The Email Experience Council has come out with an interesting new report assessing the state of email metrics and bounce management. In a nutshell, the study reveals that senders vary widely in how they calculate key metrics such as open, click and delivery rates. The EEC says this lack of consistency hampers marketers' efforts to properly execute, measure and compare results across programs, providers or channels.

The report, “The State of Email Metrics & Bounce Management,” calls for a standardized set of metrics as well as common definitions and uniform practices, and says the next step is for industry groups, analysts and influencers to come together and establish them. You can read more about it in this article from DM News and this announcement from the EEC.

While I certainly advocate transparency of metrics, I would caution marketers not to go overboard trying to choose an email service provider based largely around its deliverability. I believe that most top-tier ESPs employ similar technology and have fairly consistent skills and services in areas like working with Internet service providers. In the quest for better comparative metrics, marketers shouldn’t forget that improved list-building tactics and more relevant content will go much further at improving deliverability than ferreting out the small differences in deliverability services between ESPs.

P.S. Silverpop makes all of its metrics calculations readily available for those customers that do want to dig into the specific calculations.