You might well be like the rest us. We all feel overwhelmed by the returns from email marketing campaigns. Even concentrating on one aspect, such as landing page returns, can still make you wonder what on earth you’re supposed to do with all the data.

The difference between email marketing and most other forms is the accuracy and speed of the returns from campaigns. If we don’t make the most of it, we lose that advantage, so a little bit of effort gives excellent returns.

A subscriber clicking through to a landing page shows that the rest of the marketing email has done its job. It’s solely about conversions now, whether you want them to buy a single item, or commit to a longer term relationship. 

The most important metric, you will not be surprised to discover, is the percentage of visitors who convert. There is no optimum figure; there are so many variables that it makes comparisons with those of other companies nonsensical. What it can be compared to is a previous return of yours for a similar product.

If the percentage of conversions drops, then there must be a reason. It is up to you to discover what it is. Remember that this is a percentage, so any failure of the marketing email which limits click-throughs can be ignored. It’s a fault with the landing page.

The first question to ask is what has changed. It might be something simple, such as this campaign being rushed. Was the copy poorly prepared, or the images not as specific as normal? Was it a clone of a previous campaign? If so, your subscribers have seen it all before.

What were the demographics of those who completed? If they had something in common which wasn’t as numerous as in those who did not, then this gives a clue.

The important thing to remember is that there’s always a reason. Find out what it is and you can get back to previous levels. Most importantly, the same goes for an increase in the conversion rate. It shows you’ve improved. Find the reason and improve the percentage over your norm.