Hi there,
Remember last week when I told you about getting the same email 15 times in seven minutes?
Well, this week I managed the exact opposite problem.
I've been waiting for an important email update for the last couple of weeks. I wasn't sure exactly how long it was going to take, but I've been quite anxious about it, so I decided to check a previous email to see if I could get a better idea of timescales.
Searching my inbox not only uncovered the earlier email I was looking for, but the exact update I'd been waiting for, too. Sitting in my inbox. Unread, and sent eight days ago.
Subject line: "Notification from [System Name]"
The most generic, forgettable subject line imaginable. The kind that looks like every other unimportant automated message. So it just blended into the background of my 28,000+ unread emails.
Admittedly, this was a bit of a wakeup call that I really need to get better at clearing out my inbox (But let's be honest, that's never going to happen. I've made peace with the chaos.)
It also made me think about just how many of these emails are being overlooked not just by me, but by everyone drowning in their inboxes right now.
Your WordPress site might be sending all kinds of important messages, and you probably have no idea if anyone's actually receiving or opening them.
So what can you actually do about it?
1. Start with better subject lines
The subject line was definitely the downfall of this email. I'm generally pretty good about scanning my inbox by eye to filter out the junk (rather than ACTUALLY clearing out the junk). And Gmail's algorithms are also usually quite reliable for identifying "important" messages, but let me down this time.
Default WordPress email subject lines sent from most plugins aren't much better either. "New User Registration." "Password Reset." "Form Submission." Thrilling stuff.
If you're using automated emails for things like form submissions, password resets, or order updates, your subject lines need to be clear, specific, and action-oriented. Instead of "Form Submission," try "Action needed: Contact form from [Name]."
You can even use AI to help generate better subject lines that actually grab attention (yes, I know not everyone is a fan of AI, but it can be useful sometimes.) Tools like ChatGPT or dedicated subject line generators can help you create more engaging, specific subject lines that people actually notice.
2. Track what's happening with your emails
You can't improve what you don't measure. Email tracking lets you see if emails are being opened and if people are clicking links inside them.
Understanding your email analytics and engagement metrics - opens, clicks, and delivery status - is critical for knowing whether your communications are actually working.
Plus, poor engagement signals can damage your email deliverability in the long term, as email service providers will assume that ignored emails are unwanted emails.
WP Mail SMTP Pro's email logs show you exactly when each email was sent, whether it was opened, and if any links were clicked, so it's really handy to keep an eye on so you can spot any recurring issues.
3. Consider strategic follow-ups
If someone hasn't opened or clicked on an important email, sometimes they just need a gentle reminder. This would have been very useful for me if I'd received a more urgent nudge a couple of days after not responding.
Email automation can help here. You can set up workflows that send a follow-up if someone hasn't acted on something time-sensitive. Let me know if you'd like me to put together a tutorial showing how to set this up!
5. Make sure your emails are getting delivered in the first place
Sometimes the problem isn't that people are ignoring your emails - it's that they never received them at all. Nobody is going to see your email if it's going straight to the spam folder.
Monitoring your email reputation and making sure your emails are properly authenticated is fundamental. If you're not sure whether your emails are even reaching inboxes, WP Mail SMTP's email test feature can check your authentication is set up properly before you start sending.
Between boring subject lines, full inboxes, and aggressive spam filters, your emails are fighting an uphill battle to get noticed.
That important email I missed for eight days? Once I finally found it, the information was still relevant, and I was able to act on it. But if it had been time-sensitive, it could have been a disaster.
I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person dealing with inbox overwhelm. So if you're relying on important emails to actually reach people, you might want to make sure they're getting noticed.
Until next time,
Rachel
Product Educator, WP Mail SMTP
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