Contrary to concerns that slowing growth could indicate a declining interest in email, a new Forrester Research report concludes that email is still going strong and has merely steadied with maturity.

"Email Marketing Comes of Age," by analyst Shar VanBoskirk, reveals nearly universal penetration by online consumers and marketers, stable click rates and continued consumer engagement as marketers take on sophisticated, relevant tactics.

In fact, email is one of a marketer's most valuable channels, the report finds.

Email customers spend more online than their non-email counterparts, buy on impulse in response to email promotions and are more likely to tell others about the email promotions they have received. The report urges marketers to turn more email customers into email lovers by undertaking tactics tuned to each customer's specific behaviors. You can read more about Forrester's findings and its predictions for 2007 in this DM News article.