Last week, in the first part of this two-part series, I said that in order for e-mails to be truly relevant today, their content and information must address what a customer is looking for or interested in right now. I also suggested that Web analytics data offers an excellent opportunity to do just that. Lastly, I looked at the core types of Web analytics data that should be considered and incorporated within an e-mail strategy.

(For part 1, click here.)

This week, I'll discuss a few points to consider if you're still undecided about whether integrating Web analytics data into your e-mail marketing programs will benefit your bottom line.

1. Don't miss the mark. According to JupiterResearch, one in four marketers cast the e-mail marketing net without any targeting or differentiation. Of those, 65 percent use limited segmentation and personalization. And only 11 percent of those target their campaigns based on key insights like purchase history or clickstream activity. These marketers are sitting on mountains of readily available, high-impact information that would help them achieve their objectives, but they don't use it. You don't want to be one of them.

2. Get the full story on every campaign. Integration provides the final details on an e-mail campaign's success or failure. By integrating Web analytics with your e-mail campaigns, you'll be able to glean insights on the important details, including the number of people who paid a visit to your site, where they visited, how long they stayed and the number of conversions as a result. Going beyond open and clickthrough rates to find out what happens after a consumer clicks on an e-mail promotion is the ultimate indicator of consumer interest.

3. Challenge the status quo. Industry e-mail delivery averages based on the results of the typical broadcast e-mail marketing strategy are incredibly low. In fact, for every 10,000 e-mails you send, it's normal for 60 percent to 70 percent of recipients to ignore you. However, targeted e-mails that use Web site clickstream data on average generate nine times more revenue and as much as 32 times more net profit over undifferentiated broadcast campaigns.

If you don't know what happens after a customer clicks through from an e-mail promotion, you'll never experience the true success of a campaign, nor will you capture vital information for future remarketing efforts. By integrating Web analytics with your e-mail marketing application, you'll be provided with the type of consolidated reporting across e-mail and Web site activity that can help ensure your messages stand out in a sea of e-mails. That can be a powerful means for loosening purse strings at the moment your target audience is considering your brand in a purchase decision.

Ryan Deutsch is senior director of market strategy at StrongMail Systems, a Redwood City, Calif.-based e-mail marketing solutions provider. Reach Ryan at rdeutsch@strongmail.com.