• by Jess Nelson , December 23, 2015

Consumers hit the "unsubscribe" link for a variety of reasons, but one study found that more often than not it's the overload of emails flooding their inbox that prompts the action. They just get fed up, according to the new study by Fluent, a performance marketing company, which polled more than 1,500 American adults to investigate consumers’ perceptions on email marketing . The study found that fewer emails with more discounts might be the solution to declining subscription rates.

Some 34.8% of consumers said the main reason they unsubscribe from marketing emails is because they receive emails too often, and 20.8% said they unsubscribe because they find the content irrelevant or not useful. About 16% said they had never signed up for the email list, and 13.7% unsubscribe because they don't trust the source for the email.

About 14.3% of Americans polled by Fluent always unsubscribe from email lists they have signed up for, while 24.4% never unsubscribe. Email marketers should seize the opportunity to influence the middle of the pack, as 41.5% of consumers responded that they sometimes unsubscribe from emails.

Disturbingly, more than a third of consumers stated that they never received marketing emails they found useful. Some 43.8% admit they sometimes found email marketing useful, while only 11.1% of consumers think they always receive useful email marketing.

The study also analyzed the type of promotions Americans most want to see in email campaigns, and what would inspire them to register for an email list.

The top-ranking reason to sign up for an email list was free samples, followed by immediate discount or coupons, free shipping and entry into a sweepstakes.

Women are more likely to be on the lookout for deals, with 45.7% of females responding that receiving discounts is the main reason they subscribe to an email list. In contrast, only 36% of men look for discounts and savings. Men, however, are more likely to subscribe to an email list because they want to learn about new products or because they like the brand.

The most popular device for checking emails is a smartphone, according to the study, illustrating the continued need for mobile optimized email templates and designs. The study found that 61.6% of respondents use their smartphones to check their inboxes, while 27.3% still rely on a desktop computer and 11.2% prefer using their tablets.

Device use differed by age group, with the Millennial generation being most likely to check their emails by smartphone -- 74.1% of consumers ages 25-34 use their smartphones to check their emails, while only 37.4% of consumers over the age of 55 use smartphones.

About 53% of respondents purchased a product from a retail store after receiving an email about it, while 27.1% responded that they are more likely to purchase online and 26.2% are likely to visit the company’s Web site to learn more.