Retail E-Mail: Online Marketing Strategies

Retail E-Mail: Online Marketing Strategies

Countries covered: United States

While the economic crisis is forcing retailers to cut back on many marketing initiatives, e-mail marketing budgets are relatively unscathed. Due to its comparative low cost, high ROI and focus on customer retention, e-mail marketing is a recession-ready alternative.

The Retail E-Mail report analyzes the factors that are driving the growth of e-mail marketing during the downturn.

E-mail marketing still accounts for only a tiny proportion of direct marketing budgets in the US, approximately 1.5%, but that is partially due to its low cost. And when marketing budgets are tight, low costs are good.

Results are good, too. To build loyalty, e-mail marketers are using segmentation and personalization tools to create e-mails that speak to a customer’s interests or circumstances.

Marketers must overcome challenges, though. Consumers are increasingly pushing back on spam and moving to social networks, text messaging and other media to gain greater control over their personal and commercial relationships.



Key questions the “Retail E-Mail” report answers:


What is the outlook for retail e-mail marketing?
How are changing online communications affecting e-mail marketers?
How are retailers using e-mail to engage customers?
What are some of the key trends shaping e-mail marketing?
How are e-mail marketers taking advantage of social networks?
And many others…

Executive Summary
Commercial EMail vs. Total Direct Marketing in the US: Sales Generated, Advertising Spending and ROI, 2009
Key Questions



The Retailer’s Perspective

The 2008 Holiday Shopping Season
Average Number of Promotional EMails Sent by US Online Retailers, by Month, 2008
Change in Amount of EMail Sent by US Online Retailers During the Holiday Season*, 2008 (% of respondents)
Top 20 Retail EMail Days, Ranked by Percent of US Online Retailers Sending EMail, 2008
Top 10 US Holiday Season Retail ECommerce Spending Days, 2008 (millions)
EMail Marketing Outlook
Marketing Tactics on Which US* Business Leaders Plan to Increase Spending in 2009 (% of respondents)
Number of Marketing EMails Sent by US Retailers and Wholesalers, 2008 & 2013 (billions)
Marketing Programs and Site Technologies that US Online Retailers Are Inclined to Eliminate or Decrease due to the Current Economic Climate, August 2008 (% of respondents)
EMail Marketing’s Effectiveness
ROI for Select Marketing Tactics in the US, 20072009 & 2013
Performance of EMail Marketing Compared with Other Marketing Programs According to US Online Retailers, by Business Model, September 2008 (% of respondents)




The Consumer’s Perspective

Influence on Online Shopping
Holiday Advertising Media that Influence US Consumers to Shop at a Particular Retailer, by Gender, December 2008 (% of respondents in each group)
US EMail Users Who Believe that EMail Marketing Messages Inspired at Least One of Their Online or Offline Purchases, 2007 & 2008 (% of respondents)
Conversion Rate for Online Sales, by Site Referral Source, Q3 2007 vs. Q3 2008 (% of total referrals)
Consumer EMail Behavior
Change in the Amount of Spam Received This Year vs. Last According to US EMail Recipients, August 2008 (% of respondents)
Media that Have Replaced EMail for Personal Communications During the Past Year According to US EMail Users, by Age, April 2008 (% of respondents)
Preferred Communication Methods of US High School and College Students, October 2008 (% of respondents)
TrustBuilding Measures
Features that Make an EMail Legitimate According to Internet Users in North America, April 2008 (% of respondents)


EMail Marketing Segmentation and Testing
US Online Retailers that Segment Their EMail Marketing Lists, September 2008 (% of total)
US Online Retailers Who Test EMail Marketing Campaigns, September 2008 (% of respondents)


Conclusions


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