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Up on the laptop,
Click, click, click.
Some missives inspired sales,
While the others didn't stick.

Last issue in this space, we discussed (OK, I discussed — you listened. But work with me here, people) the crop of 2007 holiday catalogs that crossed my doorstep.

This time we're going to delve into my e-mail inbox to see which marketers rated a clickthrough — and possibly a sale — and which hit the delete bin quicker than last year's fruitcake.

The following is a small — very small — sample of the e-mails I received in the 10 days surrounding Cyber Monday, a prime time to get shoppers' attention.

(Soapbox time: I should note that if I hadn't been writing for a marketing magazine, I never would have taken a second look at several of the messages I clicked through on for this column. The glut in my inbox was tremendous — some marketers were e-mailing daily. Folks, even if I've purchased from you, please — for the good of your lists — think about how often you're contacting your customers. A lot of you — and you know who you are — are becoming the boy who cried sale one time too many. Now back to our regularly scheduled column.)

First up was GourmetFoodMall.com, which sent a message featuring an attractive picture of an elegant holiday table. “The holiday party season is upon us. This year impress your guests with gourmet delights from GourmetFoodMall. Click here to shop now,” the message began. More copy and contact info followed, but overall? It was kind of a snooze. There was nothing to coax me to click through.

One of the mall's merchants, Scottish Gourmet USA, fared better. Their e-mail invited shoppers to “Share the Taste of Scotland” with families or co-workers. It featured not only pricey gift hampers and savory treats, but a special on fudge to lure more price-conscious shoppers — an apt offer, considering the fabled thriftiness of the Scots.

Probably the best marketing e-mail I've received in a while was the day-after-Cyber-Monday missive from L.L. Bean. I may sound like a broken record, because I feel like I've sung their praises in these seasonal roundups way too many times. But they're good.

The e-mail began with a plug for an ongoing holiday free-shipping offer, always a draw. Bean's message managed to convey a lot of information and a ton of links without looking overly cluttered. A left-side nav bar directed shoppers to departments while the main body linked to a number of gifts, from kids' slippers to tableware to turtlenecks. If you kept reading, you could link to the extended holiday hours at your closest retail store. Simply put, it was really, really well done.

Lands' End also gets high marks for a much sparser approach. On a bright red background in white text, their Cyber Monday e-mail served as a simple reminder that it was the last day for free shipping and a free $20 voucher for my next order of $100 or more. It was quick, to the point and very effective.

In December's column I took J. Jill to task for a print catalog promotion I felt missed the mark. So it's only fair that this month I give them the thumbs-up for a nifty e-mail sent late in the day on Cyber Monday. The women's clothing retailer offered recipients a 25% discount reserved for “friends and family.” A promo code was given for online or phone orders. To use the offer in stores, customers had to print out the e-mail and fill in their contact information, including whether they'd like to opt in for online or offline communications. It was a neat way to encourage sales and list growth.

Finally, ever since I signed up for their newsletter on a whim, I've been treated to regular e-mails from WilliamShatner.com. One communication they beamed up offered “Free Spplat Attack Cards With Every Order of $10 or More WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!”

Now, I have never ordered from this site. Nor do I have any idea what a Spplat Attack card is. But the very commanding photo of Capt. James T. Kirk next to the headline made me want these “9 RARE promotional cards” bad. Very bad.

I scanned down the rest of the e-mail and saw an interesting mix of editorial content and offers, all of which mixed nicely to draw visitors to the site — where they may or may not have boldly gone before.