In today's fast-paced digital marketplace, maintaining a clean and accurate email list is crucial for any B2B SaaS (Software as a Service) CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system. An accurate email list ensures that you can communicate effectively with your customers, reduce bounce rates, and enhance your deliverability scores. Email verification is a key component in achieving these goals. This blog post will guide you through the process of integrating email verification into your B2B SaaS CRM, ultimately improving the efficiency of your marketing and sales efforts.
Before diving into the nitty-gritty of integration, it's essential to understand why email verification is so important for your CRM system.
Several email verification services offer robust APIs that can be integrated into your CRM system. Here are some popular options:
When choosing an email verification service, consider factors like accuracy, speed, ease of integration, and cost.
First, you need to identify the touchpoints in your CRM where email addresses are captured and stored. These could include:
Email verification can be done in various ways:
Depending on your use case, you might choose one or both methods.
Once you’ve selected an email verification service, sign up and obtain the API keys needed to access their verification services. You'll typically find these keys in the dashboard of the service provider.
You’ll need to modify your CRM system to call the email verification API at the identified touchpoints. Here’s a step-by-step guide to integrating real-time email verification:
Ensure your forms capture email addresses correctly. Here’s a simple HTML example:
<form id="signup-form">
<input type="email" id="email" name="email" required>
<input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>
Use JavaScript to call the verification API when the form is submitted. Below is an example using fetch:
<script>
document.getElementById('signup-form').addEventListener('submit', function(event) {
event.preventDefault();
let email = document.getElementById('email').value;
verifyEmail(email).then(result => {
if(result.valid) {
// Proceed with form submission
alert('Email verified!');
} else {
// Show error message
alert('Invalid email address!');
}
});
});
async function verifyEmail(email) {
let apiKey = 'YOUR_API_KEY_HERE';
let url = `https://api.emailverifier.com/verify?email=${email}&apikey=${apiKey}`;
let response = await fetch(url);
let data = await response.json();
return data;
}
</script>
Based on the API response, you can decide whether to accept or reject the email address. Each service's API will return different fields, but generally, you'll get a valid or invalid status.
For batch verification, export your email list from the CRM and upload it to the email verification service. Each service provides specific instructions for this process. Here’s a generic example:
Export the email list from your CRM system. This might be a CSV file or another format.
Log in to your chosen email verification service and upload the list. The service will verify the emails and usually provide a downloadable report.
Import the verified list back into your CRM, replacing or updating the existing email addresses.
It's not enough to verify emails once and assume all is well. Make sure to:
Email verification touches on personal data, so ensure your processes comply with regulations like GDPR, CCPA, etc. Always inform your customers that their data will be verified and used responsibly.
For practical demonstration, let’s consider integrating NeverBounce with Salesforce, a popular CRM.
Sign up for NeverBounce and obtain your API key.
Create an Apex class to call the NeverBounce API:
public class EmailVerification {
@future(callout=true)
public static void verifyEmail(String email) {
String apiKey = 'YOUR_API_KEY_HERE';
HttpRequest req = new HttpRequest();
req.setEndpoint('https://api.neverbounce.com/v4/single/check?email=' + email + '&key=' + apiKey);
req.setMethod('GET');
Http http = new Http();
HttpResponse res = http.send(req);
// Parse the response
Map<String, Object> result = (Map<String, Object>) JSON.deserializeUntyped(res.getBody());
Boolean isValid = result.get('result').equals('valid');
if (isValid) {
// Update the lead or contact in Salesforce as verified
// Your update logic here
} else {
// Handle invalid email
}
}
}
Call this class from a trigger whenever a lead or contact is created or updated:
trigger LeadEmailVerification on Lead (after insert, after update) {
for (Lead l : Trigger.new) {
EmailVerification.verifyEmail(l.Email);
}
}
Once integrated, monitor the performance of your email campaigns. Create dashboards within your CRM to track metrics such as:
Integrating email verification with your B2B SaaS CRM is a straightforward process that offers significant benefits. It improves your email deliverability, enhances your sender reputation, and ensures cost-effective marketing efforts. By choosing the right email verification service and following the steps outlined above, you can ensure a smooth and successful integration.
Remember, email verification is not a one-time task but an ongoing process. Regularly update and verify your email lists to maintain their integrity and reliability.
Now that you're equipped with the knowledge of how to integrate email verification into your CRM, it's time to take action. Start by selecting the best email verification service for your needs, and follow the steps outlined to integrate it seamlessly into your CRM system. Your marketing and sales teams will thank you, and your business will see positive results.
Happy verifying!