More consumers read email on the move

When formulating an email marketing strategy, keep this in mind: Desktops and laptops are taking a backseat to mobile devices as consumers’ preferred method for checking email.

In fact, according to email marketing firm Movable Ink’s U.S. Consumer Device Preference Report: Q4 2013 only 35 percent of emails were opened on desktop PCs, down from 39 percent in just the previous quarter. Smartphones accounted for 48 percent of email opens and tablets accounted for 17 percent. For marketing emails, the number opened on a smartphone is even higher. Nearly 65 percent of marketing emails were opened on a mobile device in the fourth quarter 2013. That’s up from 61 percent in the previous quarter.

“This report…shows that we are in the midst of a mobile takeover,” writes Vivek Sharma, co-founder and CEO of Movable Ink. She added, “We expect marketers to continue to place high priority on mobile optimization, which will allow them to better engage consumers who are on-the-go with relevant, real-time offers.”

These statistics drive home the importance for financial institution marketers to consider the mobile channel when reaching out to consumers. This means more than simply optimizing the message for a smaller screen; it requires thinking holistically about when, why and how the consumer will interact with your communication and what call-to-action can realistically be expected from on-the-go consumers.