There is a widespread lack of standards around e-mail metrics, bounce data, definitions and bounce management practices, according to a study by the E-mail Experience Council, which defines e-mail marketing and communications practices. The findings revealed these interesting facts:
- There is a significant variance in how senders calculate key metrics including delivery, rates of opening and click rates, making it difficult to establish benchmarks or compare results;
- There is some inconsistency in bounce data provided by ISPs, corporate domains and e-mail receivers, challenging the standardization of deliverability practices; and,
- Bounce management capabilities are inadequate and vary widely, confirming that it is difficult to maximize the effectiveness of e-mail marketing campaigns because of unclean lists and temporary delivery failures.