So many people make the mistake of thinking that email marketing is going to be profitable from the outset. So they trundle out a few emails and wait for the phone to ring off the hook, the orders to flood in and their conversion rates to spike. Only, it doesn't happen.

The most ironic thing is that the answer to the problem could be staring them right in the face, or at least clogging up their mailboxes in the form of unopened emails, spam emails and emails they have no intention of ever following up.

We learn the most from watching others, whether it's picking up on their mistakes or copying their path to success. By looking at the emails that fail to get noticed or read, we do more to eliminate these failures from our own email marketing campaigns.

1. Steer Clear of Ambiguous Subject Lines

We all want our emails to be opened. However, an ambiguous subject line, or one that is so outside-of-its-box that people don't get it, can mean our emails gather dust rather than attention. Persuasive and clear subject lines win hearts and minds. Even better, a little personalization can go a long way.

2. Don't Bombard with Images

Images look great in emails. They can really make them stand out. However, it's wise to use them sparingly. Whilst most of us have moved to high speed internet connections, large images can still take a long time to load and could also result in emails being blocked completely if certain email filtering rules are in place.

3. Benefits Over Features Every Time

It's natural to be excited about a product, to proclaim it to be the best and list its many amazing features. However, the customer wants to know what's in it for them? What does the product do? How will it make their life better? Benefits win over features every single time, and clever marketers will find ways to weave the two together to give emails maximum impact.

4. Punctuation Overload

Who wants to feel like they are being shouted at by a stranger, even if it's about something good? Too much punctuation, especially in the form of exclamation marks, dollar signs and capital letters, can get an email relegated straight to the junk folder if it hasn't landed there already!

5. Give Them an Easy Exit

An unsubscribe link is essential in all emails. Like any relationship, there may come a time when one party wants to split, or at least take a break. It's the same with email, and yet so many emails fail to give recipients an easy exit.

Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments what you'd leave out of emails if you could. Want more? Check out the Email Marketing Summit being hosted by Megan Martin June 4th-6th! Use code DANNIE to save on registration!