Mobile Email Viewership Surges 81%
“Mobile” is a word that seems to affect lots of areas these days, not least of all email. Today’s picture paints a world that includes consumers using tablets and smartphones to access their email, but this doesn’t mean that desktop and webmail experiences are to be ignored. According to Return Path, an inbox deliverability solutions provider, “if you aren’t paying attention to how your email renders on a mobile device you are missing out on big opportunities (and very likely losing customers who can’t be bothered to save your email to read later).”
Return Path’s research study, titled “Email on the Move: The Future of Mobile Messaging,” found that 48 percent of email views happen via webmail, while 36 percent happens via desktop and 16 percent happens via mobile. For email desktop access, Outlook accounts for 63 percent of views, followed by Apple Mail with 31 percent.
From October 2010 through March 2011, email access via mobile devices has surged 81 percent, according to Return Path. “That growth has mainly come at the expense of webmail access, with desktop use remaining steady.”
The study also looked at how the day of the week affects where email is viewed. While desktop views peak on Wednesday and remain relatively high during weekdays, they plummet during the weekends. Webmail exhibits the opposite, with its week-low point on Wednesday and peaking through the weekend. Mobile access also peaks on the weekends.
“According to our data, the iPad viewership has grown 15% between October 2010 and March of 2011,” according to Return Path. “What marketers need to think about is how the tablet market will change where and when consumers access email and online content. iPads go where laptop don’t, but they aren’t as mobile as a phone. Research into this area is needed and the answers will likely evolve as consumers’ use of these devices becomes more common and more sophisticated.”
Return Path included four best-practice tips for mobile email:
- Mobile is on the rise, and the definition is shifting: The company recommends thinking about all the ways customers are viewing content in order to stay ahead of the curve. While email design is critical, it remains secondary to sending the right message at the right time.
- POP goes the email: It’s key to remember that email domains only tell a part of the story, since email users can POP their email into other email readers and even into other domains.
- Results may not be typical: The “average” of what’s happening out there, summarized in reports like this, may not reflect exactly what’s happening for your particular business. Demographics may account for the variance. The bottom line is that testing is crucial.
- You can’t be all things to all people: Consider designing various versions of your campaigns and segmenting your sends if your metrics show a wide variety of devices being used by a fragmented audience.
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