Online Merchants Tap E-mail as Promotion Tool: Survey
Some 96% of online merchants are using e-mail as a marketing tool and are devoting 26% of their e-marketing budgets to the tactic.
Most e-mail content was promotional (80%), full price (70%) or seasonal (70%), according to a survey conducted by the e-tailing group, Inc. Only 40% of respondents use e-mail for branding purposes.
Addressing privacy concerns, 37% have customers opt-in to receive e-mail, 40% used a combination of opt-in and opt-out and 19% chose opt-out exclusively.
As for mailing frequency, 34% reported that bi-weekly was the prevailing method. Weekly (27%) and monthly (17%) ranked second and third respectively. Eighty-three percent of merchants decided how often to send the emails versus 7% that allowed their customers to choose.
Fifty-six percent considered their e-mail messages to be somewhat personalized, 38% had no personalization and only 6% are sending very personalized messages.
Other findings included:
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In light of the huge amount of spam flooding e-mail boxes, many merchants are reassessing e-mail frequency to send fewer, more targeted messages.
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Merchants are testing content and format options for all e-mail communication including newsletters.
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As easier to manage and more affordable functionality is deployed, an increased use of personalized messaging is anticipated.
The questionnaire was completed during the first quarter of 2003 by more than 200 senior executives with e-commerce responsibility. The e-tailing group is a Chicago-based consultancy.
