Mobile email conversion rates jumped in a big way last year - and that's simply because marketers are starting to get with the program.
A new benchmark report from email marketing solutions provider Yesmail has found that brands' use of mobile-friendly strategies, like using responsive design, are paying off with mobile email conversion rates jumping 70 percent year-over-year. Over the same period, the desktop conversion rate dropped by 4 percent.
Not only are mobile users converting more through email, but they are also buying more with each order. Average order value (AOV) for mobile grew by 28 percent (Q4 2013 vs. Q4 2014), doubling the annual growth of desktop AOV. As mentioned, these revenue-producing metrics are likely a direct result in the increase of responsive emails sent (a 28 percent increase) and the increase in companies sending responsive emails exclusively (a 40 percent increase).
That said, email marketers shouldn't pat themselves on the back quite yet. Yesmail states in the report that implementing responsive or mobile-friendly formatting is the bare minimum marketers can do to cater to their mobile audience.
"Considering the importance that marketers place on listening to their customers and catering to their preferences, it's surprising that brands have been slow to optimize the mobile experience," said Michael Fisher, president, Yes Lifecycle Marketing. "In order to deliver a truly mobile experience, marketers should move beyond just design and develop communications that speak to device functionality, use, and context." -
For example, in the report Yesmail advises that an invitation to download a branded app may yield better results and larger interest than 'Write a Review' when it comes to mobile.