| Over the past few years, research has continued to | | | | The most popular interest categories, according to the |
| prove the benefits of e-mail marketing for business: | | | | study, are coupons and household goods.But you're |
| low costs, high conversion rates and detailed tracking | | | | coupon is no good unless the user opens the email. |
| are all notable features. But e-mail marketing is | | | | Users in the study said the most compelling reason for |
| becoming much more than just a tool for spammers | | | | them to open a business email is the name in the |
| and e-businesses. Consumers are becoming | | | | "from" field. So it's a good idea to make sure your |
| increasingly savvy on the differences between spam | | | | company name is clearly stated there. Another major |
| and permission-based emails, and more and more of | | | | factor is the "subject" line. Users cite discount offers |
| them are accepting permission-based e-mail marketing | | | | and interesting news as the most compelling subject |
| as a positive replacement for direct mail.The best | | | | lines, followed by new product announcements and |
| news is that the majority of people who receive | | | | free shipping offers.4. Click-through and conversion: |
| permission-based e-mails open, on average, 78% of | | | | Show me the money! |
| them.Jupiter Research reports effective email | | | | So the user has opened your email and read the |
| marketing campaigns can produce nine times the | | | | content. Great. But where's the sale? There's good |
| revenues and 18 times the profits of broadcast | | | | news here. For one, consumers are increasingly likely |
| mailings. But crafting an effective business email is both | | | | to make purchases as a direct result of a business |
| an art and a science. Here is a list of factors, potential | | | | email campaign. One-third of users in the DoubleClick |
| problems and effective solutions to keep in mind:1. | | | | study had purchased something by clicking a link on an |
| Spam! Spam! Spam! I don't need any Viagra! | | | | email. Another 42% clicked on an email link for more |
| The average consumer receives more than 300 | | | | information, then purchased the product at a later time. |
| emails a week, 62% of which are spam. No wonder | | | | Second, online couponing is booming: 73% of |
| there's such hostility towards the industry. But spam | | | | consumers have redeemed an online coupon for an |
| filters, bulk folders and "report spam" features are | | | | online purchase, and 59% have redeemed an online |
| helping consumers become more at ease about the | | | | coupon offline.In terms of industries, the top performers |
| perils of spam. While 89% of users cited spam as a | | | | are travel, hardware/software, electronics, apparel, |
| major concern in 2003, that number dropped to 85% in | | | | food, home furnishings, gifts/flowers and sporting |
| 2004, proportionally to an increase in the use of | | | | goods. All companies sending business emails in those |
| spam-fighting tools.So as a permission-based business | | | | categories said between 71% and 80% of recipients |
| email marketer, what can you do? One tip is to remind | | | | have purchased their products because of an email |
| your subscribers to add you to their "safe senders" list. | | | | campaign.There's no need to fret if your company |
| The second, and most important, tactic is to make | | | | doesn't fit in to one of those industries. The overall |
| sure your email marketing service provider has a good | | | | landscape for email marketing conversions is looking |
| relationship with ISPs. This will ensure that your email | | | | brighter every day. The average click-to-purchase rate |
| marketing campaigns go into your subscribers' inboxes, | | | | has increased nearly 30% since 2004 and the |
| not their junk mail folders. When choosing an email | | | | average orders-per-email-delivered rate has increased |
| marketing software, make sure the company has | | | | more than 18% since last year.5. Stats tracking: Who |
| strict anti-spam policies and complies with the | | | | are my real consumers? |
| guidelines of Can-Spam.2. Images and formatting: Why | | | | E-mail marketing is an increasingly popular tool in |
| do my emails look broken? | | | | effective CRM, and it's about time more businesses |
| Broken email campaigns are an increasing concern | | | | recognize that. First off, if your provider's email |
| among email marketers, especially since several | | | | services for business do not include detailed, real-time |
| companies and web-based email providers now block | | | | tracking, you're getting a raw deal. Real-time tracking is |
| graphics as a measure to combat spam. In fact, | | | | now an industry standard, and it's highly valuable, as it |
| according to ClickZ, 40% of email marketing | | | | allows you to see the exact moment a user opens |
| messages delivered to inboxes are "broken."This was | | | | your campaign, clicks on your link and makes that |
| actually something that came up during Eliteweb.cc's | | | | purchase. Studying your users can help you improve |
| beta-testing phases, as we had a client in the | | | | your communications efforts, so each campaign |
| Canadian Government whose recipients were mostly | | | | performs better than the last (several email service |
| using highly secure email programs. The solution we | | | | providers also let you compare the performance of |
| came up has now become one of our key | | | | your campaigns).But many marketers are still in the |
| competitive advantages.What Eliteweb.cc does is it | | | | dark. According to a recent WebTrends research, only |
| publishes every single email marketing campaign sent | | | | 5% of marketers are very confident in the |
| to a secure location on the web (a location only original | | | | measurement of their online marketing efforts, while |
| recipients of the email can access, thanks to | | | | 26% admit they're "flying blind." WebTrends says the |
| encrypted technology that automatically authenticates | | | | low confidence comes from a lack of knowledge |
| the user). The technology also ensures you can track | | | | when it comes to measurement, which means there's |
| your users' behaviors, even if they are reading your | | | | still a lot of work to be done.In email marketing, a blind |
| email campaign at the secure web location.3. | | | | shot won't take you very far. But if you aim properly |
| Personalization and relevant content: In a business | | | | by following these essential rules of play, you should |
| e-mail, one size does not fit all. | | | | soon be reaping the same major results as so many |
| In a recent study by DoubleClick, email users were | | | | online and offline businesses.Robert Burko is the |
| 72% more likely to respond to a business e-mail if its | | | | president and founder of Eliteweb.cc, a web portal that |
| content was based on the interests they had specified. | | | | provides Fortune 500 solutions for small and |
| That number points out the absolute importance of | | | | medium-sized businesses. Eliteweb.cc's Elite Email |
| allowing users to choose their own interest groups and | | | | Marketing program is optimized for all the above tips. |
| have control over which business e-mails they receive. | | | | |