What is an open rate?

The open rate is a measure of how many people on an email list open (or view) a particular email newsletter or campaign. The open rate is normally expressed as a percentage, calculated as:

So a 40% open rate would mean that of every 10 emails delivered to the inbox, 4 were actually opened.

How do you measure an open?

Recording an ‘open’ can only happen if the reader's email client is capable of displaying html. So if you are sending text-only emails, there is no way to record open rates (the exception is if they actually click a link). Similarly, people reading your html email without images showing will not be recorded as opens.

Another issue is that your readers may have a preview pane in their email client. That preview pane might be displaying your email automatically (and therefore downloading the images) without the reader ever having to click on it or read it.

So you should never take your open rate as a hard and fast number, it is much better used as general guide, and as a way of measuring the trends on your email campaigns.

What is a typical open rate?

Really, there is no typical open rate. The rate obtained for any list, or group of lists, will depend on how it was measured, when it was sent, the size of the list and many other potential variables. There is no shortage of benchmark numbers out there, but even between benchmark figures you will find big variations in the reported open rates.

So instead of giving a specific percentage, here are some typical open rates:

• As list size goes up, the open rate tends to fall; possibly because smaller companies are more likely to have personal relationships with their list subscribers.
• Companies and organizations that are focusing on enthusiasts and supporters, like churches, sport teams, and nonprofits, see higher open rates.
• More specific niche topics, like some manufacturing areas, also typically have higher open rates than emails on broader topics.

Based on the other research out there, here is a general guide:

If you are getting anywhere close to 30 - 40%, you are in the normal range of open rates.

Very few lists of reasonable size are getting much above 50% open rates from normal campaigns. Your list may have some specific factors that give you higher rates, and very well done if this is the case. But you shouldn't expect 80% open rates.

Keep this in mind, whether snail-mail or email inboxes, people are busy; mail boxes and inboxes are full and the measurements for emails, far beyond what could have been done in the past with direct mail, are still limited. Much discussion will be made on just how researchers measure this rate.

How can I increase my open rate?

There are many elements you can vary to try to entice more of your subscribers to open up your emails. Here are just a few things you could try:

• Experiment with your subject lines: Try including details about the content of the email in the subject line, instead of using your standard subject.
• Send on a different day: Are your subscribers too busy on a Wednesday morning to read your email, leaving it languishing way down the inbox? Maybe a Friday afternoon email would be welcomed, or switch it the other way around, earlier in the week. Deciding on a specific day of the week may depend a lot on what your email newsletter is about – a regular news update, an upcoming event, a product annoucment, a retail promotion, or a workgroup or service message.
• Get the important content up to the top: remember that many people will see a preview of your email before deciding to open it or ignore it. Make sure your email is recognizable, and that your key points are in the top third.