News

Mobile email viewership on the rise

Mobile email activity has grown by 81%, according to Return Path’s Email on the Move: The Future of Mobile Messaging study.

The study examines where, when and how email is most often read across webmail, desktop and mobile platforms, underscoring the importance of sending the right message at the right time for the emerging tablet user community.

Key findings of the study revealed that the leading platform for viewing email is webmail, with 48% of the total. Desktop use is just over 36% of views, with mobile access coming in at 16%. For desktop access, Outlook (with all versions combined) owns 63% of the views. The 81% growth in email access via a mobile device comes at the expense of webmail access, with desktop use remaining steady.

Mobile email activity occurs more when people are on the move, particularly at weekends following a steady pattern throughout the week. Desktop use remains high throughout the week, with a dramatic drop-off on the weekends. Webmail use is lower during the week – lowest on a Wednesday, with more use on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, and a big rise on Saturday and Sunday.

“The art of designing for the small screen may prove to be evolving to the art of designing for the reader on the go,” said Bryan Dreller, product manager, Return Path. “While still critical to the email design process, rendering quality itself is still secondary to sending the right message at the right time.”

While still a small percentage of overall viewership, the use of mobile devices and in particular tablets, is quickly on the rise.

“With the rise of the iPad and the tablet market, mobile has been redefined,” added Dreller. “According to the study, iPad viewership has grown 15% between October 2010 and March 2011 and we expect to continue to see this percentage grow in the coming months with the release of the iPad 2. Marketers need to adapt to this change in where and when consumers are accessing email and online content.”

Jenni Baker, London