Definition
Email conversion rate optimization, or CRO, is the process of increasing the percentage of email recipients who complete a desired action after clicking through. The action could be making a purchase, signing up for a webinar, downloading a resource, requesting a demo or any other measurable goal.
CRO in email involves improving every step that influences the final action. This includes subject lines that increase opens, copy that increases clicks, design that highlights the call to action, landing pages that match the email message, and forms that reduce friction.
Optimization is a continuous process. The best teams run A/B tests, analyse results by segment, remove barriers to conversion and align email with the post-click experience. Small improvements at multiple stages compound into large gains in overall conversion.
Formula
Conversion Rate = (Conversions / Clicks) × 100
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
| Conversions | Number of recipients who completed the desired action |
| Clicks | Number of recipients who clicked the email link |
Best Practices
- Ensure the landing page matches the email's message and design.
- Use a single, prominent call to action above the fold.
- Reduce form fields and friction in the conversion process.
- A/B test subject lines, copy, CTA buttons and send times.
- Analyse conversion by segment, device and traffic source to find opportunities.
Related Glossary Terms
A/B Testing
A/B testing in email marketing is the practice of sending two variations of an email to a small sample of your list to determine which version performs better before sending the winner to the remaining subscribers.
Above the Fold in Email
Above the fold in email refers to the content visible to a recipient before they scroll, a critical area for first impressions and primary calls to action.
Account-Based Marketing Email
An account-based marketing email is a highly targeted message sent to a specific organisation or decision-maker group as part of a focused B2B strategy.
Announcement Email
An announcement email is a dedicated campaign that communicates a specific update, milestone, or change to subscribers, from product launches and feature releases to company news and events.
ARPU (Average Revenue Per User)
ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) is a metric that measures the average revenue generated per email subscriber over a specific period, used to evaluate list value and campaign effectiveness.
Attention Rate
Attention rate is the percentage of email opens that last longer than 5 seconds, distinguishing genuine reads from passive opens, preview-pane views, or Apple MPP auto-loads.
Frequently Asked Questions
It varies by industry and goal. Ecommerce conversion rates from email often range from 1 to 5 percent, while B2B lead generation can range from 2 to 10 percent.
Both matter. A high click rate with low conversions suggests a landing page problem. A low click rate suggests an email problem.
Improve email relevance, align landing pages, simplify the conversion process, test CTAs and remove distractions on the destination page.
A major role. If the email or landing page is hard to use on mobile, conversion rates drop significantly.
Run tests until you reach statistical significance, which usually requires at least a few hundred conversions per variant.