Comprehensive Guide to Setting Up Your Email Services

Setting Up a Dedicated Domain

Overview

Using a dedicated domain for your email services is highly recommended. It not only enhances the professionalism of your communications but also improves email deliverability. This section will guide you through the initial steps of adding and verifying a dedicated domain.

Detailed Steps

Accessing Email Services Settings:

Navigate to the 'Settings' menu on the left-hand side of your CRM dashboard.
Click on 'Email Services'. This section might appear blank initially.

Adding a Dedicated Domain:

Click on the option for a dedicated domain, then select 'Add a Domain'.

Choose your sending subdomain (e.g., mail, email, replies) and ensure it's a subdomain of your main domain for consistency and professionalism.

Domain Verification:

Upon adding your subdomain, you'll be provided with five DNS records to add to your domain registrar (e.g., Cloudflare, Namecheap, GoDaddy).
These records include TXT, CNAME, and MX records. Each must be added precisely as instructed to ensure successful verification.
After adding these records to your domain registrar, return to the CRM and click 'Verify' to complete the process.

Troubleshooting and Tips

Domain Verification Issues: If verification fails initially, double-check each record for accuracy. Remember, DNS changes may take some time to propagate.
Using Cloudflare: It offers an added layer of protection. Ensure the proxy status is turned off (DNS only) when adding CNAME records to avoid issues.

Email Deliverability and Maintenance

Overview

Maintaining high email deliverability is crucial for successful communication. This section covers setting up list maintenance workflows and smart lists to manage bounced emails, complaints, and unsubscribes efficiently.

Implementing Maintenance Workflows

Bounced Emails:

Create a workflow to tag contacts with bounced emails, set them to 'Do Not Disturb' for email, and remove them from all workflows.

Remember to save and publish your workflow!

Complaints:

Similarly, for complaints, tag the contacts, remove them from all communication channels and workflows.

Unsubscribes:

Use a custom value in the email footer to catch unsubscribes, tag them, set to 'Do Not Disturb' for email, and remove from workflows.

Creating a Clean Deliverability List

Utilize smart lists to filter out contacts with bounced emails, complaints, and unsubscribes. Ensure the list only includes contacts with valid email addresses and not set to 'Do Not Disturb' across any channel.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How long does it take for DNS changes to propagate?

A: It can take up to 48 hours, but typically changes are observed much sooner.

Q: Can I use the same dedicated domain across multiple sub-accounts?

A: Yes, but it's recommended to set up a dedicated domain for each sub-account for better branding and deliverability.

Q: What if I encounter issues during the setup process?

A: Double-check all entered DNS records for accuracy. If issues persist, consider reaching out for support or consulting the detailed documentation available.