Email Marketing Tops for Driving Website Visits

Email marketing is the most effective ad technique to encourage users to go online and consider purchasing, according to research by data services company Response One.

The study - which examined the effectiveness of different ad media at encouraging consumers to visit a company's website and seriously consider a purchase - found emails to customers topped the list.

Email marketing was 52% more likely than average to inspire a web visit and a purchase consideration from consumers, ahead of traditional media such as TV and newspapers at 34% and direct mail at 16%.

The research found that search links were 8% more likely than average to drive users to a website. However, advertising on social networks was much less effective.

Respondents to the study, which surveyed 1,000 UK adults in January and February 2008, felt ads on social networks were 26% less likely than the average to drive users online.

However, this trend shifted with 18-24-year-olds, who rated social network ads and mobile text messages as 22% more likely to encourage a web visit and purchase.