Get Customers to Open Your Email

2. Improve Your Open Rate

Your customers and prospects can't act on your email solicitations if they never open them. While open rates have been on the decline over the past year, conversions are actually rising, which is a strong tribute to email as a successful marketing tactic.

Recipients quickly scan the "from" and "subject" lines and make almost instantaneous decisions about whether to open your email. So always display a name your customers will recognize (either your own or the name of your company) in the "from" line. That will make it clear the email is coming from you, a valued source of information.

By keeping your subject line short -- no more than five words -- it can be read in its entirety at a glance. The most effective subject lines include a customer benefit or at the very least a clear indication of what the email contains.

While email that comes too frequently -- even from a recognized source -- is often considered spam, sending email too infrequently can cost you sales.

In an email marketing survey published last April by InternetRetailer.com, greater email frequency was linked to higher response rates and more conversions. This study suggests that the most effective email frequency may be two-to-three times per month, with half of the survey respondents in that group experiencing email response rates of 5% or higher.

3. Make Your Content Relevant

Most Internet users are on many permission-based lists, but they look forward to -- and avidly open and read -- email with content that's specifically relevant to their needs. What would your customers and prospects most like to receive from you? Building a successful email campaign hinges on sending messages that fit your list members' attributes and preferences.

Customers typically expect email to confirm transactions and shipping, although many other types of communications are welcome.

Nearly three-quarters of the DoubleClick survey respondents said they had redeemed online coupons, approximately half expressed interest in receiving information about membership rewards programs, and more than half of the respondents said they would be interested in offers for products related to those they purchased online.