Reporting, customer service key for e-mail clients: British DMA

Reporting and customer service are the two most important factors when selecting an e-mail service provider, according to a new report from the British Direct Marketing Association.

The report, which surveyed 110 e-mail marketers, also found their biggest concern was conversion rates, followed by deliverability rates and click rates.

Based on the research, it's clear the emphasis on reporting shows a growing interest from marketers keen to understand how customers interact with their messages , the London-based organization said. Also, these marketers want to know the effectiveness of each campaign.

The choice of customer service over functionality and price may indicate that cost-per-thousand rates for delivery have leveled off, according to the DMA.

The British DMA's Email Marketing Council released the findings in its first Client Email Marketing Survey.

This research proves the need for e-mail service providers to improve their reporting tools to meet client demands.

Confirming previous council predictions, 78 percent of those surveyed believe their e-mail marketing budgets will increase. Sixty-eight percent of the respondents said the increase won't come at the expense of the other channels.

The study also found less than half of marketers surveyed said they have an e-mail address for only between 1 and 25 percent of their entire databases. And only 18 percent of marketers have between 78 percent and 100 percent of their customers' e-mail addresses.