May 18th, 2008
Email as part of the user interface
Thinking about some kind of extended mailing list tool, I noticed that email is not used to its full potential as a part of web applications.
For any interactions that cannot be completed within minutes, automated email interaction could be a suitable extension for web applications. For example:
- orders
- communication in groups
- finding dates and agreeing on stuff
- learning and personal development
- travel planning
Some general functionalities to be considered, that can make email interaction worthwhile for the recipient:
- Strongly personalized, relevant content
- Answering to questions asked in an email, by clicking on one of several links
- Uploading media content by attachment
- Summarizing frequent updates into fewer emails or receive updates as RSS instead
- Session/member-specific links that include authorization to the site
The XING newsletter is a very good example for summarized, personal and relevant content. It includes friends activities, event and birthday reminders and some more stuff that can motivate me to visit the site again.
Also their event reminder emails are well done. On the site you can choose when you want to be reminded of an event. Event invite emails do contain links for immediate response.
Other regular examples are order and sending confirmations from shops.
For an effective meeting planner I have not seen a good email-intergrating example yet. But I am sure there are some out there. I would like something that does not involve signing up with the service for all of the potential participants. - Update: Doodle sieht interessant aus.
Drop.io is a nice example for a free-form mailing list / anything drop of / RSS maker / files hoster. It allows you to upload (or send by email) content to a “drop” from where it can be accessed and shared with others in many ways. Well done and very open to different ways of useage.
I have not yet seen an email course system that combines autoresponder with a nice web application. Could be a nice opportunity. For example you offer an online course on healthly cooking. After signing up, the user receives a lesson every week, including recipes and whatever content. Additional personalized information could be generated to let people interact with your site: How many other people received this course this week. What is the last forum post on this topic/lesson on the website. Include other readers latest comments and encourage readers to response. Membership could be loose by automatically using the first part of the email adress as username, but not disclosing the adress.
Probably there are some more potential applications out there that could benefit from integrating email interactions in a sensible way. Of course nobody wants his inbox overloaded, but on the other hand, this is the push channel we have, and if your interaction extends to more than immediate attention span, it could be the way to go.
General hints on email usability:
Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox, December 8, 2003:
Confirmation Email, Automated Customer Service Email, and Transactional Messages
Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox, June 12, 2006: Email Newsletters (with notes on RSS as alternative)
Jeanne Jennings
Making Transactional E-Mail Better Marketing Tools with some relevant CAN-SPAM rules.