o filter out the spam that their customers receive. In theory, it’s a sensible solution to a significant problem, but the lists have their flaws, which means that many legitimate opt-in messages are being blocked from reaching business clients. Because it only takes one Email may be fast becoming the preferred means of business communications and marketing, but, according to Karen Fegarty, it is only an effective tool if your messages are getting through to your opt-in clients. This is not always the case.

“You can find a lot of data that shows that information is not getting through by email, and the impact that has on any given business. AOL currently blocks about 80 per cent of all email to its users, data from Return Path suggests, on average, 22 per cent of legitimate opt-in email wasn’t delivered to user inboxes, and the costs to business of incorrectly blocked opt-in email is expected to reach $419 million by 2008.”

Why is such a high percentage of business email not getting through? For the most part, it comes down to the growing phenomenon of blacklists. A blacklist is a database of internet addresses (IPs) that have either been identified as, or are being used by companies and individuals to send spam. There are many blacklists in existence and service and bandwidth providers (ISPs) subscribe to these lists to filter out the spam that their customers receive. In theory, it’s a sensible solution to a significant problem, but the lists have their flaws, which means that many legitimate opt-in messages are being blocked from reaching business clients. Because it only takes one c

that shows that information is not getting through by email, and the impact that has on any given business. AOL currently blocks about 80 per cent of all email to its users, data from Return Path suggests, on average, 22 per cent of legitimate opt-in email wasn’t delivered to user inboxes, and the costs to business of incorrectly blocked opt-in email is expected to reach $419 million by 2008.”

Why is such a high percentage of business email not getting through? For the most part, it comes down to the growing phenomenon of blacklists. A blacklist is a database of internet addresses (IPs) that have either been identified as, or are being used by companies and individuals to send spam. There are many blacklists in existence and service and bandwidth providers (ISPs) subscribe to these lists to filter out the spam that their customers receive. In theory, it’s a sensible solution to a significant problem, but the lists have their flaws, which means that many legitimate opt-in messages are being blocked from reaching business clients. Because it only takes one

livered to user inboxes, and the costs to business of incorrectly blocked opt-in email is expected to reach $419 million by 2008.”

Why is such a high percentage of business email not getting through? For the most part, it comes down to the growing phenomenon of blacklists. A blacklist is a database of internet addresses (IPs) that have either been identified as, or are being used by companies and individuals to send spam. There are many blacklists in existence and service and bandwidth providers (ISPs) subscribe to these lists to filter out the spam that their customers receive. In theory, it’s a sensible solution to a significant problem, but the lists have their flaws, which means that many legitimate opt-in messages are being blocked from reaching business clients. Because it only takes one

klists. A blacklist is a database of internet addresses (IPs) that have either been identified as, or are being used by companies and individuals to send spam. There are many blacklists in existence and service and bandwidth providers (ISPs) subscribe to these lists to filter out the spam that their customers receive. In theory, it’s a sensible solution to a significant problem, but the lists have their flaws, which means that many legitimate opt-in messages are being blocked from reaching business clients. Because it only takes one o filter out the spam that their customers receive. In theory, it’s a sensible solution to a significant problem, but the lists have their flaws, which means that many legitimate opt-in messages are being blocked from reaching business clients. Because it only takes one complaint, it is very easy for a company’s IP to be added – and erroneously – to a high-use blacklist like SpamCorp. Also, many blacklists add IPs in blocks, so if one user of an IP is labeled a spammer, any business using it will be penalized. And there have been instances where companies have falsely reported competitors as spammers, just to gain a market advantage.

Fegarty’s company, MailWorkZ, has come up with one of the most effective tools available to avoid erroneously blocked opt-in email – BlackList Monitor. Launched in 2004, the web-based service actively monitors, on an hourly basis, 75 of the most popular blacklists, providing clients with automated email notifications if their IPs are found on any of these lists. It also provides clients with the best available information on how to contact and negotiate the removal of their IPs from any blacklist.

According to Fegarty, the genesis of BlackList Monitor came from problems that MailWorkZ and its clients were having sending email to clients.

“Not only do we have an email marketing software pro