The recession has had its effect on consumer behavior online, and the watchword is frugality. Whether or not shoppers go back to their spendthrift ways, for now coupons are cool and deal-seeking is the norm.

That mindset has consequences for marketers across the board, and e-mail marketers are no exception. There is a pronounced difference between open rates for e-mails that include a coupon offer and those that do not. Open rates of around 24% to 25% for coupon e-mails dropped to just 16% to 18% for noncoupon campaigns.

Higher open rates for coupon offers translated into higher click rates as well, though the difference was much smaller. E-mails with coupons that could be used online were most likely to be clicked, at 4%.

Reports also show that 80% of online coupon mailings saw higher transaction-to-click rates and transaction rates than noncoupon campaigns. And 78% of that group also earned higher revenues per e-mail.

Overall, two-thirds of US households use coupons and the number using online coupons has grown 46% in the past three years. An essential element in building loyalty and engagement is understanding the purchase drivers and triggers and the channel preferences of unique customers. Marketers who acknowledge that today’s consumers are multi-channel will see greater return on their marketing spend.