Current world with ever evolving technologies have tuned people to perform every possible task on the ‘GO’, and one of the newest addition to this practice is Mobile Email. The term took its birth around 2008 when the world started witnessing the rise of a revolutionary trend with some amazing products like smartphones, tablets etc. And the rest is history!!
Figures for Mobile Email Optimization:
• Mobile email will account for 15 to 65% of email opens, depending on your target audience, product and email type. (Source: eMailmonday)
• 90% of Smartphone owners access the same email account on mobile and desktop. (Source: ExactTarget)
• More email is read Mobile than on a desktop email client or via webmail. Stats say 43% of email is now opened on a mobile device Litmus. (Source: Email Analytics)
Going through the figures would have given a fair idea of the impact, however to go on the floor would require reforms on the traditional methods of drafting an email.
Thumb rules for optimizing email for mobile:
1. Email for Mobile:
Businesses have now started thinking beyond HTML and customizing emails for mobile. Certain specifications can make email reading in mobile pleasant like converting images to use in email, from print quality to web quality.
2. Combine to reform:
A subtle combination of text and images would ensure that the readers are able to read some part of the message before enabling images. If the email contains too many images, provided they adhere to the rules above, add small text in the alternative text section.
3. Ease of navigation:
For touch screen devices place your linked text and images far enough for smooth navigation. Also create linked images to a comfortable size of 44X44 pixels so that extra space lingers around the image giving a plenty of room to select.
4. Test!
Always advisable and can help in the long run. Test to see if images are loading correctly? Are links easy to open? Is your layout mobile friendly? The email might be a creative director’s dream, but it also needs to be easy-to-read, no matter what screen it’s viewed on. Subscribers will lose interest if they have to keep scrolling to understand your message or if they get stuck waiting for data to download.
Success formula for Mobile Email:
• Know your audience: As building stone of any upcoming project, customers should be the centre-focus while optimizing email for mobile.
Use Litmus, an online provider of email rendering services that allows you to insert its campaign-specific tracking code in your email and send it, the tool collects information on which email clients (Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, etc.) and mobile devices (iPhone, Blackberry, Android, etc.) your subscribers are using to open the email.
• Track and Target: As email trends keep upgrading from device to desktop to tablet, the only way to ensure its success is to track at the individual level. This method enriches targeting opportunities and can prove to be the foundation of email testing strategy.
From trend to passion:
Mobile email has definitely evolved for trend to passion for several marketers who have already adopted this buzzing marketing tool into their plan to fastrack their respective businesses. In years to come, this trend would have achieved much more than it was designed to, from boosting sales of different mobile devices to writing success stories of countless businesses, a phase ever to cherish for.
Sources:
http://www.esalesdata.com
http://www.mobilemarketer.com
http://socialmediatoday.com
Linda Mentzer is a published author and senior marketing manager for an information management company that has helped sell thousands of software products on a global scale. With over 11 years of experience in electronic marketing techniques, Linda has authored articles for several leading business journals, worldwide.