Why email delivers user engagement

Email is part of our daily life. It’s a ubiquitous communications tool for work teams and other one-to-one contacts, but email has another fundamental—and perhaps larger—role supporting the other systems we use.

In that regard, email is the backbone for all the information we receive. Think about e-commerce receipts, airline tickets, notifications from business apps, and even as a marketing channel — mailboxes have become our de facto system of record, and one that continues to grow in importance.

Web sites and services, businesses, and users alike rely on email because:

• It’s a rich medium. Email supports a range of content, design, and interactivity as diverse as the web itself. And as email marketers have shown, it lends itself to driving action and engagement
• It’s everywhere. Many people send and receive email on their computers, phones, tablets, smartwatches, and other devices. Emails can be accessed just about anywhere.
• It’s resilient. Email can withstand and recover from conditions such as network failures to misconfigured software. Users, too, can have confidence that their emails remain on providers’ servers, even if their devices are lost or stolen.
• It’s searchable. Our email inboxes are easily searchable, so users can retrieve an important message no matter when it was received.
• It’s secure. Properly configured email is transparently routed and authenticated, and reputable email providers offer strong user privacy protection.
• It’s a two-way channel. Email inherently enables response and two-way conversation, which is key for a good customer service experience.

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Where to begin with your product’s email

Email notifications are a type of transactional email message that many apps and cloud services employ to interact with users, such as informing them about responses to social media posts, or letting them know about log-in attempts on their accounts.

Notifications have direct impact on engagement, conversion and retention.

For product managers faced with the challenge of nurturing customer engagement with their apps, email notifications are a fundamental part of that strategy. Notifications have direct impact on engagement, conversion and retention. Let’s dig in.

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UP NEXT: Getting Started with Email Notifications

Email notifications should be an integral part of SaaS product strategy and development. Here’s what product teams need to know to get started.