How to hit the mark with Dotdigital

Mark:
So nice to see everybody — welcome! I’d say two years ago, I was a little bit bigger… lost a few pounds. Very proud! Quick shout out to The Big Huddle team — great merchandise, great people, always. We love them. It’s really a privilege to be here and talk to you today about “Hitting the Mark.” Don’t hit me if you don’t like what you hear! We’re going to be walking through Dotdigital’s Hitting the Mark report together. But before we dive in, here’s a quick intro so you know who we are and what gives us the right to stand up here and share this with you. I’ve been around a bit. Worked for DHL in the ‘90s, then moved into project management software (Streamtime), shipping automation (Starshipit), and then into NetSuite — so I’ve gone from boutique startups to large global businesses. That led me to Dotdigital. Also, fun fact — I host a weekend radio show and have a dog named Digby. Taeya:
Yes — Mark loves a fun fact! I struggled to find one of my own… but hello, I’m Taeya. I moved from Canada to the UK over a year ago. I always have to clarify: I’m not American, I’m Canadian! I played university volleyball back home, started out in the creative advertising world at some top Canadian agencies, and eventually moved into the martech space, which led me to Dotdigital. Mark:
So let’s get into it. Hitting the Mark is a report we create annually that evaluates a wide range of global brands — not just Dotdigital customers — to understand how well they’re performing across six key areas: Website experience Data collection Personalisation Campaign content Email practices Campaign design We’re not covering the full report today, but we’ll highlight trends and opportunities that can help you elevate your ecommerce game.

1. Website Experience
   Taeya:
   Your website is often the beginning of the customer journey — and in many cases, the end too. A few key insights from our evaluation:

Geo-targeting is massively underused. Even without knowing who a visitor is, you can personalise content. For instance, promote picnic gear in sunny regions or wellies if it’s raining. Live chat is growing in popularity, but there’s often no clarity on when you’re talking to a bot versus a real person. Just be transparent! Email sign-up forms are often buried in the footer. Moving them into popovers or above the fold can make a huge difference. Examples: Peak, a tourism brand, forces account creation before you can browse — a big barrier to engagement. Lola’s handles live chat well, using AI to filter queries and telling users when a real agent will be available.

2. Data Collection
   Taeya:
   This is less glamorous but critical. Brands are missing out by not collecting:

Zero-party data: This includes topics customers want to hear about, preferred communication channels, and frequency. Mobile numbers: 73% of brands don’t collect them — a big miss, considering SMS open rates are around 98%, compared to 20% for email. Examples: Some brands have effective preference centres that ask users for their interests and how often they want to be contacted. Drybar encourages SMS opt-ins right after the email sign-up — clever and efficient.

3. Personalisation
   Taeya:
   The biggest gap across all six categories — only 8% of brands personalised their website experiences. A few easy wins:

Use social proof: Show relevant reviews or booking info based on whether a visitor is new or returning. First name email personalisation is shockingly underused — only 21% of brands include it. Dynamic content: Tools like Fresh Relevance allow you to tailor homepage content based on past browsing — such as showcasing formal dresses if the user viewed them previously. Examples: Air New Zealand uses first names in email. Huel displays Trustpilot reviews above the fold for instant trust-building.

4. Email Best Practices
   Mark:
   Email is still king — but its crown is tarnished. We evaluated everything from acquisition to unsubscribe processes. A few key points:

Popovers: They can be annoying if misused (e.g. appearing even when you’re logged in), but used correctly — like for exit intent — they boost list growth. BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification): Only 6% of brands use this. It’s like a blue tick for your emails — improves deliverability and credibility. Unsubscribe pages: These are a great place to gather feedback and refine your strategy. Examples: Graze uses playful popovers and clear incentives. Trip CBD uses BIMI to avoid spam filters for restricted items.

5. Campaign Content
   Mark:
   Campaigns don’t always need to sell. Add value through editorial content — for example, a guide on styling a coffee table after a furniture purchase.

A/B testing is essential. Test subject lines, layouts, and timing to learn what works best. FOMO tactics can work — but overusing them erodes urgency and brand trust. Examples: Allplants offers helpful articles to support product discovery. Dotdigital allows for up to 10 subject line variants for testing.

6. Campaign Design
   Mark:
   Design affects deliverability and engagement. Overloaded emails with too many images won’t render well and often get clipped.

Keep CTAs above the fold and easy to see. Use dynamic imagery or gamification sparingly to add interest without sacrificing clarity. Examples: Oreo emails often fail to render properly due to image overload. Bulk and Olive Garden use gamified designs and clear CTAs effectively. Conclusion & Final Tips
Taeya:
Let’s wrap with a few key points: Website experience matters — it’s where journeys begin (and end). Data is your secret weapon — collect and actually use it to segment and personalise. Email still works, but it needs refreshing: avoid batch-and-blast, focus on relevance, and use all the tools available. Personalisation is the big opportunity — and most brands are barely doing the basics. At Dotdigital, we can help with: Website personalisation using social proof, geo-targeting and dynamic content Data collection across multiple sources, including zero-party data Email strategy support, via our in-house teams and partner network (like Rescue Monkey) If you’d like the full report, feel free to visit our stand or scan the QR code — we’d love to share more with you. Mark:
Thanks very much — if you’ve got questions, we’ve got two minutes! Taeya:
Or come find us upstairs. Thanks again! Mark:
And remember — SMS is a huge channel right now. We’ve got a network operating in over 220 countries, and with 98% open rates, it’s a powerful complement to your email strategy. Whether it’s SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook, or TikTok, integrated messaging can boost your results.