How Email Tracking Metrics are Calculated

Open Rate (%)

To calculate the open rate, the number of unique opens is divided by the number of emails sent. The result is multiplied by 100%.

Example:

You sent the email to 4 people. You got 3 unique opens. Your open rate is:

3/4 = 0.75
0.75 x 100% = 75%

How you can improve your email open rate:

Re-phrase subject line to grab the recipients' attention and entice them to open your emails;
Send your messages on a different day, or at a different time of the day;
Change your "From" field. Instead of using your email address, consider using your name or your company's name in order the recipients could easily recognize the sender.

Here you can find more tips on how to improve your email open rate

Trick: The opens are tracked using a small transparent image in the email code. But many email clients block the images by default. If your email message contains some pictures, for example, pictures of the products, goods you're selling or the like, it is a good incentive for the recipient to click on the link and download the images. The open will be counted in this case. But what if your email doesn't contain any images besides the tracking one? Why will the recipient download any pictures if the email doesn't contain them? Therefore, you can insert your photo near your signature at the end of the message. As the alternative text for the photo you can write something like "My Photo". It won't arouse any suspicion with the recipient and there is a chance the recipient will download the photo to see you. The tracking image will be loaded together with your photo and the open will be counted.

Click-Through Rate (%)

To calculate the click-through rate, the number of unique clicks is divided by the number of emails sent. The result is multiplied by 100%.

Example:

You sent the email to 4 people. You got 3 unique clicks. Your click-through rate is:

3/4 = 0.75
0.75 x 100% = 75%

How you can improve your click-through rate:

Change the location of the links in your message (place them higher, lower, left, right, centered);
Change the anchor text of your links to drive people to click on them;
In HTML messages, try different text sizes and colors for your links.

Click-to-Open Rate (%)

Click-to-Open Rate (CTOR) is the ratio of unique clicks as a percentage of unique opens. The CTOR measures how effective your email message was in motivating recipients who opened it, to then click a link. In other words, the click-to-open rate expresses the measure of click-through rates as a percentage of messages opened, instead of messages delivered.

To calculate the click-to-open rate, the number of unique clicks is divided by the number of unique opens. The result is multiplied by 100%.

Example:

You sent the email to 4 people. You got 3 unique clicks and 3 unique opens. Your click-to-open rate is:

3/3 = 1
1 x 100% = 100%

ROE Opens

ROE Opens (rate of engagement (opens)) is the ratio of unique opens to the total number of opens. ROE Opens measures how engaging your email is and how your recipients value the content of the letter. The ratio is based on repeated opens that show the fact of opening the email by the recipient more than one time, or forwarding it to others.

To calculate ROE Opens, the total number of opens is divided by the number of unique opens. The greater ROE Opens, the bigger interest of the recipients in your email.

ROE Clicks

ROE Clicks (rate of engagement (clicks)) is the ratio of unique clicks to the total number of clicks. ROE Clicks measures how engaging your offer is and how your recipients value it. The ratio is based on repeated clicks that show the fact of clicking the link inside the email by the recipient more than one time or the fact of clicking the same link by other people if the email was forwarded to others by the original recipient.

To calculate ROE Clicks, the total number of clicks is divided by the number of unique clicks.

Tags: click-through rate, click-to-open rate, Email metrics, Email Tracking, open rate, track email clicks, track email opens