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How can I increase clickthrough rates in emails?
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6 Answers
All great ideas to raise the click though rates. I’d like to add some of the tactics that I used in the past that increased click through rates. Sometimes though, the click trough isn’t really the thing to focus on. It might be that
* A more descriptive subjectline
This might get you more clickthoughs, sometimes the number of opens might decrease but that shouldn’t be a problem if your goal is to get people on your website (and do something there).
* Link all images.
Your logo, the header image, everything. Make sure they link to the expected pages and that you know what element people are clicking on. For instance you might want to cut up your emails' headervisual to get some extra info on that. did they click on the image or the logo?
* Adding a navigation bar
Depending on your type of emailing and goals, it might be a good idea to add a navigation bar to the top of the emailing. Maybe even one at the bottom as well. You can link to the popular items or categories on the site or even copy your sites navigation.
* Cutting your copy short
Long copy can hurt your clickthroughs, people scan their emails, they do not read them. Long copy hurts you double if there is nothing more to link to on the website, because you said everything in the emailtext.
* Add better links
Yes the linktext is also very important. Group descriptive and activating words together, so they form small but understandable textlinks. (and forget “click here” if that doesn’t work for you).
* Test, test, test and test
Did I mention test? Make a test-plan and stick to it. Take a look at the interview with me over at Email Marketing Reports about that: http://www.email-marketing-reports.com/iland/2010/12/email-testing-the-benefi...
Sometimes increasing the click through rates is as much about the actual code as it is the design. I would have an expert look at your email html, to ensure it is rendering properly in different types of inbox. Beauty that isn't functional only works for Christian Louboutin! ;o)
Also limiting the number of different calls to action on the email creative may improve your click through rates. Having only one main conversion goal helps, and moving the key content up to the top of the email so it is well above the fold (keeping the preview pane in mind) also helps.
If your emails are heavily image based, ensure that ALT tags are being used in case the images are being blocked from rendering in the inbox. If your emails are heavy in content, consider a small menu at some point above the fold which contains all key calls to action. Running some A/B split tests as Holger suggests above is also a good way to find the best placement for your main call to action. Once you find it, it’s also good to keep a standard format from one campaign to another as readers will get used to the creative layout of your campaigns.
You may also need to look at the frequency you are sending messages out to your database. If you are over sending, you may just need to find the right balance for your subscribers.
Finally, use copy that is compelling to the reader rather than just sending out an ad. Try to write more in an advertorial format, while letting the reader know that the email is for their benefit rather than solely for your companies.
One of the best ways to increase email clickthrough performance is through systematic A/B split testing where you change components of your email to find the best mix that results in better performance. Test, for example, different subject lines, headers, copy, layouts, colors, calls to action, etc against a control email to see what changes perform better than the control. Make sure to use random email list samples to eliminate bias, and with a big enough sample size to have a statistically representative results. Here is a more detailed tutorial on email A/B testing: http://www.marketingexperiments.com/improving-website-conversion/ab-split-tes...
Five Simple Methods:
1) Conduct a Subject Line test for each message you send.
2) Trim the fat. Drop unresponsive subscribers, and your denominator is smaller.
3) Send interesting, engaging content.
4) Meet customer expectations on content and frequency.
5) Use your search data to pick email content.
The best way - and simplest answer - is to send relevant and engaging content to a subscriber base that wants to hear about it.
How you get there is done by breaking out areas out:
- Content review: are you sending info that your list actually wants to read and engage with?
- Design: are you designing for the sweet spot (aka the preview pane) of the email? How are things laid out? Doing a thorough review of your email's layout is important.
- Ask your subscribers: Do a survey and ask them what they currently think about your newsletter and what they want to see.
Hi Courtney,
I have an interactive signature through eSigMarketing and my signature has 4 buttons that lead to my website, my two YouTube videos and my LinkedIn profile. I can track the number of clicks through the administrative site I have access to and the cost is only $10 per month. You can let them custom design your signature, like I did, or use a free template. They will even help you set-up all of your e-mail clients. I have mine on Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail and Outlook and I love it.
If you want to see mine e-mail me at cre8ivejg@yahoo.com and I will reply. To find out more about their services use this link;
eSigMarketing Referral Link:
https://myaccount.esigmarketing.com/r.php?rc=BE3105
A 2nd suggestion is to use html code so that anyone who receives an e-mail from you can click onto the image of the flyer, newsletter, etc... and have direct access to your website or any other link.
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