Eye-mail 31 Jul 2006

"IBM says that since starting to use heatmapping in email tests early last year, it has made some simple changes in email design that have led to major improvements in responses from customers. The tests showed, for instance, emails that use clickable graphic icons or buttons to link to more details of a marketing offer drew stronger responses than links that use the text of an Internet address. When IBM incorporated graphical icons and buttons in its emails for its software group, click-through rates jumped 60%. The company decided to make heatmapping a mandatory step before the launch of any email- marketing campaigns."

"OgilvyOne says heatmapping tests show particular words in an email draw more attention from recipients. People in the small-business sector tend to gravitate to messages that talk about "service" or "solutions," says Jeanniey Mullen, OgilvyOne's senior director of email marketing. Another finding: The word 'free' doesn't spark much attention...'Customers are only reading 35% of an email,' Ms. Mullen says. 'If they are only seeing 35%, you want to have your brand and the call to action in that 35%.'"

"Cisco, which did a round of email-newsletter testing last week, says it has found a way to increase the odds of consumers reading more of an email. The company is planning to have a 'stronger use of imagery at the end of the newsletter so eyes scroll to the bottom,' says Brian Ellefritz, Cisco's senior manger of Worldwide Demand Generation."

You can read more at WSJ.com, if you're prepared to pay five bucks for the pleasure :(

Pssst! If you want to find out more about eye tracking, why not take a look at our demonstration video or review the results of our five days / five heatmaps study.