Email marketing is widely supported by contemporary studies as one of the fastest, cheapest, and most effective channels for driving website traffic and generating orders. Below are direct findings and statistics from recent major studies and analyses (2024–2025), demonstrating its clear advantages compared to other digital marketing methods.
1. Email Marketing Delivers Unmatched Return on Investment (ROI)
- The average ROI for email marketing in 2025 is $36–$42 for every $1 spent12. This percentage (3,600%–4,200% ROI) significantly outpaces nearly all other common digital marketing tactics.
- By comparison, social media marketing and paid search generally report ROIs of less than half this value.
2. Email Is Ubiquitous, Fast, and Highly Responsive
- In 2025, there are nearly 4.5 billion email users worldwide13. Email is unique as nearly every internet user has an email address, making it the lowest-friction way to reach contacts instantly.
- 88–99% of users check their email every day, with many checking up to 20 times daily123. This means your message is delivered and seen very quickly, unlike with many forms of organic search or social media.
3. Cost Effectiveness and Automation
- Email platforms often cost just a few dollars per month for small lists, and many (like MailerLite, Mailchimp, Brevo) offer free tiers supporting thousands of emails per month—a cost structure essentially “almost free” for small/medium businesses.
- 81% of small businesses rely on email as their primary acquisition channel, as it requires little budget to set up and maintain2.
- Automated email campaigns generate 320% more revenue than non-automated campaigns1, multiplying effectiveness without increasing cost.
4. Email Is the Most Effective Channel for Conversions
- For both B2B and B2C marketers, studies found email is the top-performing channel for both customer acquisition and retention234.
- Email is 40x more effective at acquiring customers than social media (statistically found in direct studies comparing conversion attribution)4.
- Average email open rates are in the 22–26% range, with click-through rates of 3–5%—higher than most organic or social media campaigns259.
5. Fastest Impact for Driving Traffic and Orders
- Marketing professionals rank email campaigns as their quickest channel for generating immediate website traffic and orders, handily beating SEO and social3.
- Promotional and cart abandonment emails typically drive responses within minutes to a few hours of sending.
Summary Table
| Channel | Avg. ROI | Speed of Delivery | Setup/Send Cost | Global Reach | Conversion Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $36–$42:1 | Seconds–Minutes | Free–Very Low | 4.5+ billion users | 2.8–4.2%+ (orders) | |
| Social Media | $6–$12:1 | Minutes–Days | Low–High (ads), Time | Varies | ~0.7% |
| Paid Search | $10–$18:1 | Minutes–Hours | High (bidding) | Varies | ~1.3% |
References to Claims
- OptinMonster, Statista, Emarsys, Radicati, Litmus, HubSpot, and others reported the above statistics123459.
- Email remains the low-cost, immediate, and conversion-focused channel with unmatched ROI.
Caveats:
These figures apply to opt-in, permission-based campaigns sent to engaged lists. Results with purchased or “cold” lists are generally much worse, and compliance with spam laws is essential.
Conclusion:
Major industry research consistently finds that email marketing is the fastest, cheapest, and most consistently effective way to drive web traffic and generate orders compared to all mainstream digital marketing channels1234.