Re-targeting customers who have abandoned online shopping baskets has proven lucrative in recent years- with mobile email offering a new channel for conversion. This case study, from Matt Swan, Client Strategist at Affiliate Window, looks at how email re-targeting sales are being generated by mobile handsets.
Just as we see sectors such as group buying significantly over indexing in terms of the share of sales generated through mobile devices, we also see basket abandonment emails outperform other publisher types generating sales through mobile handsets.
An impressive 13% of all sales that a leading basket abandonment publisher (Ve Interactive) drives are generated through mobile handsets; more than double that across our network as a whole and again indicative of changing consumer behavior and the move towards mobile email.
We can break this down further to look at the handsets that are generating sales. This has also been compared to a report produced by Knotice looking into the devices that were being used to view emails in Q3 and Q4 2012.
Knotice saw 29% of all email being opened on mobile devices. By focusing purely on mobile handsets we have been able to compare the devices that are typically being used for viewing emails to those that are driving sales for Ve Interactive.
From the chart above it is evident that Ve Interactive sees similar trends across devices for transactions as Knotice has seen for consumers receiving their email. However, the publisher slightly over indexes on sales through Android and Blackberry while it under indexes on the iPhone and ‘other’ handsets. Over 65% of sales are generated through the iPhone showing this is not only the most popular handset for picking up email but also that iPhone users also show a high propensity to transact with the retailers being promoted.
The Android / iPhone trend is one to watch as Android is leading the smartphone charge, with the gap set to narrow considerably in 2013.
By looking at the advertisers that are generating not only significant volumes of sales through mobile handsets, but also a high proportion of their total sales, we can begin to understand the sectors that are performing well through mobile commerce, particularly through email.
Daily deals and group buying are two sectors that have performed exceptionally well on mobile devices and tie in with the convenience afforded through accessing emails through handsets. Ve Interactive has generated an incredible 26% of sales for one daily deal site through mobile handsets. Consumers are readily turning to mobile to ensure they are kept up to date with the latest offers so they do not miss out on any deals.
This is not the only sector that is thriving through mobile though, far from it. Ve Interactive has also driven significant volumes of sales through handsets for advertisers within retail, telecoms and travel with upwards of 20% of sales generated through mobile handsets for some advertisers within these sectors.
“The increase in the use of smartphones for opening and reading emails initiates new and diverse opportunities for marketers. As smartphones can significantly support Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) functionalities over desktop emails, the engagement and experience can be improved to maximise Click Through Rate (CTR)” – Roddy Scaife, Production Director, Ve Interactive
With mobile set to overtake desktop as the favoured device for picking up email by the end of the year, advertisers can benefit from close partnerships with the publishers that are able to effectively target consumers through mobile devices.
By Matt Swan
Client Strategist
Affiliate Window
