Most marketers need only make a few changes in their email marketing practices to beat their competitors, according to a new Silverpop study that reviewed the registration procedures, marketing messages and opt-out practices of 175 retailers such as Crate & Barrel, Neiman Marcus, and CompUSA, reports Internet Retailer.

Though the acquisition of email addresses is vital for beginning or maintaining a dialogue with customers, 23 percent failed to include email registration request; a similar proportion offered no explanation of benefits. Among those that did, 45 percent offered notice of sales and promotions, 14 percent offered news, and 11 percent offered a catalog or other direct mail piece; only 2 percent offered incentives such as a sweepstakes of discount.

The study found that 37 percent of the companies reviewed asked only for an email address, 39 percent asked for a short profile, including postal address, and 25 percent also asked for phone numbers and demographic information. Giving email registrants a choice of material they'd like to receive improves targeted marketing and slightly reduces opt-outs, according to the study. Some eight out of 10 retailers reviewed use opt-in registration.

Confirmation messages - a consumer's first exposure to a retailer's email practices - are often an afterthought: Only 43 percent sent a registration confirmation message. Of those, eight of 10 sent them the same day, and 76 percent displayed product or brand names in their messages. Only 25 percent of the messages were addressed to the recipient by name.