Email marketing is essential for modern-day enterprises, and SMTP servers are necessary for conducting marketing campaigns. SMTP refers to the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, a communication protocol that enables an email client to carry out effective message delivery. SMTP follows a specific path known as SMTP relay to send emails to the correct receiver who was targeted by your marketing campaign.
Businesses might face a dilemma of whether they should use free SMTP servers or buy SMTP services. Sometimes an entire SMTP service can get blacklisted by sites that provide blacklisting services. Such a scenario can happen if there is a high output of spam messages from a free server. Such kinds of insecurities are always associated with using a free SMTP Server on a large scale. Blacklisting can adversely affect your email delivery. Read on to find out if free SMTP servers can be used for reliable outbound email delivery.
How Does An SMTP Server Work?
To understand the merits and demerits of using a free SMTP service, you should first take a brief look at how SMTP servers work. An SMTP server is used to send outgoing emails with protocols such as IMAP and POP. There is also a difference between an SMTP relay and an SMTP server. An SMTP server is a connection, whereas an SMTP relay is a routing process involved in sending emails to their proper destination. The SMTP relay is often called the Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) and helps enable relay in an SMTP Server.
When Should You Use SMTP Servers & SMTP Relay Services?
While keeping in mind the acceptance of email as an effective communication system, most organizations need assistance for email relaying. They also need servers that can ensure high deliverability rates. Sending outbound emails is the best bet for organizations that want to expand sales. This case is where the need for an efficient SMTP relay server comes into existence. No enterprise would wish their IP space linked with cybercriminals who send millions of spam messages. Proper relay services and servers reduce the threat of their emails ending up as spam messages.
Since spammers often use free SMTP servers, you should always buy outbound SMTP server for email marketing campaigns. Doing this guarantees success in sending emails that correctly arrive in the intended recipient’s mailbox. Compliance with blacklist regulations by receivers is also an essential factor for hosted email relay servers. With a hosted or private SMTP server, all such problems related to outbound spam are successfully handled.
How Does An Efficient SMTP Relay Service Work?
If you want the services of a top-class SMTP relay server, you should first consider looking at these qualities. The best SMTP relay servers scrutinize an email before it leaves the sending platform. They help in the proper management of IP addresses for sending legitimate emails and help these avoid getting ending up in the spam list.
Some of their best practices include compliance with the strict requirements set down by blacklist operators and email receivers. These relays also process error messages and provide real-time feedback from email receivers. This feature is the most critical aspect of any efficient service. Such feedback is taken into consideration as receivers are the ones who provide valuable clues on what they think about the emails sent by an organization. Such communication helps a lot with the improvement of any campaign and prevents blacklisting due to non-compliance.
Some other features of these services are:
- Provide Invaluable Analytics – The services incorporate various response analytics to assess content, reputation, and behavioural problems. This data is especially helpful as the feedback taking process is often tricky when receivers have maintained private blacklists based on other users’ feedback.
- Spam Traps – Spam traps are a kind of fraud limiting tool. They help ISPs block spammers and blacklist them. An efficient SMTP Server triggers them when spam messages are delivered to the trap email address.
- Feedback Loop Reports – Feedback loops are a structure by which SMTP relay servers successfully send responses to the receiver’s complaints.
Thus, the promotion of feedback is an aspect that should be taken care of by an SMTP service. A user can buy SMTP instant activation services for real-time tracking and spam protection. Such services also provide easy and instant configuration of servers.
Some Examples Of When To Use SMTP Relay Servers And SMTP Services
Here is a list of some everyday situations where you should send email using SMTP relay servers-
- Expanding Reach – You should use SMTP servers when you are looking to expand your email inbox reach and remove problems related to email sending. Improving outreach is a problem that often translates to simple improvements in email deliverability.
- Plugins For Email – You can use SMTP servers if you have built a mobile app or website where you need a simple “plugin” system for better delivery of emails.
- Internet Of Things – SMTP services help when you want an easy way to send emails directly from a scanner, printer, IoT device, or a fax machine.
- Caps On Relays – A situation may arise when you have a cap on how many relays your campaign can use daily. These restrictions may have been put up by your ISP. In case of a large requirement, you need an SMTP relay service that can deliver a high number of emails per day.
How To Get Your Email Service At The Best SMTP Server Price?
While selecting an SMTP service, the price may seem to be an essential factor in determining which service to use. This fact is especially correct for organizational systems that want to manage costs. Your SMTP server price should not be too heavy to cope with and should be within budget. It would help if you analyzed the different SMTP packages according to internal requirements such as email limit per day, security, and so on.
There are a lot of services available, so you should go ahead with a product only when you are fully satisfied with its package and terms. Checking for customer reviews and brand reputation is essential. Don’t just go for low prices as reputation and customer feedback will indicate the quality of service you will receive.
Final Words
A free SMTP server is not wrong to use if you are comfortable with their restrictions and security policies. A free product will not give you all the exclusive advantages that you will get when you use a paid one. This is because paid services are specifically designed for handling bulk messages or transactional email marketing. Various important factors, such as spam protection and feedback systems, are also provided in paid services. Such features are not available in servers made for peer-to-peer communication.