Permission-based e-mail marketing makes consumers feel they are in control of their inboxes, according to a new survey from Merkle Inc.
A total of 88% of survey respondents said they feel mostly or completely in control of their inboxes–up nine points from 2004, the survey revealed.
In addition, the poll found that:
.
* Fifty-eight percent of respondents said they believe e-mail is a great way for companies to stay in touch, up from 45% three years ago.
* Half of the respondents made an online purchase in the previous year as a result of permission-based marketing – up three percentage points from one year ago.
The poll also found that e-mail can influence decision-making as 50% of respondents reported that a company that does a good job with e-mail influenced their decision to do business, up 6 percentage points from last year.
Just the same, e-mail can also close doors: About one-third (32%) have stopped doing business with at least one company as a result of poor e-mail marketing practices, the survey noted.
.
The poll surveyed 2,512 U.S. adults age 18 and over who check and/or send e-mail at least once a week.
Network
