You have checked through the free email marketing templates, picked the one that will appeal to specific split lists, taking great care with heading, subheadings, images and copy, and, after a great deal of thought and possibly discussion, have created the perfect Subject Line. So why have so many emails bounced?

There are many possible causes, such as whether your IP address is considered ‘safe’ or not, but there is one reason that is a common to those new to email marketing: email list hygiene. If you don’t take care of your list and ensure it is pristine, no one else will.

If you have just started, it is almost certain that you are reluctant to do anything which might reduce the numbers on your email marketing list. You will stand out like a rugby player with an unbroken nose. The first thing to get into your mind is that quality trumps quantity every time, and not by a small degree. It’s difficult though. Going through your list with a sharp pair of scissors after all the effort, not to mention cost, you’ve expended in gaining them is a thankless task.

There are simple ways to ensure quality.

Ensure that in every email marketing campaign, the unsubscribe button is easy to see, and to click on. Ensure that there is a maximum of one additional click for the customer to use. Too many, and I might give up and then class your From Address as spam. And with just one click probably.

A sure sign that a company understands cleanliness of lists is when there is a double opt-in. At first sight this might appear counter-productive but there is an irrefutable logic to the system. The first point is that the subscribers email address is verified and you are unlikely to get hard bounces. Secondly, the new subscriber is showing commitment, suggesting that they will open your emails. You might well lose one or two percent of potential subscribers to your email marketing list, but what you will gain is dependable returns from your campaigns. Keeping your list clean keeps you out of spam folders.