Email Marketing & CRM Glossary
Understand the key terms and concepts in email marketing, CRM, and customer engagement.
A/B Testing
A/B testing (split testing) compares two versions of an email to see which performs better. You can test subject lines, content, send times, or CTAs. It's essential for data-driven optimisation.
A/B Testing in Sendifai →Attendance Tracking
Attendance tracking records who attends events, services, or classes. For churches and membership organisations, it helps identify engaged members and those who may need follow-up.
Attendance in Sendifai →Bounce Rate
Bounce rate is the percentage of emails that couldn't be delivered. Hard bounces occur when addresses are invalid; soft bounces are temporary issues like full inboxes. High bounce rates damage sender reputation.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Click-through rate measures the percentage of email recipients who click on one or more links in an email. It indicates engagement and content relevance. Average CTRs range from 2-5%.
Track Your CTR →Contact Management
Contact management is the process of storing, organising, and maintaining information about your contacts. It includes names, email addresses, phone numbers, communication history, and custom fields.
Contact Management Features →CRM
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is software that helps organisations manage interactions with current and potential customers. It centralises contact data, tracks communication history, and enables personalised engagement at scale.
Explore CRM Features →DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
DKIM is an email authentication method that adds a digital signature to outgoing emails. Recipients can verify the signature to confirm the email hasn't been altered and came from an authorised sender.
DMARC
Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC) builds on SPF and DKIM to give domain owners control over how unauthenticated emails are handled. It helps protect against phishing.
Double Opt-in
Double opt-in requires new subscribers to confirm their email address by clicking a link in a confirmation email. It ensures valid addresses and explicit consent, reducing spam complaints.
Learn About Consent →Drip Campaign
A drip campaign is an automated series of emails sent on a schedule or triggered by user actions. Examples include welcome sequences, onboarding flows, and re-engagement campaigns.
Build Drip Campaigns →Dynamic Segmentation
Dynamic segmentation automatically updates contact groups based on real-time criteria. Unlike static lists, dynamic segments change as contacts meet or no longer meet the defined conditions.
Dynamic Segments →Email Deliverability
Email deliverability measures the ability of your emails to reach recipients' inboxes rather than spam folders. It depends on sender reputation, authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and content quality.
View Analytics Features →Email Template
An email template is a pre-designed layout for email campaigns. Templates ensure brand consistency, save time, and are typically mobile-responsive. Sendifai offers 180+ professional templates.
Browse Templates →Engagement Rate
Engagement rate measures how actively recipients interact with your emails. It combines opens, clicks, replies, and forwards. High engagement signals quality content and improves deliverability.
Track Engagement →GDPR
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is an EU/UK law governing data privacy. For email marketing, it requires explicit consent, data access rights, and the ability for contacts to be forgotten.
GDPR Guide for Churches →List Hygiene
List hygiene is the practice of regularly cleaning your email list by removing invalid addresses, inactive subscribers, and hard bounces. It improves deliverability and reduces costs.
Marketing Automation
Marketing automation uses software to automate repetitive marketing tasks like email sequences, lead nurturing, and customer journeys. It enables personalised communication at scale without manual effort.
Explore Automation →Open Rate
Open rate is the percentage of recipients who open an email campaign. It's calculated by dividing unique opens by delivered emails. A good open rate varies by industry but typically ranges from 15-25%.
Improve Your Open Rates →Opt-in
Opt-in is when a person explicitly agrees to receive email communications. Single opt-in adds them immediately; double opt-in requires email confirmation. Opt-in is required for GDPR compliance.
GDPR Compliance Guide →Pastoral Care
In church CRM context, pastoral care refers to the spiritual and emotional support provided to congregation members. CRM features help track visits, prayer requests, and care team assignments.
Church CRM Features →Segmentation
Segmentation divides your contact list into smaller groups based on shared characteristics like demographics, behaviour, or interests. Segmented campaigns typically see 14% higher open rates than non-segmented ones.
See Segmentation Features →Sender Reputation
Sender reputation is a score assigned by email providers based on your sending practices. Factors include bounce rates, spam complaints, engagement, and authentication. Poor reputation leads to spam filtering.
SPF (Sender Policy Framework)
SPF is an email authentication protocol that specifies which mail servers are authorised to send email on behalf of your domain. It helps prevent email spoofing and improves deliverability.
Unsubscribe Rate
Unsubscribe rate is the percentage of recipients who opt out of your email list after receiving a campaign. A rate above 0.5% may indicate content or frequency issues.
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