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What KPIs and metrics would you recommend to use and analyse for email performance?
Are open rates still a serious metric? Or do you only count on click-throughs and download rates? What are good tools to measure the performance of email? And can you share your best-practices how you were able to significantly improve your emailing results?
Best Answer
- Recommended by:
- Howie Levy,
- Matthias Rothkoegel
Matthias,
What are you looking to benchmark? Are opens important to your business? Are clicks? Are conversions? Is Revenue Per Email? Is CTOR better for you?
There are tons of metrics to track and all have importance to certain programs but it is truly dependent on the type of business and what the charter or purpose of your email program is.
As for best practices...in my opinion..there are none anymore. There are guidelines for practicing email, but again those are dependent on your business. I think people like to say they can share "best practices" but to me they are kidding themselves if they think that what worked for them or a company can work for yours.
Let me give you an example...If I said to you that by sending someone an email everyday improved my results..some people would say "your crazy..that is too much" while some might say that its "not enough". If I said that by putting an unsubscribe at the top of the email lowered my spam complaints and in fact lowered my unsubscribe rate..you might say that its crazy speak...while others would agree.
If you were my client or if we ever spoke, I would certainly spend a good portion of my time asking you a TON and I mean a TON of questions about your program to give a customized opinion/roadmap to make your program better. As a guy that has been in the business for over 11 years..I can tell you that there is no "one size fits all" model in email and there are certainly no shortcuts or "best practices" that are applicable to everyone.
Hope this helps.
Andrew Kordek
Co-Founder, Trendline Interactive
A Email Marketing Agency
Twitter: @andrewkordek & @trendlinei
Email: andrew@trendlineinteractive.com
Andrew,
thanks a lot for your answer. Being a marketing consultant myself I see exactly what you mean, there is no ultimate truth that would suit everybody.
As for best practices, you actually revealed one very important, if not the most important at all: it's about your customers! Therefore one program that did deliver in one company does not necessarily need to bring the same email performance in another.
Then there is also the cultural aspect. People in Germany are very sensitive about their data and how it's being used. You need to be absolutely cautious that you don't even get close to being regarded sending spam and overusing the data.
Back to your post: what are the typical questions you are asking your clients?
Many thanks again,
Best regards,
Matthias (@mrothkoegel)
Matthias,
Yes..I have had experience in Germany and there is double opt in law that is pretty strict and email marketing is pretty touchy there.
If I told you all of my questions, then I would have to charge you :-). However, the one big one I like to ask is:
What does success look like for your email program?
Any more and I am going to have to send you an invoice. :-)
Andrew
- Recommended by:
- Matthias Rothkoegel
We all know that there is only one metric that matters, revenue-per-program.
The problem is that it's not always clear what impact email has on revenue so marketers establish and track metrics that help to improve their understanding in order to make more revenue.
For example, professional services. What role did email play is converting a lead into a customer? Perhaps clicks coupled with on-site behavior will tell the tale. It depends on the offerings and sales process.
Certain classes of retailers, for example, place a high value on brand. Therefore they may have a skewed perspective on the value of Opens. Does that really drive more cross-channel revenue? It might.
To Andrew's point, it depends on the goals but it's only about the revenue.
My 1.5 cents.
Scott Hardigree
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scott@indiemark.com
@indiescott
indiemark.com
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Hello guys, and thanks for this lively discussion!
I think that email can be seen and measured in several ways: one with a focus on individual email performance, i.e. open rates, click throughs, the extra traffic it brings to your website or landing page etc. The other seen as a series of multiple emails, like in nurturing programs. Or a series of multiple programs.
Of course one email will not generate revenue. So one needs other metrics to see and measure if it works. But ultimately the number of leads, sales opps and finally deals generated through your email programs will tell the truth.
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Related Activity
While it is important to track opens and clicks and such, don't let that take your focus away from conversion- and revenue-based goals. Those are the only ones that management cares about. While opens and clicks have become more important as ISPs' filters take engagement into consideration, they are still secondary goals.
It makes me sad to hear Andrew disavow best practices. But there's a lot of confusion around what exactly a "best practice" is. As I wrote in this column, I think we need new language to talk about it: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/index.cfm?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_a...
But I think your best practices question was really asking what practices am I likely to find great success with. I would recommend taking a hard look at your triggered email programs, like transactional, welcome and cart abandonment emails. Some of our clients have 20% to 40% of their overall email revenue coming from triggered email than makes up a small portion of their overall email volume. Triggered emails are extremely efficient because they reach subscribers at a time when they're most engaged.