail address update link to your e-mail and a profile update form to your Web site, enabling subscribers to update their address and preferences.

• Consider contacting bounced subscribers via postal mail or phone (if you have contact information and permission) to obtain their new e-mail addresses.

• To ensure subscribers enter their e-mail addresses correctly, include a script that checks for syntax errors upon submission. Additionally, consider requiring subscribers reenter their addresses in a second box.  Monitor bounce messages (particularly from key ISPs and domains) for signs of e-mail rejection. The message may have been rejected due to blocking or filtering, and you may need to contact the administrator of the receiving system.

• Monitor bounce rates continually, and establish a benchmark. Analyze the cause, and take appropriate action when a message lies outside of the norm. Though average bounce rates can vary dramatically, if your rate continually rises above 5 percent, you may have list input or hygiene issues.

• Pretest messages for potential spam-oriented content to help minimize rejections by ISP and corporate spam filters.