Author: Carolyn Nye / Source: Practical eCommerce Although the technology has evolved over the past 10 years, the fundamentals that make e
Although the technology has evolved over the past 10 years, the fundamentals that make email marketing effective have not really changed. As an author and email-marketing practitioner, I’m often asked questions from clients and readers, from large and small companies. Often those questions are similar.
In this post, I’ll address four common questions about email marketing.
When is the best time to send an email?
Prior to smartphones, for many ecommerce operations the best times to send emails were Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, typically mid-morning or mid-afternoon, all during a standard workweek. Avoiding Mondays and Fridays was important, since recipients were either just starting their workweek or getting ready to end it. Avoiding early morning was important, too, as individuals cleaned out their inbox of overnight emails without, presumably, reading them.
Since smartphones are now dominant — representing most email opens — the timing of email sends has become more complex. It depends on the email’s call to action, and the type of organization sending it. For emails from ecommerce companies, sending midweek still provides strong results. However, mobile shopping picks up considerably during evenings and weekends. Thus sending during those times can also provide strong results, in my experience.
For an event or time-sensitive offer, sending a reminder email close to the deadline (while still allowing time for the recipient to take action) typically performs the best, recognizing that individuals are natural procrastinators.
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