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Results from the “First Annual State of Email Metrics” survey on what email professionals consider the most important metrics, shows that some may be overemphasizing the wrong data.

Survey respondents considered deliverability and click-through as the two most important metrics.

Simms Jenkins, founder of EmailStatCenter.com and parent company BrightWave Marketing, which performed the survey (EmailStatCenter), was surprised by the results saying, “While click-throughs and deliverability are essential metrics, it was surprising to find metrics which tie directly to financial return such as ROI, conversion and revenue lower in the rankings.”

While there is some truth in what Jenkins says, I would add that it also depends on what the purpose of the email is. From the beginning we have to decide whether it's for branding, sending people to another a web site, or it's a direct mail piece meant to get somebody to take the action of buying or doing something else.

Those responding to the survey also said their biggest challenge was developing a list and time constraints operating it.

The good news is over 95 percent of those responding said they now measure the results of their campaigns. Most do it in a day or two after the campaign.

One thing the survey did reveal, was that most needed to work on was concerning the data isn't revisited enough, and there's also a need to evaluate and benchmark them on a more consistent basis ... along with looking at them quicker after they're sent.

If you're doing a direct mail sending, looking quicker is especially important because it could tell you about data that could justify a resend to more people, along with more sales and a better ROI.