Salesforce: Consumers still like email

San Francisco – Although email is at the point it’s often considered a “legacy” technology, a slight majority of consumers still prefer it for holiday communication from retailers. According to a new consumer survey from Salesforce, 53% of respondents said that email is their preferred communication channel during the holidays.



Newer communication technologies are also still important, of course. Mobile accounted for 31% of online sales on Thanksgiving, and 25% of consumers will consult social media before buying a gift.



Other notable findings include:



• Back-in-stock emails receive the highest click-to-open rate at 19%

• Abandoned cart emails generate the highest average revenue per click at $36.02

• 53% of respondents said that email is their preferred communication channel during the holidays

• Most buyer research takes place in the first half of the business day, but most purchases occur in the afternoon.

• Retailers who use predictive intelligence (a tool that analyzes past customer data to predict trends) see a 23% uplift in revenue vs. those who don't.

• Predictive intelligence shows a 40% influence in revenue after only 36 months of implementation.

• 93% of shoppers are likely to buy when I helped by a knowledgable associate

• 81% of companies with strong customer experience are outperforming their competition

• Resolve a complaint in the customer's favor and they will do business with you again 70% of the time.