Overstock.com Closes Out E-mail Issues with Goodmail's CertifiedEmail

PHILADELPHIA -- Discount retailer Overstock.com had no real problem with e-mail delivery, but the links and images were not coming through when customers received the messages.

So the Salt Lake City, UT-based company hired Goodmail Systems , Mountain View, CA, to improve click-throughs, conversions and total revenue generated per e-mail. Goodmail's CertifiedEmail software was used.

"CertifiedEmail messages provide security benefits for our customers, while improving e-mail marketing revenue generation at the same time," Geoff Atkinson, director of e-mail and Web site management at Overstock.com, said during eTail conference.

Overstock.com e-mailed 600,000 AOL customers who had bought something within the last six months. It also contacted members of its Club O loyalty program, who are frequent purchasers benefiting from exclusive e-mail promotions.

These customers were divided into two groups, one using CertifiedEmail and the other not.

Over a month, six e-mail campaigns totaling 3.4 million e-mail messages were sent to both groups. The results showed an increase of 19 percent more click-throughs on e-mails that were sent with CertifiedEmail. Also, 22 percent more revenue per e-mail was recorded.

"We are like the FedEx of e-mail," said John Oren, senior vice president of sales and business development at Goodmail Systems.

"When you see a FedEx box, you open it because you know it comes from a trusted source," he said. "We are hoping that users will start to see the CertifiedEmail logo and feel the same way."