Why Aussie small business emails get ignored, and how to fix it

Email can be a goldmine for Australian small businesses, but only if your emails reach the main inbox. Land in Promotions or spam and they'll be ignored, however good they are.

Why your emails get ignored

• Too many tracking pixels. Heavy tracking makes emails look like ads, especially in Gmail, which pushes them into Promotions.
• Mismatched sending domains. If the address doesn't match your business name, customers don't trust it and inboxes filter it.
• Keeping unengaged subscribers. Emailing people who never open hurts your sender reputation and inbox placement.
• Ignoring your domain reputation. A poor reputation can get your emails blocked or filtered without you knowing.

Why it matters

The best email in the world is worthless if nobody sees it. Better inbox placement can mean a real lift in revenue, and many small businesses never check their delivery rates.

Simple fixes

• Clean your list regularly. Remove people who don't open.
• Send from an address that matches your brand, like yourname@yourbusiness.com.au.
• Set up authentication properly. SPF, DKIM and DMARC prove you're a real sender.
• Check your stats. If a large share of your emails aren't reaching the inbox, fix the setup before sending more.
• Personalise. Use names and send content that matches what people care about.
• Send at the right time. Learn when your audience actually opens.

New ways to stand out

• Use AI for segmentation. Group customers and send each group what they care about. It only works with accurate, up-to-date data.
• Try interactive emails. Polls, quick surveys and simple games get people clicking and replying from the inbox.