Good list maintenance is necessary for avoiding spam traps. Here are some things you will need to avoid:

Poor List Sources - This includes avoiding paid subscriber lists as mentioned previously

List Poisoning - Using confirmation Opt-In mailings will reduce the chances that you will receive invalid email addresses

List Aging - Because spam traps are often used by recycling old email addresses use bounce management to remove any old email addresses and also remove any inactive addresses from your list. Our lists are maintained regularly and we recommend you do the same. We also advise you to verify large email lists prior to campaigns.

Sender Authentication

This is used to prevent domain forgery and spoofing and provides a framework for helping ISPs to distinguish between legitimate email senders and spammers. ISPs Identifying and verifying a claimed domain name has been authenticated or authorized for sending from a MTA makes it possible to treat suspected forgeries with suspician, reject known forgeries, and block email addresses from known spamming domains.

Sender Policy Framework (SPF) - a record that allows you to determine which computers can send emails on behalf of your domain. Adding an SPF record to your domain name's TXT entry, while not required, can help improve email delivery rates by reducing the chance that the emails you send will be seen as spam. It can also help prevent others from sending spam and using your domain name. This is used by Bellsouth, AOL, Gmail, and MSN/Hotmail. This is implmented in "Connect's" configuration

Sender ID - is very similar to SPF record except this extends the verification process to include the purported responsible address included in the header. Used by MSN/Hotmail. A sender address is always included in our sendouts.

Domain Keys - an authentication standard that is designed to verify the DNS domain of email sender and the message integrity. All outgoing emails are digitally signed with a private encryption key to match a public key that is published in the sender's DNS record. Used by Gmail, Yahoo, SBCGlobal, British Telecom, Rogers Cable, Rocket Mail, etc.

DKIM - an enhanced authentication standard that allows a person to verify that a message comes from the domain that it claims that it came from.

Spam Complaints Most people have seen a "Report Spam" button on their email client. When this is clicked on a spam complaint is logged at the ISP level or it is also relayed back to the sender if they are a part of a feedback loop. If you receive too many spam complaints then you will damage your sender reputation. A good way to reduce your spam complaints is to ensure that all of your subscribers are opt-in.

Spam complaints do not track the reason why recipients make a spam complaint. It is possible that even if subscribers opt-in to your list they may forget they are subscribed or no longer find your mailing relevant. If you receive a high number of spam complaints on a list where your subscribers have opt-in to then this is usually a good indicator that your mailings are either irrelevant or sent to frequently.

Email Filters

Its important to familiarize yourself with the following individual filtering methods. In the past ISPs would block emails based solely on one of these filters but as weaknesses in this approach became inherent they can no longer rely on any one method. Each of the following filtering methods play a role in your ISPs' delivery decision:

Content Filtering - Uses the email subject line and the body content to come up with a spam count score. One of the most popular spam filtering packages is SpamAssassin which is used in EmailCheck.

List Quality Filtering - A lot of spam lists particularly paid subscriber lists contain a lot of bogus email which results in high bounce rates. ISPs use this to detect which lists contain bounces that exceed a certain quantity and then disallow all emails from this IP address or sending domain.

Volume Filtering - Because spammers send bulk emails without regard to accuracy or volume this checks the number of simultaneous connections that are opened (known as threads) at any one time with your ISP. The server may then reject all messages based on the number of open connections. Connect Email Marketing uses a single thread sending method.

IP Address Filtering - When an IP address is added to this filtering list the process is known as "blacklisting." Once blacklisted all emails from a particular IP address are disallowed.

Domain and URL Filtering - Checks the email domain used to send a mailing as well as any URLs included in the message.

Legal Compliance

You need to be aware of regional laws aimed at curbing spam. In order to ensure that your mailings are permission based it is good policy to ensure that an opt-in mechanism is in place before you begin email marketing.

Can Spam Act

	ensure that all mailings contain a functional unsubscribe mechanism
	all unsubscribe requests must be honored within 10 days
	commercial mailings must include the physical location of the sender
	criminal charges for fraudulent sender or deceptive subject lines

Spam Complaints

Most people have seen a "Report Spam" button on their email client. When this is clicked on a spam complaint is logged at the ISP level or it is also relayed back to the sender if they are a part of a feedback loop. If you receive too many spam complaints then you will damage your sender reputation. A good way to reduce your spam complaints is to ensure that all of your subscribers are opt-in.

Spam complaints do not track the reason why recipients make a spam complaint. It is possible that even if subscribers opt-in to your list they may forget they are subscribed or no longer find your mailing relevant. If you receive a high number of spam complaints on a list where your subscribers have opt-in to then this is usually a good indicator that your mailings are either irrelevant or sent to frequently.

On demand, means 'as needed'. It is also known as ‘Software as a Service’, or SaaS. As your business grows and as you need to add more and more users you basically ‘rent’ the software as a service. It is the cure to many of the headaches associated with the traditional software model where you have to purchase, install and host the solution yourself. With no software or hardware to buy, install, maintain, or upgrade, there is greatly reduced startup expense as well as reduced need for a dedicated IT team and thus the popularity of on-demand has grown tremendously with businesses and IT organizations.

It will centralise your support questions/issues.

You will get a case number per support question / issue, helping you to track issues.

You can use a Solutions database to get issues answered more quickly.

Web to lead is a function in the CRM which generates code a web developer can include in your website contact form to automatically dump the data into your CRM direct from your website.

This has the added benefit of course of centralising your leads in your CRM for faster follow up and conversion to opportunities.

In addition you can set up auto assignment and workflow rules to notify the right sales person a new lead has arrived as well as the lead themselves that their lead has been received and a sales person will be in touch shortly. ie. "CRM"!

CAN-SPAM Act of 2003

The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 (15 U.S.C. 7701, et seq. - html version) established the United States' first national standards for sending commercial e-mail. The acronym CAN-SPAM derives from the bill's full name: Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing Act of 2003.

CAN-SPAM defines spam as "any electronic mail message the primary purpose of which is the commercial advertisement or promotion of a commercial product or service (including content on an Internet website operated for a commercial purpose)." It exempts "transactional or relationship messages." The bill forbids e-mail marketers to send unsolicited commercial e-mail unless it contains all of:

	an opt-out mechanism;
	a valid subject line and header (routing) information;
	the legitimate physical address of the mailer; and
	a label if the content is adult.

If a user opts out, a sender has ten days to cease sending spam. The legislation also prohibits the sale or other transfer of an e-mail address after an opt-out request.

Use of automated means to register for multiple e-mail accounts from which to send spam compound other violations. It prohibits sending sexually-oriented spam without the label later determined by the FTC of SEXUALLY-EXPLICIT. This label replaced the similar state labeling requirements of ADV:ADLT or ADLT. Labeling regulations for general spam will be commented on by the FTC this summer.

CAN-SPAM preempts existing state anti-spam laws that do not deal with fraud. It makes it a misdemeanor to send spam with falsified header information. A host of other common spamming practices can make a CAN-SPAM violation an "aggravated offense," including harvesting, dictionary attacks, Internet protocol spoofing, hijacking computers through Trojan horses or worms, or using open mail relays for the purpose of sending spam.

Further info:
http://www.legalarchiver.org/cs.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can_Spam_Act

European Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directive_on_Privacy_and_Electronic_Communications

Australian Spam Act 2003
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spam_Act_2003

The final way to improve your deliverability is to get certified or accredited by a reputable organization. There are three different types of ways to get yourself certified! The first gets your emails automatically whitelisted or delivered to ISPs and companies that are working with the relevent program. Another audits your email practices so that you can display a seal of approval next to your sign up form. Another allows you to display an icon next to your email in your inbox that indicates that your email passed a quality test. We will focus on whitelisting programs here:

Goodmail Systems - ISPs supporting this program ensure delivery with a "certified" icon attached. This accreditation is supported by Yahoo and AOL.

Sender Score Certified - Acceptance in this program puts you on the whitelist that includes 240 email address as well as MSN/Hotmail and Roadrunner.

Habeas - requires business processes and email practices. Their safelist is support by many email receivers including AOL, Earthlink, Google, and MSN

SuretyMail - While not technically a whitelist a large number of ISPs, spam filters, and mail servers take this accreditation into account when making delivery decisions. Senders with this accreditation will see improved delivery.