clipped from: www.webpronews.com In the report, titled "The Social and Portable Inbox: Optimizing E-mail Marketing in the New Era of Communication Tools," researchers found emerging forms of communication are reducing the use of email.
Twenty-two percent of email users said they use social networking sites instead of email, with more saying they have used instant messaging, text messaging, and cell phones instead.
"Consumers' confidence in e-mail has become shaken by irrelevant communications and high message frequency, which are top drivers of subscribers' churn and channel skepticism," explained David Daniels, Vice President, Research Director and Lead Analyst of the report for JupiterResearch.
In 2007, 51 percent of email users said email had led to at least one online purchase, and 47 percent said the same for off-line purchases. In 2008, the number of email users declined to 44 percent for online purchases and 41 percent for off-line purchases.