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E-mail reputation isn't just a technical issue among big e-mail service providers. As an e-mailer, your standing reflects on your brand and affects your e-mail efforts. So it's important to maintain a topnotch stature.

Here's how to do it. To start, understand that Internet service providers identify e-mail senders by their Internet protocol (IP) addresses and domain names. ISPs track the complaints they get and the undeliverable mail they pass along. Anything excessive in these areas, or the presence of spam traps associated with your IP address and domain can quickly give you a bad reputation and result in your e-mail being delivered to a junk folder or getting blocked.

ISPs take fraudulent e-mail very seriously. Therefore, your reputation is critical to ensuring consistent deliverability. To improve it you must:

• Check that your list is highly deliverable

  ISPs want to see at least a 90% delivery rate. In truth, many businesses do much worse. According to JupiterResearch, fewer than half report delivery rates higher than 80%; a third struggle with less than 80%; and roughly a quarter of them don't know how they're doing at all.

• Build up your credibility as an e-mail sender

  ISPs want to know that your IPs and related do-not-send information are authentic and accountable. This can be accomplished by authenticating outgoing e-mail with one or more of the current technologies such as SFP, Sender ID or Domain Keys.

• Minimize complaints

  Send relevant, targeted information on a timely basis. Avoid inappropriate mailings.

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RICK BUCK (Rbuck@e-dialog.com) is director of privacy and ISP relations for e-mail service provider e-Dialog, Lexington, MA.