Improve emails Open Rate and CTR

Stop guessing whether to tweak the subject line, the CTA, or the incentive. With benchmarks from 350 campaigns run by our clients, you can pinpoint the bottleneck: Open rate tells you if your subject is working; CTR tells you if your message/CTA is doing its job. The sections below show how to fix each lever fast.

To give you a benchmark, here’s an example of strong metrics. If yours are better, great job - keep it up! 😉

TL;DR

1. Start with default app settings for subject and body.

2. Test on 50+ past or current orders.

3. Track the funnel: open rate → CTR → reviews received.

If your open rate is below ~58%, experiment with another subject line. If CTR is below ~8%, improve the message or add a coupon. Test changes with at least 50 emails.

Step 1: Improve Open Rate

Your subject line is key. Top-performing campaigns consistently use order context and a clear ask. Here are some tips to boost open rate:

✅ Good subject line (open rate is 58+%)

❌ Bad subject line

Order #1021 check-in Order #1021 - Review Your Experience Rate your order #1021 Your feedback on order #1021 helps us improve Mentioning incentives can boost open rates. Examples: Claim your bonus for order #1021 Order #1021: Share your experience and win Free Shipping Why it works: it reduces ambiguity. “Order #{{order_id}}” is a powerful cue that this email is legitimate and relevant.

Rate us We need your review How did you like [product]? We hope you enjoyed order #1021! Could you do us a small favor? If your Open rate is below ~55%, start by changing the subject line and iterate until you reach ~70%+ (or your own strong baseline). Pay attention! There are no universally “good” or “bad” subject lines. Results vary by niche and audience. Our examples reflect benchmarks, but what fails for others can still work for you, so test and experiment.

Once you’ve earned the open, the question changes. Now it’s not “Will they read this?” It’s “Will they click?”

Step 2: Improve CTR (earn the click)

Once opened, your email has about 8 seconds to engage the recipient.

Use the dataset targets to guide you:

• Below 8.8% CTR: you likely have friction or copy issues

• 12.3%+ CTR: strong

• 17.9%+ CTR: elite territory

Typical email issues

As a rule, these patterns are common in emails with low CTR:

1. The primary call to action is below the fold.

2. The message is too long or lacks a clear structure.

3. Readability issues (poor contrast, inconsistent fonts/colors, cluttered layout).

4. Overuse of emojis can reduce clarity and trust.

CTR improvement steps

• Start by testing the default template. In our benchmarks, the default “Smiles” version typically delivers an 8–10%+ CTR, so it’s a strong baseline to begin with.

Seeing 3–7% CTR? Try updating the copy. These benchmark examples reached ~13–21% CTR:

• Keep it short. Put the key message + CTA above the fold (mobile). Add AI personalization.

• Test coupon codes. Adding a time-limited coupon can lift CTR (e.g., 7% → 27%). Learn how to add coupons here: Add Discount Codes to emails

Subject options:

• Claim your bonus for order #1021

• Order #1021 your online voucher awaits inside

• Order #1021 - How did we do? Coupon inside

• Send a follow-up email as customers may miss the first one. A gentle reminder can increase reviews by up to 37%.

These strategies will help you drive more reviews and build customer trust. Questions about metrics or need assistance? We're excited to help: [e-mail]

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Questions about Customer Reviews or need assistance? We're excited to help: [e-mail] or live chat.