The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive®, found that about three in four online adults (74 percent) view e-mail communications from a company they frequently patronize to be valuable or very valuable. In addition, 30 percent of online adults have purchased a particular good or service as a result of receiving such e-mails, and of these, 85 percent have done so within the past year. The poll surveyed 2,541 online adults throughout the United States.
In the group surveyed, the results concluded that:
- 94 percent have received an email solicitation.
- 30 percent reported that the solicitation prompted them to respond.
- 30 percent reported that the solicitation prompted them to purchase.
- 74 percent viewed email from companies they do business with as valuable.
- 17 percent viewed emails from companies they do not do business with as valuable.
- 61 percent identified timing of the email as an important factor in their desire to respond.
- 60 percent reported that compelling offers and discounts were an important factor in their desire to respond.
- 55 percent reported that email targeted to their specific interests, lifestyle or preference was important to them.
- On average, 23 percent reported that personalization and graphic design were important to them.
"Savvy consumers have come to rely on e-mail marketing communications as a resource to help them get the best deals possible," said Kevin Johnson, president of Acxiom Digital. "Likewise, retailers have established e-mail marketing as an efficient and productive way to build and retain a loyal customer base and increase revenue by communicating with consumers in a meaningful way. This poll demonstrates that e-mail marketing has evolved over the years to bring more value to consumers while proving to be a more effective medium for retailers than ever before."