The most disappointing response in email marketing is probably when a recipient clicks through to the landing page and is heard of no more. These people have shown themselves to be susceptible. So near but now so far away. However do not think of this as an end to it.

To except the failure to buy after clicking through is to waste the resource of your email list. Instead what you should do is attempt to discover the reason the person was not overcome by desire with your offer.

One reason could be that you inadvertently misled them. They expected something different when they read of the 20 per cent discount which they worked out as being more accurately 17.5 per cent. Whether or not your interpretation was correct is immaterial as the only relevant opinion is that of your customer.

Another reason could be that there were other encouragements to click through. If they merely opted to go further because of the offer of a prize lottery then this will distort your figures.

Any person who clicks through to a landing page and then proceeds no further should be viewed as the one that got away. This person should be pursued and with some vigour as they are likely to buy in the future.

Try a slightly different offer. Perhaps add something or take something off, like postage, although care should be exercised. You still need to make a profit. Their response to the improved offer will show you, perhaps, the way you should have gone in the first instance.

There is a very simple option. It is all too easy to be overcome by the sophistication of email marketing and ignore the possibilities of simply sending a normal email and asking them why they did not buy. The only risk you have taken is to upset them enough to unsubscribe from your email list. If you get a reply then it will probably be totally honest.

Collecting the returns from your email marketing software after a campaign is not the end of your work. Challenge the results and work out a way to improve them.