If you’ve used an email list cleaning system and you weren’t happy with the results, you might have picked the wrong service. Before spending more money trying to get your list back in shape, stop for a minute and take a closer look at the features you’re paying for.
Is the platform you chose the right one? Here’s how to find out.
What’s an email list cleaning service supposed to do?
Simply put, an email list cleaning system should remove the bad data from your subscribers list. However, not all email verification platforms are the same. Some of them offer basic services, while others perform a more in-depth analysis of your list.
There’s only one way for you to tell when you encounter a great platform. And that is knowing what it’s supposed to do. Let’s look at the features you should get access to once you decide it’s time to clean your list.
Email bounce detection
Obviously, you want your email list cleaning service to be able to lower your bounce rate. So, the number one feature you should look for is an email bounce detector.
Find out if the system of your choice has a way of spotting emails that are going to bounce. Also, ask whether it can remove both soft and hard bounces. If your emails still bounce, although you’ve just cleaned your list, you know you can find a better service.
Abuse email removal
These emails are some of the worst to have in your list. They belong to people who have a habit of marking messages as Spam. If they’ve done it a few times, they’ll do it again, so it’s best to prune them out.
Can your email list cleaning service detect them? That’s a question worth asking before purchasing a plan.
Catch-all emails removal
These types of emails are really tricky. Some of them may be valid, so you can continue to email them. On the other hand, some catch-alls are going to bounce and affect your sender reputation.
So, see if your email list cleaning service can spot catch-all emails, so you can isolate them from your database.
Disposable email detection
What marketer would want to email addresses that aren’t going to be around for more than a few minutes or hours? Disposable (or temporary) emails don’t add any value to your list. On the contrary, they decrease its quality and affect your deliverability.
So, find an email list cleaning system that can identify these addresses right away, and weed them out.
Role-based emails removal
These emails, too, have little value. Because they belong to groups of people within an organization, instead of a single individual, marketing to them is usually fruitless. Of course, you may decide to continue to use them. But it’s good to know how many of them you have in your database.
Is your email list cleaning system able to detect them? Study the platform and find out.
Spam traps removal
Spam traps are seriously risky email addresses. Created only to lure in spammers and block them, they can wreak havoc on your sender reputation and deliverability.
As they’re a sophisticated spam prevention method, spam traps are hard to detect. Nevertheless, an advanced email list cleaning system can at least spot some of them. Remove spam traps from your database without regret.
Does your email list cleaning service provide an API?
Now that we’ve covered the basic features, let’s move on to another important aspect – the ability to verify emails in real time.
Once you’ve cleaned your email list, you want it to stay clean for a while, right? There are several ways to ensure that, but the most effective one is by installing an API on your signup and registration forms.
The API will prevent bad email addresses from being added to your list by rejecting them automatically, as they try to register.
A reliable email verification API detects and rejects misspelled and other invalid emails. Also, it blocks access to abuse, temporary, catch-all, spam trap and similar addresses trying to get on your list.
Before you sign up for a plan with an email list cleaning service, make sure it has an API. This little piece of software is easy to install on your website and does a great job protecting your email hygiene.
Other features to look for in an email list cleaning service
When it comes to functionality, the features above are the most important ones to keep in mind. However, when you’re in the market for a new email cleaning service, there are other things to consider, as well. For example:
- ask the company representatives about their data protection mechanisms. How do they handle your data? Are they GDPR compliant? What other industry certifications can they provide?
- also, even if you’re a tech-savvy person, you may need some help using the platform. Does the company offer reliable customer support?
- then, are there any bonus features they provide? Some businesses make a difference by adding an extra service to enhance your list.
- finally, ask about duplicate email addresses – do they remove them for free?
Conclusion
Finding a good email list cleaning system may take a while. Nonetheless, armed with all these tips above, you should be on your way to picking the perfect one. Once you’ve found it, stick to it and don’t forget to prune your email list whenever your bounce rate exceeds the industry standard of 2%.