My website asks users to register and provide an email address. However they dont have to verify their account via email. I find that when I contact members emails are always going to spam folders. If I changed the site so that users had to open an email to verify their account once they register, would this mean mail would go to their inbox rather than spam folder next time I contact them? Are there other ways to prevent emails going to spam folders?
Apparently, your emails look like every other piece of spam. You will need to ask your recipients to white list your email address; that or don't send stuff that looks spammy. cheers, gary
Easier said than done though. I have very legit, trusted sender type emails that end up as false positives. I'm guessing that because my read rate for earlier emails from the same sender isn't great (who has time?).
I should have mentioned, what I am asking is for new members who will sign up to my website in the future. It doesn't matter as much for those already signed up
That won't matter - the first email, the one for verifying, will probably still be marked as spam. Make sure you server is doing all the right things to avoid being considered spam - not blacklisted (especially important on shared hosting), make sure you follow most, if not all of the advice here: http://serverfault.com/questions/48428/how-to-send-emails-and-avoid-them-being-classified-as-spam
But that's why I'm thinking if the first email is needed to complete registration, once a new member has opened that will it mean the next few emails they receive go to their inbox?
There's no guarantee that it will go to the inbox, just because they've opened and viewed one. If they select the verification mail, and if it is in spam, choose "this is not spam", then yes. But if they don't, then you have no guarantee just because they've read the first one. Make sure the mail server is on the up and up, and you should be fine.