When it comes to email, there are many ways of measuring performance. One of the traditional metrics used by most marketers is the click-through rate (CTR). The click-through rate tells you how many people clicked on a link within your email communication. It is calculated by taking the total number of email clicks divided by the total number of email sends and then multiplying by 100 to get a percentage.

The click-through rate can indicate the type of content that resonates best with your audience and content that does not. It can also be a great indicator of a lack of click-through opportunities within your email communication. Offering many ways for your audience to engage is vitally important to eliciting action. Therefore, we recommend incorporating various unique calls to action within each email. Perhaps you have posted a brand-new blog post to your website and are looking to drive your email audience to check it out. You will want to incorporate a few different click-through options for readers, including things such as hyperlinked imagery, CTA buttons, and even hyperlinked copy within the body of your email. This will provide ample opportunities for your audience to engage.

The more creative the content, the better. It’s great to offer a blog post but remember there are many options available to you as a marketer. Perhaps your audience would like to see more images and galleries or case studies. Maybe there’s a unique tool or calculator you can provide as a service. And, incentives for enter-to-win sweeps, or claiming your discount are always trusty partners for generating a click-through.

What is considered a good email CTR?

Defining a single good click-through rate can be difficult, as it will fluctuate depending upon the industry. A good industry average can be anywhere from 1.4% all the way up to 5.01%, with an overall “good” CTR average at 2.62% as told by Mailchimp. The higher the click-through rate the better, as it provides proof that what you are providing to your email audience is enticing enough for them to continue to engage with you.

How to improve email CTR:

Improving email click-through rates is not always as simple as adding more opportunities for your audience to click on. While that is an important thing to keep in mind, click-through rate is highly dependent upon the value your audience places on your content.

Providing content that is highly personalized and relevant to your audience will be the highest driver of increased click-through rates. Accurately identifying and understanding the needs of your audience is essential in providing them with content that resonates with them. If your audience does not find value in the content you are sharing, they will have no reason to further engage, resulting in lower open rates, followed by lower click-through rates and increased unsubscribes.

Is CTR the top metric for email performance?

While a strong click-through rate does suggest your email content strategy is working, it is good to remember that it is not the sole indicator of email performance. Utilizing the behavioral data of your audience upon reaching your website, will also help to provide some assurance of email success. Does your audience immediately bounce off the site upon clicking through, or are they spending minutes on the site and perusing several pages? Both outcomes provide distinct levels of success for your email efforts, so be sure to have a well-rounded measurement strategy to ensure you are getting a full picture of performance.

Need help optimizing your click-through rate? Contact one of wedü’s marketing experts today!