In e-commerce, don't let email address verification slip

Many e-commerce merchants benefit from the fact that they can sell to customers around the globe, but they need to have strong email marketing strategies in order to reach consumers. In addition to distributing a powerful message that will persuade people to buy, online retailers should adopt email validation software that helps them manage contact lists and avoid sending repeat emails to individuals.

There are a few steps e-commerce merchants can take to keep their email lists fresh and of high quality, Carolyn Nye writes for Practical Ecommerce. Actively deleting any inactive emails - particularly those belonging to people who haven't purchased in over a year, nor opened an email in six months or more - and updating contact details every time you receive a change-of-address notification are good ways to start, she advises.

For customers who have been inactive for a longer time, consider sending them messages once in a while in an attempt to bring them back.

Nye notes that a drop in open and click rates does not always mean that email marketing efforts are not effective, nor does it indicate that your customers are disengaged. "Ensuring you are continually updating your file, replacing inactive addresses with new ones, will only help grow your program," she says.