Email marketing is still one of the most cost effective ways businesses stay in touch with their current customers while promoting new products or services. A recent study by the Campaign Monitor examined behavioral data from nearly 6 million email-marketing campaigns across devices and platforms. It showed key takeaways such as what devices are used to open the emails, click-through rate lifecycles, and best business practices to maximize the open rates.

The first takeaway is that the shift to mobile is a reality, not a trend. The study revealed that “data for over 1.8 billion opens from campaigns sent in 2013 shows that mobile is the most popular environment for a subscriber’s first interaction with an email.” It continues by stating that “between the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, nearly 90% of all mobile opens happened on an Apple device. Marketers should note that this data is likely skewed by the fact that Apple devices will display images by default – thereby automatically registering an open – whereas many Android email clients don’t.”

Although mobile has the highest open rates, the click-through rate has dropped 10%. The takeaway is that consumers are savvier with shorter attention spans and a faster trigger finger to delete spammy email campaigns. The quality of content is the differentiator between emails that get opened every time, and those that go straight to the trash folder. Content needs to be compelling, valuable and useful for the reader to visit again.

The most important aspect of the study was revealed through the click-through rates, which were significantly higher on desktop than any mobile device. “If a mobile reader opens an email again from a different device, more clicks happen. Mobile readers who open emails a second time from their computer are 65% more likely to click through. In addition to creating compelling content, marketers need to focus on optimizing their campaigns for both mobile and desktop environments.” This data shows that consumers still feel more comfortable with their click through or purchasing decisions when done through a desktop device. As email marketers, what can we learn through this study?

1. Mobile still tops the list as the device where emails are most opened
2. Compelling content will ease the transition from mobile to desktop
3. Consumers click through the most on desktop computers

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