10 Email Metrics You Can’t Literally Afford to Ignore

Are your emails getting lost in the clutter? Or are they building connections, inspiring clicks, and driving action?

The difference lies in tracking the right numbers. Your email metrics tell a story. As one of the most powerful channels for business growth, your eCommerce success depends on tracking the right metrics.

By analyzing key data points, you can refine your campaigns and maximize results. Here are the top email marketing metrics you should be monitoring to stay ahead of the competition.

1. Open Rate

Your open rate is the first handshake with your audience. It shows whether your subject lines spark curiosity and if your sender name earns trust. A low open rate is a warning sign that your emails are being ignored before they even have a chance to shine.

Why it matters

A high open rate suggests your emails are capturing attention right from the inbox, while a low open rate indicates potential issues with your subject lines or sender name. If recipients don’t recognize or trust your emails, they’ll likely skip over them or delete them without a second thought.

How to improve

Test the waters with bold, intriguing subject lines to uncover what truly captures your audience’s attention and compels them to click. Personalization takes this a step further, turning generic emails into messages that feel tailor-made, like addressing readers by name or referencing their preferences.

Sending an email at the right moment can mean the difference between an open and a delete, so experiment with different days, times, and even time zones. Finally, segmentation by engagement ensures you’re not wasting effort; re-engage those who’ve gone quiet with tailored campaigns while rewarding your VIP readers with exclusive offers. Together, these strategies ensure your emails stand out and drive meaningful interactions

A/B Test Different Subject Lines

“Last chance: 20% off ends tonight” vs. “Your exclusive 20% discount expires in 3 hours” (Urgency)
“New year, New you: Save 20% on Detox Kits” vs. “Kickstart 2025: New Detox Teas are now here” (Event-based)
“Back in stock! Collagen peptides are 20% off for a limited time” vs. “You’ll love are top-selling greens powder” (Best-sellers)
“The secret to hydrated skin this winter is here” vs. “Glow naturally: Skincare that works with your body” (Informational)
“Get early access to our new yoga course” vs. “Only for you: Look Inside” (Exclusivity)

Use Personalization

“Sarah, your custom workout plan is ready” vs. “New workout plan available”
“David, feel energized all day (tailored vitamin blend)” vs. “Boost your energy (daily vitamin packs)”
Sophia, we’ve found THE solution for dry skin.” vs. “Say goodbye to dry skin with our new hydration formula.”
“Mark, take the first step to a healthier you” vs. “Refresh your body with our best-selling detox solution.”

Optimize Send Times with A/B Test

Test early morning (7 a.m.) vs. midday (12 p.m.) sends.
Compare weekdays like Tuesday vs. Friday.
Analyze weekend engagement patterns.
Try after-work sends (6 p.m.) for professionals.
Target lunch hour (12–1 p.m.) for mid-day attention.
Segment high-engagement vs. dormant subscribers.
Adjust for seasonal habits or holidays.
Schedule follow-ups 24 hours -2 weeks (for example) after the first send.

Segment by Engagement

Re-Engage Inactive Subscribers: Target those inactive for 90+ days with “We miss you!” emails, exclusive offers, or personalized reminders about past activity.
Create VIP Segments: Identify top users based on frequent opens, clicks, or purchases. Offer perks like early access, exclusive discounts, or loyalty rewards.
Moderate Engagement Subscribers: Focus on occasional openers with trending products, personalized recommendations, or curiosity-driven CTAs like “Discover what’s new for you.”
Last Chance for Dormant Users: Before removal, send “Is this goodbye?” emails emphasizing the value they’ll lose, like discounts or updates.
Personalized Offers: Tailor messages to engagement history, e.g., “Upgrade your workout routine: New gear just for you!” for fitness enthusiasts.
Automate Campaigns: Set up drip sequences, e.g., inactive users: Day 1 (“We miss you”), Day 5 (“Special offer”), Day 10 (“Final call”).

Tracking and improving your open rate is essential to the success of your email marketing campaigns. It’s about building trust and sparking interest from the moment your email lands in the inbox. You can increase engagement and make your campaigns more effective by experimenting with:

compelling subject lines
personalizing your messaging
optimizing your send times

Remember, your open rate is the first step toward driving meaningful interactions, so treat it as a foundation for deeper connections with your audience.

2. Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Think of your click-through rate (CTR) as the moment of truth—where interest transforms into action. It’s the digital equivalent of turning heads and making people step through the door, showing just how irresistible your content and call-to-action really are.

Why CTR matters

While open rates reveal how many people saw your email, the CTR reflects how engaging your content is. Strong click-through rates indicate that your calls-to-action (CTAs) and email layout are compelling enough to drive action.

How to improve

Improving your email click-through rate (CTR) is essential for driving engagement and achieving your marketing goals. Here are some strategies to enhance your CTR:

1. Use action-oriented CTAs

Instead of “Click here” use “Start your free trial” or “Shop the collection now”
Instead of “Learn more” use “Get your 25% discount” or “Discover how to boost your energy today”
Instead of “Sign up” use “Join now before spots run out” or “Join the 30-day challenge.”
Instead of “Read more” use “Unlock your tips today”
Instead of “Download now” use “Get your personalized meal plan instantly”

2. Strategic Placement

Above the fold CTA capture attention immediately and encourage action before the reader scrolls. Think of a prominent CTA button below the headline or placed directly under a hero image of the product.

“Start your cleanse today!” or “Glow naturally—shop now.”

2. Secondary CTAs throughout content reinforce the main action and offer multiple opportunities to engage as the reader scrolls. Place a CTA under a benefits section, after a customer story, or below the featured product.

Match the tone of the email so use smaller buttons or hyperlinked text and aim for after key benefits, midway through testimonials, and within product highlights.

3. Final CTA at the bottom provides the last reminder for readers who scroll through the entire email. Include a sense of urgency in the text and pair the CTA with a reminder of the main offer, such as free shipping or a discount.

Avoid overloading with too many CTAs in your email. Stick to 3–4 strategically placed actions that leads to a highly relevant landing page (e.g., directly to a product, not the homepage). A/B test the placement and design to see what works best for your audience.

3. A/B Test Specific Elements

Your click-through rate is vital for engaging your audience and driving meaningful interactions because it measures how effectively your email content and calls-to-action resonate. To optimize your CTR, A/B test what elements drive the most engagement.

Button Design: Test visual styles, such as a bold green button with white text versus an outlined button in your brand color. Observe which design draws more clicks and better aligns with your brand identity.
Button Color: Experiment with contrasting colors like blue versus orange to see which creates more visual impact and motivates action. Ensure accessibility by testing readability and visibility on both desktop and mobile devices.
CTA Text: Swap generic CTAs like “Shop Now” for more action-oriented phrases like “Get Your Discount.” Measure which version better communicates urgency or value to your audience.
Layout Variations: Test single-column layouts (ideal for mobile devices) against two-column designs (which may highlight multiple products or offers). Determine which layout makes your content more scannable and engaging.
Image Size: Compare the effectiveness of a large hero image that grabs attention versus smaller product shots that provide variety. Track which approach encourages more clicks.
Segmented Messaging: Tailor A/B tests to different audience segments. For example, VIP subscribers might respond better to exclusive CTAs like “Early Access for Members”, while re-engagement campaigns could benefit from CTAs like “We Miss You—Come Back Today.”
Link Placement: Test placing links in various locations—within product descriptions, in the middle of the email body, or under images. Identify where users are most likely to click and optimize future campaigns accordingly.

By crafting compelling CTAs, strategically placing them within your emails, and testing design and layout variations, you can guide subscribers toward taking action. Remember, a strong CTR reflects your audience’s interest and sets the stage for conversions, making it a cornerstone of a successful email marketing strategy. With a data-driven approach, you can turn curiosity into clicks and clicks into conversions.

3. Conversion Rate

Your conversion rate is the ultimate scoreboard. It measures the percentage of recipients who didn’t just click but committed, whether that’s making a purchase, signing up for a webinar, or taking the action you intended. It’s the moment your email’s promise turns into results.

Why it matters

This metric is the ultimate indicator of your email campaign’s success. A strong conversion rate proves that your email content, CTAs, and landing pages are aligned to drive the desired action.

How to improve

Ensure your landing pages deliver on the promises made in your email.

1. Match Landing Pages to Email Promises

Email features product → Land directly on product page
Email offers 20% off → Discount auto-applied on landing
Email promises free shipping → Show banner confirming free shipping

2. Reduce Friction

A smooth, hassle-free experience can make all the difference between a completed purchase and an abandoned cart. By identifying and removing points of friction in the customer journey, you create a seamless path that encourages conversions and builds trust.

Key Ways to Reduce Friction:

Remove Unnecessary Form Fields: Only ask for essential information to simplify checkout.
Enable Guest Checkout: Let users complete purchases without creating an account.
Save User Preferences: Store details like shipping addresses and payment methods for faster future checkouts.
One-Click Purchase for Returning Customers: Make repeat purchases effortless by streamlining the process.

Eliminating friction improves the customer experience, driving better results for your campaigns. By focusing on ease and efficiency, you can reduce barriers, increase conversions, and create loyal customers who appreciate how simple it is to shop with you.

Example Conversion Paths

Mapping out clear and effective conversion paths is essential for guiding your audience toward the actions you want them to take. Whether you’re welcoming new subscribers, recovering abandoned carts, or nurturing leads, having structured paths ensures a seamless and purposeful journey from email to conversion.

Welcome Series: Email 1 (10% off) → Product category page → Cart → Purchase.
Abandoned Cart: Reminder at 1 hour → Discount at 24 hours → Final call at 48 hours to create urgency.
Lead Nurture: Whitepaper download → Case study → Demo request → Sales call scheduled.

By aligning your email content with clear landing page promises, reducing barriers to action, and streamlining the customer journey, you can increase conversions and maximize ROI. Your conversion rate is the ultimate measure of your email marketing campaign’s success. It’s about turning those clicks into valuable actions like purchases or sign-ups.

Focus on this metric to transform interest into tangible results and make your campaigns more impactful. Well-designed conversion paths transform email campaigns into actionable journeys, helping your audience take the next step with confidence. By guiding users through tailored sequences, you boost engagement, create a more predictable sales flow, and more efficient funnel.

4. Bounce Rate

Bounce rate is the red flag waving over your email list as it reveals the percentage of emails that never made it to an inbox.

There are two types of bounces you need to monitor:

Hard Bounce: These indicate permanent issues, such as invalid or non-existent email addresses. Hard bounces typically occur when an address is mistyped, outdated, or fake. These addresses should be immediately removed from your list to maintain deliverability.
Soft Bounce: These are temporary issues, such as a recipient’s inbox being full or a server issue on their end. While soft bounces can resolve on their own, repeated occurrences for the same address may indicate a larger problem and warrant further investigation.

Tracking both types of bounces is critical to ensuring your emails reach their intended destination. Ignoring them can lead to a poor sender reputation, lower deliverability rates, and ultimately less effective campaigns. By actively managing your list and addressing bounce issues, you can keep your email strategy on track and your messages in inboxes where they belong.

Why it matters

A high bounce rate can harm your sender reputation and lead to lower deliverability rates over time. This means fewer recipients will even have the chance to see your emails.

How to improve

To maintain strong deliverability and ensure your messages reach the right audience, it’s essential to take proactive steps to improve your email hygiene and authentication practices like cleaning your list and ensuring proper authentication.

Ensure Proper Email Authentication: Implement SPF and DKIM protocols to verify your email legitimacy and enhance deliverability.
Regularly Clean Your Email List: Remove invalid addresses and inactive subscribers to maintain a healthy, engaged audience.
Remove Invalid Addresses: Use tools to identify and delete email addresses that no longer work.
Keep Bounce Rates Low: Aim for a bounce rate below 2% to protect your sender reputation and improve inbox placement.

A low bounce rate ensures your email messages reach their intended audience and protects your sender reputation so you can maintain high deliverability rates. Regularly cleaning your email list, removing invalid addresses, and implementing authentication protocols like SPF and DKIM can help reduce bounces. A healthy bounce rate signals a well-maintained email strategy and ensures your campaigns have the reach they need to succeed.

5. Unsubscribe Rate

Your unsubscribe rate is like a parting note from your audience—it measures the percentage of recipients who decide to step away. A rising rate can be a wake-up call, signaling that your content may not be hitting the mark or aligning with their expectations.

Why it matters

If too many subscribers are hitting the unsubscribe button, it’s a clear signal that your content isn’t meeting their expectations. High unsubscribe rates can also shrink your list, limiting your email marketing reach.

How to improve

A high unsubscribe rate can signal a disconnect between your content and your audience’s expectations. To keep subscribers engaged and reduce opt-outs, focus on these strategies:

1. Set Clear Expectations During Sign-up

Be transparent about what subscribers will receive and how often. For example, let them know they’ll get weekly wellness tips or exclusive product updates. This clarity builds trust and ensures new subscribers know what to expect.

2. Segment your Audience

Tailor your content to specific groups based on their preferences, behaviors, or engagement levels. For instance, send fitness-focused content to one segment and skincare tips to another. Relevant emails reduce the likelihood of unsubscribes by addressing individual needs.

3. Provide Value-driven Content

Make every email worth opening by delivering actionable advice, exclusive offers, or relevant updates. For example, share a quick 5-minute wellness hack or insider access to a new product launch. If subscribers see consistent value, they’re more likely to stay engaged.

By delivering valuable, targeted, and relevant content while setting clear expectations at sign-up, you can retain more subscribers and build stronger relationships. A low unsubscribe rate reflects audience satisfaction and trust in your email strategy.

6. List Growth Rate

List growth rate is the heartbeat of your email marketing strategy—it tracks how quickly your audience is expanding or shrinking. By balancing new subscribers against opt-outs, this metric reveals whether your efforts are attracting attention or losing momentum.

Why it matters

A steady or increasing list growth rate ensures your email campaigns reach a wider audience over time. A declining growth rate, however, could indicate issues with subscriber retention or acquisition strategies.

How to improve

Building a healthy, growing email list starts with encouraging sign-ups and keep your list expanding, focus on these proven strategies:

1. Use Sign-Up Forms

Simplify your sign-up process to make it as easy as possible for potential subscribers to join. Ensure forms are mobile-friendly and include only essential fields like name and email address to reduce friction. For example, place a short form on your website’s homepage or within blog posts that aligns with the content being read.

2. Offer Lead Magnets

Attract new subscribers by providing valuable incentives in exchange for their email addresses. Examples include free guides, exclusive discounts, or early access to new products. For instance, a health and wellness brand could offer a downloadable “5-Day Detox Plan” or a “10% Off Your First Order” coupon.

3. Leverage Social Media Promotions

Use creative and engaging posts to drive sign-ups from your social media audience. Highlight the value of joining your email list, such as access to exclusive content or member-only perks. For example, post a teaser of a new wellness product on Instagram with the caption, “Be the first to try it—sign up for exclusive updates!” or run a Facebook contest requiring email sign-ups for entry.

Your list growth rate reflects the health and reach of your email marketing efforts. A growing list ensures your campaigns reach a larger audience over time, while a shrinking list can limit your impact. You can attract new readers and keep your current audience engaged by leveraging

lead magnets
optimizing sign-up forms
providing ongoing value to subscribers

A well-maintained, growing list ensures your email campaigns reach a larger, more engaged audience, helping your brand thrive.

7. Spam Complaint Rate

Your spam complaint rate is the warning light on your email marketing dashboard—it tracks the percentage of recipients flagging your messages as unwanted. A rising rate can damage your sender reputation and deliverability, making it crucial to address immediately.

Why it matters

Frequent spam complaints can damage your sender reputation, resulting in your emails being filtered out or blocked entirely.

How to improve

A high spam complaint rate can damage your sender reputation and hinder email deliverability. To reduce complaints and build trust with your audience, focus on these actionable strategies:

1. Use Double Opt-In Processes

Ensure subscribers genuinely want to receive your emails by using a double opt-in process. This requires users to confirm their subscription via a confirmation email, reducing the likelihood of accidental or unwanted sign-ups. For example, after someone signs up, send an email with the subject line “Confirm Your Subscription to Stay Updated!”

2. Avoid Misleading Subject Lines

Transparency is key to building trust with your audience. Use subject lines that accurately reflect the content of your email to avoid misleading readers. For instance, avoid sensationalist phrases like “You’ve Won a Prize!” unless it’s true, and instead opt for clear messaging such as “Claim Your Free Wellness Guide Today.”

3. Make It Easy to Unsubscribe

Provide a visible, straightforward way for recipients to opt out of your emails. Include a clearly labeled “Unsubscribe” link in the footer of every email. This reduces frustration and prevents recipients from marking your emails as spam. For example, add a note like “No longer want to receive these emails? Click here to unsubscribe.”

Keeping your spam complaint rate low is critical for maintaining your sender reputation and ensuring your emails reach inboxes. Spam complaints can harm deliverability and limit campaign effectiveness. You can minimize complaints and build trust with your audience by adopting:

a double opt-in process
using clear and honest subject lines
providing a seamless opt-out option

These practices not only protect your sender reputation but also foster trust and loyalty with your subscribers.

8. Email Sharing/Forwarding Rate

The sharing and forwarding rate is your email’s word-of-mouth moment—it measures how often recipients find your content so valuable that they pass it along. High rates here signal that your message is resonating and expanding your reach organically.

Why it matters

High sharing rates indicate your content resonates with your audience and has the potential to expand your reach organically.

How to improve

Increasing your email sharing and forwarding rate helps expand your reach and introduce your brand to new audiences organically. Here’s how to encourage subscribers to share your content:

1. Include Social Sharing Buttons

Add visible social sharing buttons for platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn directly in your emails. Place these buttons near compelling content or at the bottom of the email with a prompt like “Share this with your friends!”

2. Encourage Readers to Forward Your Email to Friends

Include a friendly reminder in your email copy encouraging recipients to forward it to someone who might benefit from the content. For example, add a line like “Know someone who would love this? Forward this email to them!”

3. Provide Valuable, Share-Worthy Content

By incorporating social sharing buttons, encouraging email forwarding, and delivering valuable content, you can inspire subscribers to share your message with others. This simple strategy increases your brand visibility and brings new, engaged audiences into your funnel.

A high email sharing or forwarding rate demonstrates that your content resonates with your audience and inspires them to share it with others. This metric is essential for organic growth and expanding your reach. By including social sharing buttons, creating engaging and share-worthy content, and encouraging readers to forward emails to friends, you can amplify your impact and foster community engagement.

This simple strategy increases your brand visibility and brings new, engaged audiences into your funnel.

9. Revenue Per Email (RPE)

Revenue per email (RPE) is the golden metric that ties your efforts directly to dollars—it calculates how much revenue each email generates. It’s a clear indicator of your campaign’s ROI and a powerful measure of how well your emails are converting interest into income.

Why it matters

This metric directly reflects the return on investment (ROI) of your email marketing efforts.

How to improve

RPE is a direct reflection of how effectively your email campaigns generate revenue. To maximize this metric, it’s crucial to create targeted, relevant emails that resonate with your audience and drive meaningful action.

1. Focus on Segmentation

Use customer data to segment your audience based on behaviors, preferences, or purchase history. For example, create separate campaigns for first-time buyers, loyal customers, and inactive subscribers. A campaign for high-value customers might include VIP-exclusive offers like “Your loyalty deserves a reward: Free shipping on your next order.”

2. Leverage Personalization

Craft emails that feel tailor-made for each recipient. Include their name, recommend products based on their past purchases, or offer personalized discounts. For example, “Hi Sarah, we thought you’d love these picks based on your recent order!” Relevant content increases engagement and boosts the likelihood of purchases, directly improving RPE.

3. Target High-Value Customers

Identify your top spenders or most loyal subscribers and create campaigns specifically for them. Highlight exclusive benefits, such as early access to new products or special VIP discounts, to reinforce their value to your brand. For instance, “As one of our top customers, you’re invited to an exclusive preview of our new wellness line!” These tailored messages can strengthen relationships and drive repeat purchases, significantly increasing RPE.

Revenue per email directly ties your campaigns to your bottom line, making it one of the most important metrics to track. Improving RPE involves personalizing content, targeting high-value customers, and crafting campaigns that prioritize segmentation and relevance. A strong RPE showcases the financial value of your email marketing efforts and demonstrates their ROI, ensuring they remain a key driver of revenue for your business.

These strategies enhance the customer experience, drive higher purchases per email, and increase your overall revenue.

10. Deliverability Rate: The Gatekeeper

Deliverability rate measures the percentage of emails that successfully reach your audience’s inboxes. A high rate ensures your messages get the chance to be seen, engaged with, and acted upon.

Why it matters

Even the best email content won’t make an impact if it doesn’t reach your audience. High deliverability ensures your campaigns have the opportunity to perform well.

How to improve

To improve this metric, focus on maintaining a clean email list, avoiding spammy content, and using a reputable ESP with proper authentication protocols. By prioritizing these steps, you can enhance your email reach and engagement.

1. Maintain a Clean Email List

Regularly audit your list to remove invalid addresses, hard bounces, and disengaged subscribers. Use automated tools to detect and eliminate problematic addresses, and run re-engagement campaigns for inactive users before removing them

2. Maintain a Clean Email List

Create clear, honest subject lines and avoid words that trigger spam filters, like “Guaranteed offer” or “100% free”. Stick to professional, relevant content and ensure your emails align with the promises made during sign-up.

3. Use a Reputable Email Service Provider (ESP)

Partner with an ESP that supports email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These protocols verify your emails’ legitimacy, reducing the likelihood of being flagged as spam. Reputable ESPs also offer tools to monitor deliverability metrics and optimize your sending practices.

4. Authenticate Your Emails

Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to prove your emails are sent from trusted servers. Proper authentication builds credibility with email providers and reduces the risk of being blocked.

5. Monitor Engagement Metrics

Email providers prioritize senders with high engagement rates. Regularly track opens, clicks, and spam complaints to understand how your audience interacts with your content. Adjust your strategy to improve engagement, such as targeting highly active subscribers with personalized content.

6. Segment Your Audience

Send relevant content to smaller, targeted segments of your list to reduce unsubscribes and complaints. For example, send promotional offers to engaged buyers and informational emails to subscribers who prefer updates.

7. Send Consistently

Stick to a regular sending schedule to build a consistent reputation with email providers. Irregular or infrequent sending can appear suspicious and harm your deliverability.

Improving your deliverability rate is about maintaining trust with both your audience and email providers. By cleaning your list, avoiding spammy practices, and leveraging a reputable ESP, you’ll ensure your emails consistently land in your subscribers’ inboxes.

Email Marketing Metrics Final Thoughts

Email marketing drives business results when properly measured and optimized. Focus on the metrics that align with your goals, whether it’s increasing engagement, driving conversions, or boosting revenue. Regularly analyze your data, make adjustments, and watch your campaigns perform better than ever.

What metrics do you track for email marketing success? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Discover your messaging opportunities today.