Relevant Personalized Emails Ups Likely Purchase

According to a Listrak-sponsored Harris Interactive survey conducted online of more than 2,000 U.S. men and women age 18+, 84% shop online regularly (more than twice a month) and have signed up to receive promotional emails from a retailer.

The survey questioning online shoppers about their attitude towards emails featuring personalized product recommendations. Results reveal that online shoppers:

• Clearly value emails featuring merchandise selected based on shopping habits and preferences
• Are willing to receive more emails if they make shopping easier for them
• Are willing to share information with retailers in order to receive more relevant emails
• And are more likely to purchase items if emails feature products based on their shopping habits and preferences

84% of online shoppers who’ve signed up to receive promotional emails reported that they find it helpful if products featured in emails were relevant based on their shopping habits and preferences. In fact, 69% reported that they are willing to share personal preferences with retailers in order to receive emails more relevant to them.

27% reported that they were extremely or very willing to receive additional promotional emails each week from select retailers if they were personalized based on past shopping habits, with 82% at least somewhat willing to do so.

Why would shoppers want to receive more promotional emails than are already landing in their inboxes each day, asks the study rhetorically. The study shows that online shoppers find emails that present them with recommended products, personalized to their unique preferences and past purchases, helpful. In fact, 90% of online shoppers who’ve signed up to receive promotional emails reported that they find it helpful to be alerted when products they frequently buy go on sale. 72% said that they are willing to receive more emails if they make shopping easier for them, such as weekly sales, top sellers and new products.

The most encouraging news of all for retailers rolling out their 2014 email marketing strategies, says the report, is that 77% of the online shoppers who’ve signed up to receive promotional emails reported that they are more likely to purchase items online or in store if emails feature products based on their shopping habits and preferences. 25% reported that they were extremely or very likely, while 82% were at least somewhat likely, to purchase more items online or in store if they were to receive email featuring recommended products based on personal preferences and/or shopping habits.

Listrak CEO Ross Kramer comments that “… the results of this study… not only definitively shows the effectiveness of email in driving conversions… (and) online shoppers find personalized recommendations helpful enough to make them more likely to purchase more… they are willing to share preferences with retailers…. receive more emails from them… if the merchandise featured is customized to their shopping behaviors and past purchases… “