What is a good email click-through rate (CTR)?

A good click-through rate (CTR) typically falls between 2-5%, though this can vary significantly by industry. Benchmarking against your industry average can provide a clearer picture of your performance. The goal is continuous improvement, aiming to optimize your emails to exceed your current CTR.

Why is mobile optimization important for click rates?

Mobile optimization is crucial because a large percentage of emails are opened on mobile devices. If your email doesn't render well on smaller screens, recipients will likely delete it without clicking. Ensuring responsive design and easily tappable buttons improves the user experience and increases the likelihood of clicks.

My email open rates are high, but click rates are low. What should I do?

If your open rates are high but click rates are low, it often indicates a disconnect between your subject line (which got the open) and the email's content or call to action. The content might not be relevant, the offer might be unclear, or the CTA isn't prominent enough. Focus on improving content relevance, simplifying your message, and making your CTA compelling and easy to find. See our guide on improving CTR with consistent open rates .

How does A/B testing help improve email click rates?

A/B testing allows you to compare different versions of your email to see which performs better. You can test elements like subject lines, preheader text, CTA copy, button color, image placement, and even email layout. By systematically testing, you gain data-backed insights into what resonates most with your audience, leading to continuous improvement in your click rates.

How does sender reputation affect email click rates?

While not directly impacting clicks, poor sender reputation can lead to your emails landing in spam folders or being blocklisted (or blacklisted). Emails in spam cannot be opened or clicked. Therefore, maintaining a strong sender reputation is foundational to ensuring your emails reach the inbox, which is the first step towards getting clicks. Learn more about understanding your email domain reputation .

What are the best practices for improving email click rates? - Content - Email deliverability - Knowledge base

Email click rates are a crucial metric for understanding the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns. A high click-through rate (CTR) indicates that your subscribers find your content engaging and relevant enough to take the next step, whether that's visiting your website, making a purchase, or learning more about an offer. Conversely, low click rates suggest that your emails might not be resonating with your audience, leading to missed opportunities and potentially impacting your sender reputation over time.

Improving your click rates isn't just about getting more traffic. It's about building a healthier, more engaged subscriber list that values your communications. When subscribers consistently interact with your emails, it signals to internet service providers (ISPs) like

Gmail

Outlook and

Yahoo that your emails are welcome, which in turn can boost your overall email deliverability. So, how do you go about achieving higher click rates? It starts with a strategic approach to your email content, design, and audience targeting.

Let's explore some of the most effective practices.

Target your audience with precision

One of the most impactful ways to improve click rates is by ensuring your emails are highly relevant to each recipient. This is where audience segmentation and personalization become invaluable.

Sending generic emails to your entire list can quickly lead to disengagement. Instead, divide your subscribers into smaller groups based on demographics, purchase history, engagement levels, interests, or other relevant data points. For example, a customer who frequently buys pet supplies should receive emails about new pet products, not baby clothes.

Beyond segmentation, personalize the content itself. This can range from using the recipient's name in the subject line or greeting to dynamically inserting product recommendations based on their browsing history. A personalized experience makes the recipient feel seen and understood, increasing their likelihood of clicking. OptinMonster highlights that highly targeted audience segmentation is key to improving CTR.

Generic campaigns

One-size-fits-all content: Sends the same message to everyone.
Lower engagement: Irrelevant content leads to fewer clicks.
Risk of spam complaints: Disinterested recipients may mark emails as spam.

Segmented and personalized campaigns

Tailored content: Messages align with specific interests or behaviors.
Higher CTR: Recipients are more likely to click on relevant offers.
Improved sender reputation: Positive engagement signals trust to ISPs.

Compelling subject lines and preheader text

The subject line and preheader text are your email's first impression, and they play a critical role in whether your email gets opened. More importantly, they set the expectation for what's inside, influencing whether a recipient will click after opening.

A good subject line is compelling, concise, and accurately reflects the email's content. Misleading subject lines might get an open, but they will almost certainly lead to a low click rate and, over time, increased unsubscribes or spam complaints. Similarly, the preheader text, which appears next to or below the subject line in the inbox, offers a valuable opportunity to expand on your subject line and entice recipients further. Use it to provide a sneak peek into the email's value.

Consider incorporating elements that create curiosity, urgency, or highlight a direct benefit. Emojis, when used appropriately and sparingly, can also help your email stand out. However, always test different subject lines and preheaders to see what resonates best with your specific audience. A/B testing can provide valuable insights into what drives both opens and clicks.

Crafting effective subject lines

Clarity: Clearly state the email's purpose or benefit.
Conciseness: Keep it short enough to be readable on mobile devices.
Personalization: Use recipient's name or relevant data points.
Value Proposition: Highlight what the reader will gain from opening.

Example subject lines

Good: Exclusive Offer for [Name]: Save 20% Today!
Bad: Important Update

Clear calls to action and email design

Once your email is open, the design and structure heavily influence whether a user clicks. Your email content should be concise and focused, with a clear call to action (CTA).

Avoid overwhelming recipients with too much text or too many options. Focus on one primary message and one compelling CTA. This CTA should be visually prominent, use action-oriented language, and clearly indicate what will happen when clicked. Placing it above the fold (visible without scrolling) is often a best practice.

Email design also plays a crucial role. Ensure your emails are mobile-responsive, as a significant portion of opens happen on mobile devices. Use high-quality, relevant images that enhance the message without increasing file sizes excessively, which can impact loading times and deliverability. You can learn more about email image file sizes here. Consider using button CTAs for better visibility and clickability, and always make sure your links are properly tracked to monitor performance.

Don't forget to incorporate social proof or testimonials where relevant, as they can significantly boost trust and encourage clicks.

Call to action guidelines

Singular Focus: Have one main CTA per email to avoid confusion.
Placement: Position the CTA prominently, ideally above the fold.
Action-Oriented Text: Use verbs like "Shop Now," "Learn More," or "Download Here."
Visual Prominence: Use contrasting colors, ample white space, and button styling.

Continuous optimization and list hygiene

While optimizing individual emails is important, a holistic approach to your email program will yield the best long-term results. This involves maintaining a healthy email list and continually testing your strategies.

Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive or invalid addresses. Sending to an unengaged list not only inflates your metrics artificially but can also harm your sender reputation, making it harder to reach the inbox. Implement sunsetting policies for subscribers who haven't engaged in a long time. You can also explore resending to non-openers as a tactic, but ensure it's done strategically.

Furthermore, continuous testing is essential. A/B test subject lines, CTA copy, email layouts, images, and even send times. What works for one audience or campaign might not work for another. Analyze your data beyond just opens and clicks, looking at conversions and overall ROI to truly understand the impact of your efforts. When you see declines in click rates, a systematic approach to diagnosis and improvement is needed.

Email deliverability is also a foundational element. If your emails aren't reaching the inbox, they can't be clicked. Ensure you're following best practices for avoiding spam filters, like maintaining a good sender reputation and properly authenticating your domain.

Factor	Impact on Click Rate
Relevance	Highly personalized and segmented content directly correlates with higher clicks.
Subject line & Preheader	Entices opens and sets accurate expectations for clicks.
Clear CTA	Guides the recipient to the desired action with clear instruction.
Mobile Optimization	Ensures emails render correctly across devices, preventing frustration.
Deliverability	Emails must reach the inbox to be opened and clicked. Poor deliverability means no clicks.

Views from the trenches

Best practices

Focus on sending emails that your audience genuinely wants to receive and click.

Segment your audience precisely and tailor content to their specific interests and behaviors.

Ensure your call to action is explicitly clear, relevant, and easy to find.

Continuously test different elements of your emails to identify what drives clicks for your audience.

Common pitfalls

Sending the same generic email to your entire list, leading to low relevance and engagement.

Using misleading subject lines that may increase opens but result in low or no clicks.

Cluttering emails with too much content or too many calls to action, causing confusion.

Neglecting mobile optimization, making emails difficult to read and interact with on smartphones.

Expert tips

Measure beyond clicks, focusing on the ultimate ROI to ensure your campaigns are profitable.

Implement sunsetting policies for unengaged users to maintain a healthy and responsive list.

Analyze marketing and sales data comprehensively to refine campaign targeting and content.

Ensure your email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are correctly configured.

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks says: The core of improving click rates comes down to sending mail that people genuinely want to receive, to recipients who desire it, with content that naturally leads them to click through.

2021-01-11 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks says: A clear indication of where to click and why is essential for guiding recipients to the desired action.

2021-01-11 - Email Geeks

The path to higher email engagement

Improving your email click rates is an ongoing process that requires a multi-faceted approach. By focusing on relevance through segmentation and personalization, crafting compelling and honest subject lines, designing emails with clear and prominent calls to action, and continually testing and optimizing your strategies, you can significantly boost engagement.

Remember, a higher click rate not only drives more traffic and conversions but also strengthens your sender reputation, ensuring your valuable messages consistently reach your subscribers' inboxes. Prioritizing these best practices will lead to more effective email campaigns and a healthier email program overall.