Q2 2010 North America Email Trends are in! Results show email open rates remaining steady while clickthroughs declined.
This analysis is comprised from 5.6 billion sent emails by Epsilon in April through June of 2010.

Here are some quick stats:

- Open rates increased 18% from the same time 2 years earlier
- Click rates (5.3%) decreased 5.9%
- Average volume per consumer is up 10.5%
- The non-bounce rate slightly increased from 94.1% to 94.8%

Mailers need to practice creating relevant email messages to their consumers, also cutting back on image heavy email and using text based email has shown higher clichthrough rates due to many email platforms blocking images within emails.

Feel free to share your email tips and tricks!

Remember to follow up with past contacts, even if you are not currently doing business with them. Business needs and developments change, so you never know what opportunities you might be missing with the people you already know.

How many of us have a Gmail email account? How many of us knew there was an enhancement that was just rolled out to all Gmail email users?
DMNews is reporting that the new “Priority Inbox” will filter your e-mail messages into three sections: “important and unread,” “starred” and “everything else.” The new priority inbox will categorize your messages as they arrive to a consumer’s inbox. Gmail will be using various methods to predict which messages are important, including the people you e-mail most and which messages you open and reply to.
In regards to email marketing, does this mean the possibility of having to change your practices so you have an ability to effectively deliver Gmail emails? Some are saying no this is not going to affect email marketers, however how about those that are not necessarily practicing “good practices”? This new priority inbox might be filtering out those “bad” emails that many consumers will now be avoiding because they will show up at the “bottom” of their inbox.
Good update for Gmail…. or just a wasted effort to make your email better? You decide!

Do you feel like you crossed the finish line of a half marathon at the end of every week? Maybe not all of you are into running, but you get the idea. Feeling that way means you have gone the extra mile with your job, taking care of your clients and affiliates. We are now into the Q4 – so the final marathon is here. Who is going to make it the 26 miles? Gather your strengths, tie your shoes and have a great run.

The internet has been buzzing today about Google’s new home page and how the logo has changed. The previous logo has gone from the solid colored “Google” font to moving colorful dots that scatter through out the screen when the mouse goes by it.
Many people are speculating if the new logo has to do with Google’s 12th Birthday, new innovations, or if it’s just an entertaining change for the site.

This morning, a Google spokesperson stated,

“Today’s doodle is fun, fast, and interactive, just the way we think search should be,”.

Last time Google received this much attention for their homepage was back in May when it was turned into a playable Pac-Man game for the game’s anniversary. This page was so popular it was reported to have used 4.8 million hours of productivity from those who used it.

One way or another, Google is once again  receiving attention for simply changing their home page look.

Are you a brand name buyer? Are there certain products that you buy generic or store brand? Comparing the pricing on these may shock you and really add up over time! Taking into consideration, the quality of the product – some things generic just may not add up.

A few products you are safe to save some cash and buy the generic version:

Breakfast Cereal – $2.99 for brand name, $0.99 for generic; the ingredients are typically exactly the same and they are just as tasty!

Prescription Drugs – Pricing on generics can be more than half of the cost of brand name. Pharmaceutical companies are required to use the same ingredients, so if it’s available – why not?

Cooking & Baking Ingredients – Flour, butter, sugar, salt & spices , these are all the same and can offer a huge savings!

Fruits & Veggies – Unless looking for a very specific or rare type of produce, locally grown or lesser-known brands of produce can be just as delicious as a brand name banana or apple. Try it out, if you don’t like it, switch back – but if you do, you could save some additional money!

According to msnbc.com , the average consumer can save $200-$1,500 per year by purchasing generic!

It seems all we ever read about is the “negative” about the payday loan industry, however there seems to be some positive momentum happening for payday lenders. Are people finally seeing that there is a need to help those consumers that are paycheck to paycheck? Americanbanker.com is reporting some positive news for the overly criticized payday loan industry.
Are lenders closing up store fronts to help cut costs, and therefore going to be utilizing the internet more to generate their business? For some, the answer it yes. Future growth for many payday lenders is probably going to be in the alternative products that many are getting into to help diversify their portfolio. Launching new products such as pre paid credit cards and bill pay services are some of the products that payday lenders are either getting into, or have already tapped into. This is great news for the longevity of the payday lenders. So what are these payday lenders going to be doing in the states where the payday loans are banned? Getting into ownership of pawn shops appears to be the direction many lenders are going in states such as WA and AZ. Lots of positive things happening, and we are anxious to see how Leadpile will be apart of the future success of the lenders.