How much can email verification improve deliverability rates?

The impact varies depending on your starting point, but most businesses see a 5-15% improvement in deliverability rates after implementing comprehensive email verification. Companies with particularly problematic lists may see even greater improvements, with bounce rate reductions of 80% or more not uncommon.

Is it worth verifying free email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.)?

Yes, absolutely. While business email addresses change more frequently as people change jobs, free email addresses can still become invalid or risky. Additionally, free email providers often have stricter spam filtering, making verification even more important for these domains.

How often should I verify my email database?

For most B2B companies, quarterly verification is a good standard practice. However, if you have a high volume of new leads or your audience changes jobs frequently, monthly verification might be more appropriate. At minimum, you should verify any segment that hasn't been emailed in 90+ days before sending to them.

What's the difference between a hard bounce and a soft bounce?

A hard bounce indicates a permanent delivery failure, such as an invalid email address or domain. A soft bounce indicates a temporary delivery issue, such as a full mailbox or server problem. Email verification primarily helps prevent hard bounces, though some services can identify emails likely to soft bounce as well.

The Ultimate Guide to Email Verification for Higher Deliverability

Frequently Asked Questions

Comments (2)

Thomas Wright

January 21, 2024

This article came at the perfect time. We've been struggling with high bounce rates and this gives us a clear roadmap for addressing the issue. I'm curious which verification service you'd recommend for a mid-sized B2B company?

Sophia Garcia

January 22, 2024

We implemented real-time verification last year and it's been a game-changer. One tip I'd add: make sure your error messages are helpful and specific. Instead of just saying 'invalid email,' we tell users exactly what's wrong (domain doesn't exist, etc.) and it's reduced form abandonment.