Know-How Exchange : E-Marketing

If your list is mostly b-to-b, most of your readers may have images disabled. If they don't download the images, then you will not register your open -- even if they really have read the message.

That's sort of the Catch-22...we're taught to make our messages readable even with images disabled, but then we don't give the reader a reason to enable the images, so we don't know how many were opened!

How many people on your total list?

There are e-mail service providers that will give you the stats on e-mails delivered, and e-mails opened. also these service providers will rate your e-mail for spam based on the words in your content. Certain words have a high spam rating and if you have too many of them then your e-mail is classified as spam. Go to www.wilsonweb.com/wmt8/spamfilter_phrases.htm or try https://www.refreshedmedia.com/news/Spam-Filter-Trigger-Words/7/63/ for a list and rating of different words to avoid.

Once you know your numbers on deliverability, don't be surprised at the number of people that don't open it. Marketers spend a lot of time getting the right words in the subject line, like, "Here's The Information You Requested" or "Follow-up To Your Request" and insert the first name of the recipient at the start of the subject line.

Here's the sad reality for Internet Marketers, just over half of their e-mails get delivered, and only half of those that get through actually get read.

You might consider asking for their primary e-mail address when corresponding as a lot of people have more than one e-mail account and often only the primary is checked on a regular basis the others aren't.

If your'customers aren't replying when you send them an e-mail, then it means there's no incentive for them to do so. You might have to have an ethical bribe get their response.

I don't know how your economics works, but you might look into voice broadcasting to deliver your message, it's pennies per delivery and very soon e-mails aren't going to be free. Now might be a good time to raise your prices so you have more flexibility to offer another premium level of service. They get more and they pay more.
Ron Romano
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Hello mbb,

My name is Josh Feinberg and I'm the VP, Product Management at VerticalResponse. The Email Delivery team here at VR reports into me and I'd like to see if we can set up some time to chat with you and address any questions or concerns. Feel free to contact me directly via email: josh AT verticalresponse.com

You may have a technology problem or a human problem.

If it's a technology problem, take a look at the unopened vs. opened emails that you're tracking. Are certain domains mostly unopened? If so (and you can) create a test email account on that domain, and send emails to it.

If there's no rhyme or reason, then perhaps its your email subject and From: address. If these aren't immediately connected with your company and the benefit you provide, then people will delete it w/o reading it.

Overall email open rates have dropped like a stone since 2002. There are a proliferation of spam detectors including Outlooks Junk Mail which is set to be hyper active.

You never said what your open rate is so we have no way to compare with our open rates. I would say if it is over 10% you are doing well. By the way open rates are meaningless compared to click trough rates or actual sales. So perhaps you should pay more attention to those.

Everyone else has provided guidance for increasing open rates and that will work for a small percent. The real solution is to institute additional ways to get your message out. This can include social networks like Linkedin, or for consumer facebook and Myspace. Twitter might even work for you. That being said email is still a great tool. So keep using it.