According to US magazine Website, a recent study suggests that email is still the most effective way of driving traffic to retail websites.
Foresee Results carried out the study, which found that ‘19 percent of shoppers surveyed said they visited a top retailer’s online storefront after receiving a promotional email from the company. Eight percent said they were driven there by search engine results, and only five percent said their decision to visit one of the top 40 retail websites was primarily influenced by social media channels such as recommendations on Facebook or Twitter.’
Facebook and Twitter are a valuable resource as the personable aspect of a recommendation provides brand loyalty, but email marketing continues to be more effective in terms of driving visitors to retail websites.
“Tried-and-true online marketing tactics should not be abandoned or ignored in favor of newer media,” says ForeSee’s VP of retail strategy, Kevin Ertell.
The study by Foresee Results investigated the top 40 US internet retailers and found them to be most keen to use multiple marketing methods. Ertell clarified this by saying “It’s (social media) just not the key driver of sales by any means at this point.”
