This document provides metrics and recommendations for improving email marketing performance based on data from over 5 billion emails sent in Q2 2013. Key findings include that 61% of consumers view emails on mobile devices and click-through rates are 50% lower for mobile opens compared to desktop. It also found the average active subscriber rate across industries was 7.4% and consumer services had the highest engagement rates. The document recommends optimizing emails for mobile by tailoring content and design for mobile and leveraging subscriber data to better engage customers.

2. Introduction
Table of Contents
Executive Summary.......... pg. 3
Key Findings....................... pg. 3
Mobile Metrics.................... pg. 4 - 6
Database Metrics................ pg. 7 - 9
Standard Metrics................ pg. 9
Recommendations............ pg. 10 - 11
Glossary................................ pg. 12
pg. 2

3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
In today’s quickly evolving email marketing field, not all email metrics are created equal.
As consumer behavior and preferences change, so do the metrics that best track and
report on them.
With the consumer in mind, Yesmail Interactive has produced this report aimed at
directing marketers’ attention to the components of their email program that best reflect
their customers’ preferences and shifting patterns of brand interaction.
This report was developed based on more than 5 billion emails sent by Yesmail Interactive in Q2 of 2013.
Introduction
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
= 10m Emails
5 Billion Emails
sent by Yesmail in Q2 2013
KEY FINDINGS:
Mobile:
Mobile is huge, no surprises here. In order to provide real context of its significance, this
report will explore the extent to which mobile determines email behavior and defines
conversion. 61% of consumers are now viewing email either exclusively on a mobile
device or using BOTH mobile and desktop devices interchangeably. And that’s just
scratching the surface.
Database:
Consumers are communicating their satisfaction with a marketer’s messages by way of
opening and clicking. This means attaining a growing percent of active subscribers* is
a good indication of an effective email program. In the hospitality/travel industry an
average of 23.4% of subscribers are active, while in B2B, this number is 1.5%. The gap
between those industries is largely symptomatic of the different types of products/services
they offer, their different target audiences, as well as different database composition. This
report will dive deeper into how other top industries fare in terms of subscriber activity.
*opened/clicked in the last 90 days
Standard:
While standard email metrics such as delivery, open, click and unsubscribe rates continue
to be very important to marketers, this report offers data that can be used to enhance
them. By assessing customer engagement with the brand (through database metrics)
and customer device preference (through mobile metrics), marketers can tailor and
optimize their communications to achieve better open and click rates, while discouraging
unsubscribes. As always, deliverability remains at the core of a successful email program.
For the second quarter of 2013, the average delivery rate for Yesmail clients across
all industries was above 97%. For standard metrics by industry and for insights into the
way mobile and database metrics can improve your overall email performance, let’s jump
right in.
pg. 3

4. MOBILE METRICS:
Mobile, defined here as smartphone and tablet usage, has grown significantly in the last
few years and is no longer a marketing phenomenon but a prominent fixture in the way
consumers interact with brands. However, as mobile continues to grow and becomes
the dominant mode of email viewership, it remains a puzzle for many marketers. The
significant difference between mobile and desktop click-to-open rates suggests a
disconnect between the way marketers cater to consumers who open on mobile vs. those
who prefer desktop.
Percent clickto-open desktop
Percent clickto-open mobile
48.64%
Mobile
Percent of opens
on mobile
22.56%
11.07%
• 49% of all email opens happen on a mobile device
• The average click to-open rate across all industries is 100% higher for desktop
than it is for mobile
Click-to-open rate refers to the number of people who clicked on an email after opening it
• 61% of active users view emails either exclusively on a mobile device or using
both mobile and desktop interchangeably (referred to as ‘hybrid’ or ‘hybrid
viewership’ in this report)
• 1/3 of consumers are device-agnostic: they view emails on both desktop and
mobile interchangeably without a commitment to one over the other
(hybrid users)
• 82% of mobile activity comes from Apple. This percentage is consistent with
reports on device preference based on mobile traffic and mobile email opens.
This percentage can also be attributed to Apple owning the lion share of the
tablet market and to reporting variations between Apple and Android in
images-off mode
Android – 17%
Other – 0.38%
Microsoft – 0.32%
Blackberry – 0.17%
pg. 4
Apple – 82%

5. Mobile Findings:
Mobile Click-to-Open
While 49% of emails are opened on a mobile device, the click-to-open rates on mobile
are, on average, 50% lower in comparison to desktop. This means consumers open emails
on their mobile device half the time, but don’t take any action. However, when the same
emails are opened on a desktop, consumers interact with them at a considerably higher
rate. This finding suggests marketers are missing an opportunity to effectively engage
with customers who interact on a mobile device. Let’s take a look at some examples.
Email Click-to-Open by Industry
Mobile
Industry
B2B
Consumer Services *
CPG
Entertainment
Financial Services
Healthcare
Hospitality/Travel
Marketing/Advertising
Publishing
Retail/Wholesale
Technology
% Mobile
Opens
CTO
Desktop
CTO
Mobile
39.49%
50.20%
43.51%
40.69%
51.42%
33.03%
52.59%
31.81%
34.37%
48.46%
45.80%
20.88%
30.38%
28.79%
22.40%
10.78%
41.55%
20.37%
11.71%
31.28%
21.05%
11.54%
7%
19%
12%
13%
2%
18%
9%
3%
16%
11%
4%
* This industry pertains
to services or businesses
(primarily online) that
provide a specific service,
but do not sell goods.
e.g. Open Table, Zagat,
Groupon, Match.com
When drilling into industry metrics, consumer services pops up as an interesting
category: it ranks 3rd in desktop click-to-open, but 1st in mobile click-to-open. Here are
some possible explanations:
1. The majority of marketers in the consumer services industry are based online and
that environment encourages consumers to complete transactions on-the-go.
Since email is often a primary driver of traffic to the online-only storefronts of
consumer services brands, their calls-to-action are likely easier to complete on a
mobile device.
2. Marketers in the consumer services industry recognize their customers’ device
usage patterns and optimize for their preference: 66% of their active subscribers
open emails either exclusively on mobile or prefer hybrid viewership (refer to
graph below).
The retail industry tells a different story. Whether customers are exclusively mobile readers
or hybrid readers, almost two-thirds of them view retailers’ emails on a mobile device.
However, the retail industry lands in the bottom half in terms of mobile click-to-open
rate. This finding suggests a challenge for retailers when translating their email content
from desktop to mobile environment. Due to the similar nature of the retail and consumer
services industries, it seems the retail vertical has the same potential, but retailers need to
harness the power of mobile-first email strategies to better engage their customers.
pg. 5

6. Email Viewership Preference by Industry
Industry
B2B
Consumer Services
CPG
Mobile
Entertainment
Financial Services
Healthcare
Hospitality/Travel
Marketing/Advertising
Publishing
Retail/Wholesale
Technology
% Desktop
Only
% Mobile
Only
% Hybrid
% Hybrid
and Mobile
49%
34%
45%
39%
42%
52%
32%
45%
45%
36%
43%
48%
29%
30%
28%
50%
26%
30%
30%
22%
34%
26%
3%
37%
25%
34%
8%
22%
38%
25%
34%
30%
31%
51%
66%
55%
62%
58%
48%
68%
55%
56%
64%
57%
B2B
Unlike B2C, the B2B industry’s desktop vs. mobile preference is split almost equally down
the middle with hybrid viewership comprising a minor percentage. One likely explanation
is, for the B2B industry, this metric reflects subscribers’ preferred mode of business.
Whether they are on the road, or at a desk, the primary device a subscriber uses to conduct
business remains more consistent than the one used by consumers on their personal time.
Hybrid Viewership:
The concept of hybrid viewership is defined as consumers’ casual transition between
viewing email on a desktop and viewing email on a mobile device. In 2012, 49% of
consumers were smartphone users. This number is expected to grow to 60% by the end
of 2013*. As consumers integrate smartphones more and more into their lifestyle, they
will move away from viewing email exclusively on desktop. The prominence of hybrid
viewership indicates that subscribers are choosing to respond via the most convenient
device at the time they receive the message, regardless of device preference. As a result,
hybrid email viewership is a type of behavior marketers should strongly consider as part
of the email experience.
pg. 6
* Always Connected: How Smartphones and Social Keep Us Engaged, An IDC Reseearch Report, Sponsored
by Facebook

7. DATABASE METRICS:
In the context of email, database activity is a reflection of how successful an email
program is at engaging customers, i.e. the higher the proportion of active subscribers,
the more engaged the database. Maintaining a strong percentage of database activity is
a good indication of an effective email program in terms of email deliverability, cadence,
frequency, and content.
Avg. emails per
opener: 43
• The average active subscriber rate across all
industries was 7.4%
Database
An active subscriber is defined as having opened an
email in the last 90 days
• Over 1/3 of databases had a subscriber activity
rate of 25% or higher
Avg. opens per
opener: 7
• Average number of opens per opener was 7,
while average clicks per clicker was 3. On
average, 43% of openers ended up clicking
Opens per Opener = number of opens per active subscriber
in the last 90 days
Clicks per Clicker = number of clicks per active subscriber
in the last 90 days
• On average, the number of messages sent to
an active subscriber during a 90 day period
was 3.5 per week (or 43 for the quarter)
* Findings are based on more than 5 billion email messages
sent by Yesmail Interactive in Q2 of 2012.
Avg. clicks per
clicker: 3
* Based on a 90-day period
Database Findings:
Mailing Frequency & Email Engagement
There has been much discussion over what’s the right number of emails marketers should
send per week. And though it depends on a marketer’s industry, mailing program and
customer base, what the data in the graph below demonstrates is that frequency is not an
enemy provided marketers are meeting the demands of their customer.
Percent of Active Subscribers by Number of Emails They Receive Weekly*
Less than one
Between one and two
Up to three
Between three and seven
Seven or more
0%
pg. 7
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
* Active subscriber = someone who has opened an email in the last 90 days

8. Marketers with the highest percentages of active subscribers email every other day. Many
of the marketers in the top 1%, in terms of active subscribers, are in the consumer service
or retail industries. Many of the top performers employ a daily deal model and rely on
message relevance through the right personalization strategies. The graph below shows
that, in addition to mailing nearly every day, brands in the consumer services industry
seem to engage their active subscribers on the most frequent basis: the category has
the highest average opens per opener and clicks per clicker with 15 opens and 6 clicks
registered in the second quarter of 2013.
Email and Engagement Count by Industry
Avg. Opens
per Opener
Avg. Clicks
per Clicker
10
1
1
114
15
6
CPG
22
3
2
Entertainment
44
6
3
Financial Services
13
3
1
Healthcare
16
3
2
Hospitality/Travel
37
6
2
Marketing/Advertising
74
6
2
Publishing
55
9
3
Retail/Wholesale
55
8
3
Technology
Database
Avg. # Emails
per Opener
20
3
1
Industry
B2B
Consumer Services
* Based on a 90-day period
Who knew that sending almost daily could contribute to high customer engagement with
a marketer’s email.
Active Subscriber Rate:
Before we derive any conclusions from the data, it’s important to note that subscriber
activity rates for industries as well as individual marketers vary greatly, based on database
maturity, mailing frequency, and, especially, targeting strategies.
For instance, in some databases, the subscriber activity was lower than 5%. Upon a closer
look, we discovered it was a result of companies intentionally mailing to a small segment
of their mailable subscribers. For some brands, this may be an appropriate strategy,
dictated by their business model and changing target audience. For many, however, it
suggests that a majority of subscribers are sitting dormant with no proactive attempt to reengage them through various strategies. This is a clear area of opportunity for marketers
to engage a larger portion of their subscribers through strategic email programs such as
re-activation, nurture, life-cycle and more. No matter what percent of a database is active,
there is always room for improvement that typically leads to increase in revenue.
pg. 8

9. Database Activity Rate by Industry
1.48%
6.20%
5.37%
7.13%
7.30%
17.68%
B2B
Consumer
Services
CPG
Entertainment
Financial
Services
Healthcare
23.35%
9.69%
3.65%
15.19%
10.73%
6.81%
Hospitality/
Travel
Manufacturing
Marketing/
Advertising
Publishing
Retail/
Wholesale
Technology
Database
Standard
STANDARD METRICS
While the email landscape has changed significantly over the last decade, delivery,
open, click, click-to-open and unsubscribe rates remain relevant indicators of email
performance. Our goal is to supply marketers with the knowledge and tools to enhance
the performance of their email programs. Knowing what data to collect, as well as how to
analyze it is half the battle to better understand subscribers and, subsequently, improve all
KPIs.
Delivery
Rate
Bounce
Rate
Open
Rate
Click-toOpen Rate
Unsub
Rate
B2B
87%
13.3%
17.3%
1.6%
2.6%
9.0%
0.45%
Consumer Services
98%
2.5%
13.2%
2.3%
3.2%
17.8%
0.02%
CPG
96%
4.4%
16.0%
2.2%
3.4%
13.8%
0.16%
Entertainment
97%
3.2%
15.3%
1.9%
2.8%
12.3%
0.04%
Financial Services
92%
7.6%
23.0%
0.7%
1.4%
3.2%
0.04%
Healthcare
88%
12.5%
19.5%
4.3%
6.4%
22.2%
0.12%
Hospitality/Travel
98%
1.7%
17.7%
1.9%
2.5%
10.5%
0.03%
Marketing/Advertising
90%
10.4%
9.0%
0.5%
0.8%
5.8%
0.08%
Publishing
96%
3.9%
16.3%
2.9%
4.4%
18.1%
0.03%
Retail/Wholesale
97%
2.7%
14.7%
1.8%
2.4%
11.9%
0.06%
Technology
97%
2.9%
17.9%
0.9%
1.4%
5.2%
0.11%
Industry
Findings
• Overall
deliverability is 97%
• Overall click-to open rate is 12.8%
Unique
Total
Click Rate Click Rate
* Yesmail does not count multiple opens and/or clicks as part of an email’s open rate.
Open rate is calculated solely based on unique opens.
pg. 9

10. RECOMMENDATIONS:
Mobile:
Recommendations
Make a point of optimizing for mobile by adopting the following key mobile-first
principles:
• Tailor content to the mobile context: this tactic leads to higher click-through
rates and engagement
• Implement mobile email design to promote email readability and interaction
• Leverage mobile functionality
To learn more about mobile-first, check out the Why Stop Here? section on the next page.
Database:
Knowing your database means knowing your customers.
It is imperative for marketers aiming to engage a larger segment of their subscribers to
gain and maintain a comprehensive view of their database composition. It enables them
to:
• Identify different segments by customer activity, behavior and purchase history
• Track subscribers through their entire lifecycle and instantly understand the
engagement level of each subscriber
• Take proactive measures to limit churn and grow the active subscriber base
Moreover, knowing their database allows marketers to develop strategic programs tailored
to each of their subscriber segments, such as:
• Welcome & activation programs
• Reactivation programs
• Upsell programs
• Loyalty programs
• Newsletter programs
Cleanliness is next to godliness
Performing regular data hygiene is essential for maintaining a clean database and limiting
deliverability risks such as bulking and blacklisting. Instead of suppressing large numbers
of mailable users due to deliverability risks, marketers should proactively clean their
databases frequently and integrate data hygiene practices in their sign-in process.
To learn all about data hygiene, database segmentation, and different email programs to engage customers, check
out the Why Stop Here? section on the next page.
pg. 10

11. WHY STOP HERE?
Yesmail Interactive is dedicated to helping brands remain on top of the changing digital
marketing landscape by providing proprietary research on industry-defining trends and
actionable recommendations on how marketers can improve their programs and achieve
higher ROI. But don’t believe what we have to say, check out these resources to learn how
to get the most out of your marketing efforts.
Mobile Optimization & Design:
[WEBINAR]
Mobile-First Email
Strategies: Thinking
Beyond Just Design
Resources
[WHITEPAPER]
Mobile Email Design:
Marketing Fit for the
Small Screen
[INFOGRAPHIC]
Scalable vs. Responsive
Email Design
Database Segmentation:
[WEBINAR]
Ready, Set, Segment! Using
Email Behavioral Data to Target
Customers and Drive Engagement
[BLOG POST]
Customer
Segmentation 101
Email Deliverability & List Hygiene
[WHITEPAPER]
End the Nightmares!
10 Email Deliverability
Myths Debunked
[BLOG POST]
Dirty Database: the Flat
Tire on the Road Trip
to Deliverability
Email Programs
pg. 11
[WHITEPAPER]
Turbocharge Your Email
Marketing through Better
Transactional Messages
[WHITEPAPER]
5 Steps to Email
Newsletter Mastery
-
[BLOG POST]
Why an Email Welcome
Series Is Essential to
Building a Relationship

12. GLOSSARY:
Mobile:
Glossary
% Mobile Opens = Mobile Opens/Total Opens
% CTO Desktop = Unique Clicked Desktop/Opened Desktop
% CTO Mobile = Unique Clicked Mobile/Opened Mobile
% Desktop Only = Proportion of email viewers who only used
desktop to interact with email
% Mobile Only = Proportion of email viewers who only used
mobile to interact with email
% Hybrid = Proportion of email viewers who switched between
mobile and desktop to interact with email
Database:
% Mailable Database = Total Mailable Users/Total Users
% Active Subscribers = Proportion of database subscribers with
opens clicks in the last 90 days
Avg # Emails per Opener = Number of emails an active subscriber
received in the last 90 days
Opens per Opener = Number of opens per active subscriber in
the last 90 days
Clicks per Clicker = Number of clicks per active subscriber in
the last 90 days
Standard:
pg. 12
Open Rate = Opened/Delivered
Total Click Rate = Total Clicks/Delivered
Click-to-Open Rate = Unique Clicks/Opened
Unsubscribe Rate = Unsubscribe/Delivered

13. We power intelligent customer interactions. We give you the insights
to recognize and understand your customer to deliver contextually
relevant digital communications – while respecting their preferences
and privacy. We help marketers evolve their customer relationships
through intelligent interactions via technology, insights and services
in a near real-time multichannel environment. We help you compete
in the age of the customer.
For more information, visit www.yesmail.com.