What is Open Rate and what does the CTOR metric say?

In email marketing, it is no longer enough to simply send a message. The key to campaign effectiveness lies in skillful data analysis. Among the most commonly monitored metrics are open rate and click-to-open rate (CTOR), both of which provide valuable information about how recipients are responding to your messages and what can be done to increase their engagement.

Table of Contents

• Open Rate - what does open rate mean?
• CTOR - when does a click really matter
• How to improve Open Rate and CTOR?
• Open Rate and CTOR - your campaign advisors

Open Rate - what does open rate mean?

Open rate is the percentage of recipients who opened a message relative to the number of successfully delivered emails. It's a basic metric for evaluating the effectiveness of the subject line and preheader - the elements that determine whether the recipient will even look at the content.

Example: if 200 out of 1000 emails sent are opened, the open rate is 20%.

Read also: Customer communication - how modern technologies help build relationships and increase engagement?

A good open rate - meaning what kind of open rate?

There is no universal threshold that can be considered a "good result." It all depends on the industry, the nature of the mailing base or the type of campaign. However, it is assumed that the average varies between 15% and 25%. A score above 25% is a very good signal, while a score below 15% may suggest the need to change the strategy - such as the subject of the message, the hours of sending or segmentation of the recipients.

CTOR - when a click really matters

Click-to-open rate (CTOR) shows what percentage of people who opened an email clicked on the links in it. In simple terms, it evaluates how engaging the content turned out to be after the message was opened.

What does the CTOR indicator tell us?

A high open rate may mean that the subject line attracted attention, but it is the CTOR that shows whether the email actually prompted action. A low click-through rate among those who opened the message could suggest a problem with the content, layout or an unreadable CTA. That's why CTOR is considered a metric of content quality - and worth tracking regularly.

Check also: CRO marketing - how to effectively increase conversions?

How to improve Open Rate and CTOR?

Here are some proven ways to make your email campaigns perform better:

• Personalize the subject line of the message - the more it hits the recipient's needs, the more likely they are to open it.
• Test different variations - A/B testing helps you see what works best for your target audience.
• Ensure clear content and visible CTAs - simple messages and clear buttons increase the chance of a click.

Open Rate and CTOR - your campaign advisors

Open rate and CTOR are two pillars of effective email marketing. The first tells you if the recipient was interested, the second tells you if they took action. Regular analysis of these metrics is not just a technical "ticking off of results," but more importantly a way to better understand the recipient and more relevant promotional activities.