There’s only one way of assessing the overall success of an email marketing campaign and that is by the return on investment. It’s the only metric that matters. However, you need to concentrate on the details rather than go for changes to the total. 

The function of a marketing email is to get your subscribers to click through to a landing page. If they don’t, then all your effort is for nothing. The rate alone does not define whether you are performing well. Initially, just view it as a baseline.

Many companies want to know what the click-through rate from their competitors is but this is of limited value. In fact, it could give a sense of false security as if yours is a little higher you might think you’ve cracked it when, in fact, it is irrelevant as there are too many variables. What is good for them might be dreadful for your specifics. Enjoy the sense of freedom ignoring others gives you.

If a subscriber does not click through then there’s a reason. You must find out what this is. If they’ve opened it then ignore all other aspects of the email. Just need to test the remaining variables.

Try the simple things first. Change the voice for instance. If you’ve included phrases such as ‘limited time’ and ‘last chance’, then opt for a more relaxed tone. Although received wisdom is that ‘Now!’ works all the time, there are no certainties in email marketing. Try encouraging rather than directing. Offer a trial if you can. Ask yourself and them what have you got to lose.

In the same way ‘New’ has a certain attraction for many. Who wouldn’t want to have ‘the latest’? Actually, someone who would prefer ‘tried and tested’ or ‘well developed’. We’re not all the same. 

Have you chosen the right subscribers? If those selected for your segregated email marketing list under a specific metric were less likely to click through, then consider moving them to a different list. It is pointless designing a fabulous marketing email if you fail to offer it to those who will respond the best. 

You might pour over your returns from the email marketing campaign only to be disappointed that your test list gave just a 0.9% improvement in CTR. You might think that you’ve wasted all that time for little return. You would be wrong. 

There are many variables in a marketing email that you can and should test. If you get a 0.9% increase on only five, that’s an improvement of over 4.5%. 

You can go through each individual aspect of a campaign, in the same way, just picking different cut off points. There’s the completion rate. Ignore everything up to the landing page. Look for a change that will make more subscribers buy. 

Lastly, test and test again. The measure of the quality of the marketing email is the click-through rate. You need to test to see what will increase it. The rates of competitors don’t matter. What you must do is test to improve yours.