Your SMTP Server - More Important Than The Email Tool

By: Chris Lewis

The choice of the SMTP server you use is as if not more important that the email marketing tool you us. You can create the best looking, most effective email ever but if your SMTP server setup is not set up well then it is like you never sent it.

SMTP servers are the email work-horses of the internet.  In the world of amazing technology, it is sometimes hard to be impressed, but I am constantly amazed by the thought and foreknowledge of the whole SMTP server framework.  As time has moved on, the SMTP framework has changed, and the biggest change is that of SPAM control.  There are to main problem areas we see daily with SMTP servers: How to connect to your SMTP server, and how "good" your SMTP actually functions.

SMTP Connection - The problems that are encountered when connecting to SMTP servers are varied and usually include these:

• The port you need to use is being blocked by your ISP if you SMTP server
• My ISP only allows so many email per day/hour
• Not using the correct connection method (ie: TLS, SSL, NTLM) or wrong domain name
  
• My ISP's SMTP server is not a "good citizen" in the internet world
  

SMTP Configuration - If you have your own SMTP server on-site you are both blessed and cursed.  You will be able to get your emails out to the SMTP server at lightning speeds, but since you have your own SMTP server YOU will have to be responsible for being a "good citizen."  This means you need to do daily duties like making sure your IP address(es) on the SMTP is using is not blacklisted, that major email providers like Hotmail, AOL, and Gmail and not blocking your emails, and making sure you are not overwelming your SMTP server or your connection to the internet.  Needless to say this is a big subject, but these are some of the things to consider.

SMTP Providers - There are specialized companies out there that will act as your SMTP server.  They will ensure your emails going out are appropriately make to conform to SPAM rules, they monitor their servers to make sure they are not blocked, and they will help you resolve issues that do come up is there are any problems with email recipients.  Now it is true this will cost you some money, but if you add up all the time you or someone you will hire to work on these issues I think the value is there.  If you are sending 100,000 emails a month, then the prices are really reasonable.  If you send over a million, then that is maybe when you can start thinking of having your own SMTP server, but it really depends on the connectivity, your budget, and your expertise.  One of our partners is SMTP.com (http://arialsoftware.smtp.com) and they have been a great partner with us for years. There are others, but I think they are the best, so check them out if this seems like a solution for you.