How to Fix a High Bounce Rate: 7 Steps to Take Before Your Next Send
·2 min read
A bounce happens when an email can't be delivered. If a lot of your messages are doing it, you have a high bounce rate, and it needs fixing. In plain terms, you're sending to too many dead ends. Left alone, it wastes your email marketing effort and makes inbox providers less willing to deliver your messages.
Here are seven steps to bring it down before your next send.
1. Find out what's counted as a bounce
Check your email tool's report. Most split bounces into two kinds: permanent ones (the address doesn't exist) and temporary ones (a full inbox or a server problem). Permanent dead ends are the ones to remove first.
2. Verify your mailing list
This is the biggest fix. Run your whole list through VerifyFlow to catch addresses that don't exist before you send to them. It's a flat £20 per list, up to 1,000,000 rows, in one CSV or Excel file.
3. Remove invalid addresses straight away
Delete or archive anything flagged invalid. Don't leave them in "just in case". Every send to a dead address counts against you.
4. Handle catch-all addresses carefully
Catch-all domains accept mail for any address, so a checker can't confirm whether the person exists. VerifyFlow flags these separately. Send them a small test first rather than mailing them all or deleting them all.
5. Fix how people join your list
Many dead ends come from typos at sign-up. Ask people to confirm their address, add a confirmation email step, and avoid buying or renting lists, which are full of bad addresses.
6. Retire people who never engage
If someone hasn't opened anything in a long time, their address may have been abandoned. Move them to a separate segment and try a last "still want to hear from us?" message before removing them.
7. Re-check before big sends
Lists decay constantly. Make verification part of your routine before big campaigns, sales and seasonal pushes. For most small senders, that means a few times a year.
What's a good bounce rate?
Aim to keep it as low as possible. Benchmarks vary by industry and by email tool, so check what yours reports for accounts like yours. Whatever the number, if your bounce rate is rising from one campaign to the next, it's time to clean up.
Who needs this most?
Agencies and freelancers sending on behalf of clients can't afford to damage someone else's email reputation. Online shops lose sales with every missed order update or offer. Charities and newsletters depend on reaching supporters who actually want to hear from them.
Final thoughts
You can fix a high bounce rate with a handful of habits: verify with VerifyFlow, remove the dead ends, handle catch-alls with care, and keep your mailing list fresh. Your email marketing will thank you.