E-Marketing Strategy: E-mail Marketing: 
An Old Workhorse That Still Pulls Its Weight

● Are they clicking links within the e-mail?

● If they are clicking links, do they continue to your store or sales channel?

Once you've identified the weak point in the stream, do some work to make the next step in the path more obvious or more compelling.

When judging the effectiveness of an e-mail, I like to "aim for the 40s." Aim for an open rate of 40 percent—which is much higher than the industry average of about 10 percent to 20 percent. Of the people who open it, aim for a click-rate—meaning the number of people who click on a link within the e-mail—of 40 percent or higher. If you are seeing percentages drastically lower than 40 percent, you can adjust your content, your links, and your e-mail subject line—which needs to be compelling if you expect people to open it. Remember, people are busy! Make sure you're offering something worth reading during an already-hectic workday.

Good luck! BB

J.S. McDougall is co-owner of Catalyst Webworks (CatalystWebworks.com), a Web design and marketing firm specializing in the book industry. He is the author of six books about conducting business online, including "Start Your Own Blogging –Business." Follow him on Twitter at @catalystwebwks.