Customers like email deals – if it doesn’t get caught in spam

Consumers are generally positive about receiving emails with new products and deals from businesses they buy from, according to a new survey reported by Marketing Charts.

Almost 60% of the 2500 people in the US surveyed by Harris Interactive said email is a good way for businesses to provide them with relevant information, up from 45% 12 months ago.

Half of those surveyed said they have made a purchase as a consequence of information they received in an email, but only where the information received was targeted and relevant.

The survey also found there can be a downside to email marketing – 32% of respondents said their opinion of companies is diminished if they receive too many emails or with too general content.

But the biggest hurdle for businesses to overcome is actually getting their email into customers’ inboxes. Nearly one in five emails sent by businesses ended up in their recipients’ junk mail folders.