When Smartphone Users Check Email During the Day

March 18, 2014

This article is included in these additional categories:

Digital | Email | Mobile Phone

Experian-When-Smartphone-Users-Check-Email-During-Day-Mar2014There’s no shortage of data showing the increasing influence of mobile on email. Research indicates, for example, that for half of smartphone owners aged 18-39, their phone has become the primary device on which they open their emails. Indeed, various sources now report that mobiles account for a majority of email opens. So when do smartphone users check email? In its 2014 Digital Marketer Report [download page], Experian Marketing Services reveals that most users do so during traditional work hours. In fact, a majority of smartphone users check their emails during each hour from 8AM through 9PM, with the largest share (56-57%) between the hours of 9AM and 6PM.

That’s an interesting finding, as one might expect that consumers would be more apt to be using computers at work to check email during those hours. But internet use at work might not be as prevalent as assumed: a recent study from Pew found that online adults are twice as likely to go online from home (90% of users) as from work (44%) on a typical day.

While smartphone users are checking their emails throughout the day, they may have favored hours for opening and clicking  emails. Though much has changed in the past 18 months (which may render these findings irrelevant), a late 2012 study from TailoredMail found that mobile email opens and clicks tended to peak during meal times, presumably when consumers were away from their computers.

Overall, the Experian report indicates that 80% of smartphone users surveyed checked their email on their devices during the past 7 days. For its part, ExactTarget in a recent survey found that 9 in 10 smartphone owners check their email every day, as do 7 in 10 tablet owners, a top-2 daily activity for each group.

Recapping data included in various reports throughout the past 12 months, Experian’s study also notes that:

  • Email subscribers who open on more than one platform (e.g. mobile and webmail) are the most engaged, with higher click-to-open rates than any single platform group;
  • This group also has a higher revenue-per-open than any other group; and
  • The iPhone is the clear leader in share of mobile email opens and clicks, though the iPad takes center stage for email-led mobile transactions (with that latter point consistent with Yesmail research).
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