| The Ten Most-Ignored Email Best Practices | | | | you may just score one more subscriber if it’s fast |
| Over the last several years email has become one of | | | | and efficient. |
| the most preferred marketing tools and publishing | | | | 5. Add-to-safe-senders-list request Percentage rate of |
| channels. Every email marketing program follows a set | | | | users: 35% |
| of best practices. Some of these include signing up | | | | Tip: Making sure you are added to the approved or |
| new subscribers and optimization of the email | | | | safe senders list keeps your emails from being |
| message for the best possible view. | | | | blocked or targeted on a black list. Providing a safe |
| Lyris, leaders in email marketing solutions, conducted an | | | | senders list request will enable email readers to add |
| audit of 203 commercial email messages and found | | | | you to their white-list, with convenience. |
| that few email marketers are using all the possible | | | | 6. Web Version Link Percentage rate of users: 37.4 |
| best practices in their email marketing programs. This | | | | Tip: By providing a web version link, it allows email |
| meant that they were not getting the maximum from | | | | clients to view your email message in their web |
| their email marketing efforts. | | | | browser instead of a preview pane. Many have either |
| During the course of our audit, we divided senders into | | | | blocked images or don’t support HTML messages. |
| six market segments: publishers, retailers, travel, | | | | 7. Telephone contact number provided Percentage |
| financial services, business services and consumer | | | | rate of users: 40.4% |
| services. We found that some segments had adapted | | | | Tip: If your reader or client wants to directly contact |
| to using email best practice more so than other | | | | you, a contact number is imperative. Without one, you |
| segments. | | | | may just lose a sale, or prospective client. Many times |
| The Ten Most-Ignored Email Best Practices | | | | users feel that email is less social than direct contact. |
| 1. Subscription-administration center in each email | | | | By providing all contact information, you are providing |
| message Percentage Rate of users: 17.7 % | | | | that extra step for them, by cutting out the frustration |
| Subscription-administration is an important component | | | | that email often causes. No more hunting your web |
| of your email message that helps to keep you | | | | site in frustration trying to find your contact information, |
| connected to your email newsletter subscriber and | | | | it will be right there at their disposal. |
| ensures that your mails are not flagged as unsolicited | | | | 8. Displaying the recipient’s email address |
| email. | | | | Percentage rate of users: 43.8 |
| Tips: Somewhere in your site, you should provide an | | | | Tip: Having credibility is one of the biggest challenges |
| email address to unsubscribe followed by an | | | | of sending and receiving email messages. To take the |
| unsubscribe link. You should also furnish a link to your | | | | fear away that your email is not credible, you should |
| privacy page, along with your reference page. Always | | | | always help the reader that may have duplicate |
| include your contact information that states your street | | | | copies sent to them by displaying their email address |
| address, phone number and email address. | | | | so that they may determine what email address they |
| 2. Site search function Percentage Rate of users: 17.7 | | | | wish to unsubscribe from your mailing list. Many times |
| % | | | | they will have different emails for different uses, and |
| Tip: By providing a site search function within your | | | | will get your email to each and every email listed. |
| email message, you will allow users to search through | | | | 9. Navigation links within the email directed to the web |
| your site for anything from products, past article | | | | site Percentage rate of users: 48.3 % |
| archives, company information, or any useful | | | | Tip: Providing navigation links at the top of the email |
| information that they may be seeking. This helps the | | | | newsletters will strengthen your relationship with your |
| subscriber to search without having to go to the main | | | | readers. Using links in the newsletter with multiple |
| site and follow through with the search. | | | | sections or articles help your subscribers navigate |
| 3. Forward to a friend link Percentage Rate of users: | | | | more effectively. Having multiple site links let your |
| 25.1% | | | | readers see different portions of your web site that |
| Tip: Providing a link to forward your email messages | | | | they would normally miss or not see at all. Having |
| on to friends of the same interest, is far more efficient | | | | these navigation links adds value to your website as |
| than just adding a line somewhere in the body of the | | | | well. |
| email requesting that they forward the email. The best | | | | 10. Email address provided for feedback or contact |
| thing about using a link is that it is sent through your | | | | purposes Percentage rate of users: 53.2% |
| server, allowing you to track all those who forward | | | | Tip: Implementing an email contact gives your |
| your messages. It will calculate how often your emails | | | | subscribers a fast and easy way to contact you. |
| are forwarded, and what actions are resulting from the | | | | Subscribers often have questions they need |
| forwarding link. By providing this link, it also eliminates | | | | answered in a timely manner, and having an email |
| any sending errors that may arise when recipients try | | | | contact gives them the security to know that if a |
| to simply forward the mail through their email client. | | | | problem arises it will be resolved soon. Most email |
| 4. Subscriber Link Percentage Rate of users: 27.1% | | | | marketers add only an email address rather than a |
| Tip: Offering a subscription link in your email newsletter | | | | phone number. Every email marketer should implement |
| allows all readers who had it forwarded from a friend | | | | this email marketing best practice for no other reason |
| to sign up. This subscriber link eliminates searching the | | | | than to build character and rapport for a lasting |
| site for instructions. By saving the email reader time, | | | | relationship. |