Posted by An Email open rate is crucial in today’s business environment where the significance of email marketing is universally acknowledged. However, it is surprising that many businesses still turn a blind eye to this vital aspect of their marketing strategy.
This blog will not only guide you in knowing what email open rate is but also tells you what is the average, below or good email open rate? Along with this, this guild covers different ways to grow your email open rate and tips to help you reach out to your potential individuals and get their attention.
What Is Email Open Rate? How Is It Calculated?
It is a measure that indicates the effectiveness of your email marketing campaign. It basically shows you how many emails you have sent are opened by your target audience. Analyzing this rate will certainly help you know how well your emails are performing.
To calculate the email open rate, you follow a simple formula:
Email open rate = (the number of emails opened /total email sent-emails that bounced) x 100
Note: When considering the number of emails sent, you must exclude the number of bounced emails. A bounced email is an email that a mail server rejects. Email bounces occur due to several reasons.
For instance, let’s assume you have sent 5000 emails and 1000 of them bounced back. Now, you are left with 4000 emails that successfully reached inboxes. If 2000 emails are opened, then in the final analysis, your email open rate would be :
Email Open Rate : (2000/5000-1000) x 100 =50%
- Number of Emails Opened: The number of emails your target audience has opened.
- Total Emails Sent: This is the number of emails you have sent via your email marketing campaign.
- Emails that bounced : Emails that never reached an individual’s inbox.
This percentage shows the overall performance of your email marketing efforts. A higher open rate generally indicates more impactful email content or subject line.
What is the Average Email Open Rate?
It can differ from industry to industry, depends on the audience type and mainly how the email marketing campaign is managed. Generally, the average rate for all email campaigns ranges from around 15% to 25%. This clearly says that for every 100 emails sent, 15 or 25 emails are seen by recipients. Different industries may have different open rates.
The statistics below mention the average email open rates for different industries in March 2024.
Industry |
Open Rate |
| All Industries – Overall Average | 37.72% |
| Administrative & Business Support Services (billing, phone answering, hiring, etc.) | 32.07% |
| Child Care Services | 51.19% |
| Consulting Services (management, marketing, advertising, blogging) | 32.31% |
| Dining and Food Services | 35.05% |
| Education | 41.56% |
| Faith-Based Organizations | 42.74% |
| Family and Social Services (government, adoption, pet care, elderly care, etc.) | 43.70% |
| Financial Services (accounting services, bookkeeping, advisor, insurance and brokerage, etc) | 26.46% |
| Health and Wellness (physicians, home care, dentists, mental care, nutrition, etc.) | 41.20% |
| Home & Building Services (cleaning, landscaping, contractors, construction, etc.) | 41.21% |
| Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers | 42.63% |
| Legal Services | 36.96% |
| Manufacturing and Distribution | 32.53% |
| Nonprofit Membership Organizations | 43.07% |
| Nonprofit Services | 42.80% |
| Personal Care Services (nail, hair, skin, nutrition, fitness, etc) | 39.49% |
| Real Estate | 36.00% |
| Recreation, Sports & Entertainment (Yoga studio, bowling alley, etc) | 42.15% |
| Repair and Maintenance | 28.95% |
| Retail (Brick and Mortar & Online, wholesale and direct selling) | 35.65% |
| Technology Services | 24.28% |
| Transportation Services (trucking, warehousing, logistics) | 34.85% |
| Travel & Tourism (passenger transport, accommodations, travel agencies, etc.) | 40.02% |
Why do you have a poor email open rate?
1. Inappropriate Subject Line:
A subject line that is either less engaging or irrelevant is more likely to fail to secure the recipient’s attention. As a result, this leads to lower open rates.
2. Lack of Personalization:
If you do not address recipients by name or if your content is not related to them, they are less likely to open your emails.
3. Email Frequency:
If you send too many emails, it can overwhelm them. On the other hand, sending too few can make them forget your brand. It is always good to send emails from time to time when necessary.
4. Spam Filters:
If your emails trigger a spam filter, it might eventually not make it to the user’s inbox. As a result, it can really lower the chances that your emails will be opened.
5. Mobile Unfriendliness:
If emails are not easy enough to read on phones or tablets then, many users who use cell phones for email might not open your emails.
Tips to have a good email open rate :
1. First Impression Matter:
The Subject line creates the first impression. Users see the subject line before they read your content. It should be well-engaged, effective and more relevant to users. If the subject line fails to grab attention, the recipient may overlook or delete it.
2. Clean Up Your Email Lists:
Cleaning up your email lists from time to time may help you rise your open rates by removing inactive subscribers, improving deliverability and increasing engagement measures. A clean email list means that you are sending emails to the users who are active and may take interest in your content. It not only improves your sender’s reputation but also reduces the risks of your emails being marked as spam.
3. Optimize Send Times:
your email sending time has a crucial role in your email open rate. Experiment with different sending times to find when your audience is more active to engage. For example, B2C emails might perform well on weekends or holidays, while B2B emails might witness higher engagement during evenings and weekdays.
4. Use A/B Testing :
Try using A/B testing, also known as split testing. At first, you make two different versions of your email and then change its content, subject line or what you ask your audience to do. Secondly, sending these versions to a small group to test which version works better. Finally, use the better version for your entire email list.
5. Update Your Content Regularly :
It is important to keep your content fresh and valuable to users. Moreover, try to include interesting articles, blogs, offers or promotions to keep subscribers engaged. If your emails consistently offer new, useful, and enjoyable content, you are likely to have a better email open rate.
Read: Boost Your Email Open Rates with a Free Email Checker Online
In Summary,
Finally, consider these rules to get a good email open rate.
- The email open rate is measured by how many emails users open.
- It varies from industry to industry. However, the average open rate is 15%-25%.
- It plays a crucial role in email marketing efforts.
- Keep your content more relevant, engaging, and updated so users can open your emails whenever you send them.
- Clean up your email lists before each email marketing campaign. That helps you raise your open rates.
FAQs About Email Open Rate
1. What is the Email Open Rate?
Email open rate is the percentage of recipients who open a specific email out of your total number of recipients.
2. What factors impact email open rate?
Various factors, including the quality of the email lists, the sender’s reputation, the timing of sending emails, and the subject line of an email, can affect your email open rate. Ensure that these elements are taken care of periodically.
3. What is a good email open rate in 2024?
It varies from industry to industry. However, in general terms, open rates ranging from 15% to 25% are considered healthy. Industries like non-profit and educational institutions have higher email open rates. On the other hand, retail and e-commerce businesses tend to have lower email open rates due to the high volume of traffic.
4. How important is mobile optimization for emails?
It is crucial as most of the users access their email via mobile devices. There are various ways to improve mobile friendliness, such as concise content, responsive design, good user experience and so on.