Consumers prefer desktops over mobile for emails: Report

Mobile is increasingly becoming the platform of choice for consumers to interact digitally, and yet they remain twice as likely to open an email on their desktop as a smartphone or tablet, a new report claims.

According to email marketing company Yesmail’s Email marketing Compass: The Mobile effect report, nearly half of all emails opened are now happening on a mobile device, while 61 per cent of consumers are now viewing email either exclusively on a mobile device, or using both mobile and desktop devices interchangeably. Despite this, the click-to-open rate average on a desktop is 22.5 per cent, double that of click-to-open mobile, the report found.

In the B2B sector for example, click-to-open rates on desktops was 20.88 per cent, but fell to just 7 per cent on mobile devices. In hospitality/travel, click-to-open rates on desktops averaged at 20.37 per cent, but dropped to 9 per cent on mobiles devices.

The group claimed the results were indicative of how marketers continue to struggle with ways to best utilise mobile as a communications platform.

The consumer services industry proved the most successful in terms of click-to-open email rates on mobile at 19 per cent, and 66 per cent of active subscribers in this category were found to open emails either on a mobile device exclusively, or preferred hybrid viewership (desktop and mobile).

Yesmail suggested may be because the majority of marketers in the consumer services industry are based online and in an environment which encourages consumers to complete transactions on go. Alternatively, more of these marketers recognise the need to optimise for a consumer’s mobile preference.

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“The findings show many marketers are providing their customers with a poor mobile experience,” said Michael Fisher, president of Yesmail Interactive. “The discrepancy between click-to-open rates means many consumers are disregarding mobile emails. Brands need to implement mobile-first strategies that rely on responsive design, customised content and easily clickable calls to action. Otherwise, their messages will be deleted or go unread.”

Yesmail advertised marketers to make a point of optimising for mobile by tailoring content to the mobile context, leveraging mobile functionality, and implementing mobile email design to promote email readability and interaction.

The report was based on more than 5 billion emails sent by Yesmail Interactive during Q2, 2013.

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