Consumers want to be able to easily read e-mails on their mobile devices and expect discounts along with those marketing messages, according to a new study from BlueHornet Networks Inc. The e-mail services provider based its finding on a survey of 1,033 consumers between the ages of 18 and 40 conducted Feb. 2-7.
95% of survey respondents say they subscribe to marketing e-mails in order to receive discounts. And 76% of respondents don’t want to receive e-mails unless they signed up for them.
The survey suggests the importance of mobile when it comes to e-mail marketing. 69% of respondents have sorted e-mails on mobile devices before reading them on desktop computers, and 70% of all respondents immediately delete e-mails that don’t render well on mobile devices.
Moreover, 75% say a poorly designed e-mail viewed on any device leaves a negative impression of the brand.
62% of respondents say they have unsubscribed from e-mail marketing lists to avoid messages that were either sent too often or were not relevant. 41% say they would be open to an option to reduce the frequency of e-mails rather than to unsubscribe.
Two-thirds of respondents also expect a welcome e-mail message once they’ve subscribed. Still, only 70% will add a retailer to their e-mail address books, which reduces the chance of future e-mails being blocked. “The 30% of consumers who add retailers to their address book are probably the ones that love your brand the most. Identify those fans and give them special treatment,” the report says.
As for the remaining subscribers, value is the key, the report adds, advising retailers not to bombard inboxes, but to send messages interesting enough to share. 37% of respondents in the survey share e-mails over Facebook and Twitter.
And because most consumers have at least two e-mail addresses, the report says, the primary inbox should be the marketer’s goal. BlueHornet suggests reaching it by monitoring e-mail response rates and focusing on engaged consumers who open messages, while unsubscribing those who never do. BlueHornet is part of e-commerce services provider Digital River Inc.
At the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition 2012, Alexis Maybank, chief marketing officer and co-founder of Gilt Groupe, will give a keynote address entitled “Innovative ways to connect with today’s consumer.”