Insights

Report reveals surprising mobile trends for email marketing

When it comes to email marketing, desktop has traditionally outperformed mobile across most areas, but as a recent Consumer Purchase Behaviour Q3 report delivered by email marketing company YesMail reveals, this is changing fast.

Smart marketers are now gearing up with the knowledge and skills to truly capitalise on the opportunities that come with selling to someone who is shopping on-the-go through their mobile device.

“Over 52% of all opens and clicks now happen on a mobile device”

Chances are, you probably use a Smartphone or a tablet to read your email too. One of the stand-out trends the YesMail report is the dramatic increase of people choosing to use mobile devices only to manage their email. The number of people who view emails on both desktop and mobile devices has dropped 50% over the last quarter, while the number of people only using a mobile device increased by around the same amount. With more people viewing email on mobile, the importance for responsive design across websites and email templates continues to grow.A responsive web page or email template will automatically resize and adjust the layout depending on the size and orientation of the screen.

Designers now also need to consider the wider range of email client applications used. From traditional mail clients like Outlook and Gmail right through to Samsung and iPhone users where both the device operating system and the email client can have an impact on the way email is rendered.

“Total and unique click rates decreased by about 5%”

Interestingly, while email marketing open rates have remained consistent over the quarter at 15%, clicks actually decreased by about 5% in Q3. What can we learn from this?

With more people reading emails on mobile devices, the report notes that one very likely reason for the decreased click rate may be due to emails that are not optimised for smaller screens and different email clients. Again we see the need for responsive design becoming ‘business as usual’. Another critical factor in the lack of clicks may be the age-old issue of compelling, personalised content and powerful calls to action.

“Over 16% of sales driven by email happen on a mobile device”

As people become increasingly confident making purchases on mobile devices and marketers understand mobile commerce better, consumer propensity to buy on a smartphone or tablet will continue to rise.

In Q3 56% of people preferred tablets over smartphones for making purchases and surprisingly, more than 99% of all those tablet purchases were made on an iPad! iPhone users also tend to make more email-driven purchases than Android users.

“Mobile clicks lead to purchases more frequently than desktop clicks”

Although email driven revenue from ecommerce on desktops is far greater than mobile, the YesMail report revealed that mobile users are more conservative with their clicks, making them more valuable.

Across all industries analysed, a desktop click (calculated as revenue divided by number of clicks) is worth $3.26 whereas a mobile click is worth $7.14. This data indicates that when a mobile user clicks on your link, they’re more inclined to make a purchase than a desktop user.

Retailers benefiting most from email marketing campaigns to mobile

The YesMail report is most encouraging for retailers using email marketing. Not only are people increasingly comfortable making purchases on their mobile devices, they are spending just as much as they would on their desktop. Compared to the industry standard of 16% of sales generated by email marketing campaigns on desktop, 19% of sales are now happening on a mobile device.

Email marketing for the future

With the growing use of mobile and the continued effectiveness of email as an effective digital marketing tool, here are some action items to pop on your marketing ‘to do’ list.

  • Ensure your emails and website are responsive
  • Use compelling content, irresistible offers and clear calls to action in your emails
  • Determine the optimal frequency to email your database through testing
  • Remember that mobile users are on-the-go
  • Develop an early communication strategy to engage your subscribers
  • Test your emails in multiple browsers and screen sizes
  • Track your email metrics and use trend data to optimise for the future

Email marketing is just one aspect of the digital marketing services iFactory provides to assist businesses in driving more enquiry. Our talented team of designers, developers and digital consultants invite you to tweet or submit any questions you might have.

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