What is email click rate?
Email click rate is the number of unique clicks divided by the total number of delivered emails.
How click rate is calculated
If you sent an email to 1,000 recipients:
- 965 emails were delivered
- 35 emails bounced
- 50 unique clicks
The click rate is 50 / 965 = 5%
The average email click rate is 2-5 percent
The industry average for email click rates is about 2 percent to 5 percent.
If you are above 2 percent, you are doing well. But if you are below 2 percent, consider reviewing your emails and the strategies in this article to understand why your click rate is below average.
In addition to click rates, you also should understand click-to-open rates (CTOR), which typically have a much higher percentage and better represent engagement.
Click rate or click-to-open rate
- The email click rate is the number of unique people that have clicked your email divided by the number of emails you sent.
- The click-to-open rate is the number of unique people that have clicked your email divided by the number of opened emails.
The following are six tips that you can use to increase both email click rates and click-to-open rates.
First, optimize your email open rate
Before you can increase your email click rates, you need to get your emails delivered to the inbox and opened.
Email open rate checklist
- Avoiding the junk folder
- Optimizing email subject lines
- Using personalization in your email
- A/B testing
- and more
There is some technical setup required here: DKIM, SPF and more. And these are table stakes, so don’t skip over them, or you’ll never get to the inbox.
Now that your email is opened, let’s increase the email click rate!
Segment your audience
Segmenting your audience ensures that the right people receive the right message. A segment, also called a list, is a group of customers that share demographics, purchase history, or engagement level.
Segmentation example
Let’s say your business is a women’s fitness gym. You’ve got a new class, “Advanced Yoga,” that you are excited to share with your members and prospects.
Using your customers’ data, you identify:
- Members who are female, have previously taken a yoga class, or have identified and are interested in Yoga.
- New, prospective members who have never taken a class at your gym.
- Finally, all your other gym members and prospects.
Which audience is most likely going to open and click your email? Maybe all three!
Each group is a separate segment, and the email marketing content uniquely focuses on that segment’s needs.
For example, members who have previously taken Yoga should receive an email dedicated to the topic. Then, all your other gym members can learn about the new advanced class as an update in your newsletter.
Segmentation simply allows you to target the audience that is most receptive to your message. And, a highly targeted audience will click your emails and increase your email click rate.
Use a clear and specific call-to-action
Your call-to-action (CTA) should stand out and clearly state the desired action.
Related to the above examples from segmenting your audience, each email may have a unique CTA.
Unique call-to-action examples
- Members segmented based on interest: “Sign up for our Advanced Yoga class!”
- Non-engagement members: “Learn about our new Advanced Yoga class!”
The call-to-action in both cases is attempting to target where the customer is.
Use action-oriented language and position the CTA prominently within the email. Experiment with color and placement to see what drives the most clicks.
For example, “Click here” is a terrible CTA. Whereas “Sign up now” is a much stronger CTA.
And, make sure your CTA is positioned towards the top of your email. Ideally, “above the fold,” which simply means that the CTA is visible without requiring the user to scroll.
Design mobile-friendly emails
These days, a significant portion of email opens occurs on mobile devices.
Ensure your emails are responsive and easy to read on various screen sizes. This seamless experience encourages more clicks.
Dive deeper: Six reasons why mobile optimization matters to your business
Content and visuals matter
Deliver content that’s valuable, relevant, and useful to your subscribers. Whether that means informative articles, exclusive offers, or helpful tips, offering value builds trust and encourages clicks.
Also, incorporate visually appealing elements, such as images, infographics, and videos. Visual content breaks up the text and captures readers’ attention, making them more likely to explore further.
Read more: Six ways visuals can increase your email conversions
Optimize email send times
Experiment with different send times to determine when your audience is most active and responsive. The right timing increases the likelihood of your email being noticed and clicked on.
In conclusion
Regularly conduct A/B tests on various elements of your emails, such as subject lines, CTAs, images, and content placement.
Analyze the results to refine your strategies and uncover what resonates best with your audience.
