Click rate is considered one of the most important email marketing metrics. It represents how well you're doing in terms of engagement rates. If you are trying to understand how click rates and email marketing performance are measured, what an average email click rate is, and how you can increase the click rate and maximize engagement, this guide is for you.
What is click rate in email marketing?
Click rate is the proportion of recipients interacting with your email by clicking hyperlinks, call-to-action buttons (CTAs), or images embedded within its content. The primary objective of this metric is to assess the campaign's engagement.
The simple formula for click rate is:
As the click rate represents the percentage of subscribers who engage with your email through clicks, it serves as a valuable indicator of the ongoing level of interest your audience holds in your email content.
What is average email click rate in email marketing?
According to the DMA email benchmark report 2021, the average email click rate was 2.3% in 2020. The range of click rates reported was from 0.8% to 3.8%. This shows that the average email click rate has dipped over 3 years.
The average email click rate can vary widely depending on the industry, the type of email, and the target audience. We have compiled a table below that presents the email click rate across various industries.
| Industry | Click Rate |
|---|---|
| Overall Average | 2.03% |
| Child Care Services | 3.11% |
| Faith-Based Organizations | 2.55% |
| Nonprofit Membership Organizations | 2.96% |
| Home & Building Services | 2.46% |
| Education | 2.78% |
| Recreation, Sports & Entertainment | 1.21% |
| Repair and Maintenance | 0.86% |
| Technology Services | 2.87% |
| Manufacturing and Distribution | 2.76% |
Source: Constant Contact, August 2024
How to improve average email click rate
If you have an average email click rate lower than the industry benchmarks, you might wonder what steps to take to pump up your email performance. Fortunately, you can implement a few strategies to improve your click rate and get the best results:
1. Include a clear call to action
CTAs are the ultimate magnets to increase your click rate. When your CTA or click button is clear enough, the user will not have difficulty understanding where to go or take an action. Keep your CTAs brief and actionable. Also, you might want to keep it on the top of the email so it's the first thing that the potential customers are going to see.
You can also read our guide on email CTAs to understand the button designs and tips to design a winning CTA for your email campaign.
2. Test your emails
It's always a good idea to test your emails to know what is working and what's not. You can try A/B testing and experiment with elements like email subject line length, CTAs, visuals, and relevant content to identify what resonates best with your target audience. A/B testing is the best way to refine your approach over time and gain valuable insights.
Learn the intricacies of A/B testing in Mailmodo through comprehensive learning.
3. Craft compelling subject lines and preheader text
Your open and email click rate depends on your subject lines and preheader text. You need to make it relevant, and attractive enough to make the user open the email and tap on that CTA.
4. Optimize for mobile
According to the Campaign Monitor’s email trends report, 81% of all the emails sent are read on mobile devices, so it's super important for email marketers to send emails that are optimized for mobile. With an email marketing platform like Mailmodo, you can create, audit, and optimize your email templates. Learn more about email responsiveness here.
5. Personalize your emails
Personalizing emails is not just about personalizing the first name and gender. It has transformed. Nowadays, marketing analytics and AI lets us dig into something much more important – how users behave. Behavioral data is always changing. It's collected when users do things like make purchases. This can help you send emails at the right time and say the right thing, making your user tap on the link and thereby improving conversion rates.
Takeaway
The average email click rate as of August 2024 is 2.03% and stands within the range of 0.8% to 3.8% across various industries. To drive better results and achieve email marketing success, you can implement steps like personalization, A/B testing, mobile optimization, and content improvement.
