• by Jess Nelson , May 11, 2016

Marketing and data solutions provider Return Path announced the launch of a new domain-based email certification solution Tuesday to help marketers successfully deliver emails to a consumer’s inbox.

Reputation is key when it comes to delivering emails, and a low sender’s score or reputation score can significantly hinder an email marketing campaign.

Ranging from 0 to 100, a sender score is a metric that Internet service providers use to verify the authenticity and safety of email marketing messages and to different legitimate emails from spam.

Based on sending scores and domain reputation, Return Path’s Domain Certification solution helps marketers develop marketing campaigns that will have higher delivery and engagement rates.

To receive certification, applicants must pass an email program review that includes permission practices, email infrastructure and privacy policies. Certified senders must maintain strict compliance of sending best practice to remain on Return Path’s Domain Certified whitelist.

Return Path already provides an IP address-based certification solution for Enterprise customers, but the company’s new Domain Certification solution extends the its certified whitelist to small and mid-sized vendors on shared IP addresses.  It also benefits marketers with previously certified IP addresses with added email stream monitoring.

 “Email filtering is constantly evolving,” states Matt Blumberg, CEO of Return Path. “With the adoption of IPv6, the number of IP addresses has grown exponentially, making IP reputation much more difficult to monitor. So mailbox providers are placing increased importance on domain-based authentication for their filtering decisions. Now more than ever, it’s critical for senders to maintain a spotless domain reputation. Going through the certification process is a sure-fire way to expose any possible domain reputation issues.”

Return Path claims certified customers have already seen an increase in delivery by as much as 18%, resulting in higher email engagement rates and return on investment.