TL;DR
- An email marketing open rate is the percentage of delivered emails that recipients open, influenced by factors like subject lines, timing, and sender reputation.
- You can increase email open rates by refining subject lines and preheaders, avoiding spam triggers, segmenting audiences, personalizing content, optimizing sender names and send times, ensuring mobile friendliness and deliverability, A/B testing campaigns, and resending unopened emails strategically.
- Maropost Marketing Cloud helps you run efficient email campaigns and boost open rates with AI segmentation, 98% deliverability, personalized automation, and data-driven insights through eRFM reports.
Email marketing has been one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to engage customers and generate sales. Based on the State of Email report from Litmus, for every $1 spent on email marketing, 35% of companies earn $10–$36. This outperforms many other digital channels, including social media ads.
But even the most brilliant email campaigns can flop if your open rates are low. So, how do you make sure your emails get opened and read?
In this article, we’ll go over 11 essential tactics that can help you significantly increase your email open rates and get higher ROI from your email marketing efforts. Beyond basic tips like crafting catchy subject lines and optimizing send times, we’ll cover all the tactics that guarantee your emails get opened more often.
What is an email marketing open rate?
An email marketing open rate (or simply an email open rate) is the percentage of email recipients who opened an email out of the total number of emails successfully delivered. Your open rates can be influenced by factors like subject lines, timing, sender reputation, audience segmentation, and more. To calculate the open rate, you need to divide the number of email opens by the number of delivered emails and multiply that ratio by 100.
Email open rate = (# of email opens / # of emails delivered) * 100%
While email open rate is a helpful metric, it should never be the only one you look at when evaluating the performance of your email marketing campaigns, as it only tells part of the story. To get the whole picture, make sure to track a mix of engagement, conversion, and deliverability metrics.
What is the average email open rate?
According to the annual Email Marketing Benchmarks report from GetResponse, which analyzed 4.4 billion messages, the average global email open rate is 39.64%. Your actual open rate can be higher or lower depending on factors like your industry, location, business type, and the type of emails you send. For example, businesses in Europe typically see an average open rate of around 43.25%, while those in North America tend to achieve rates closer to 23.53%.
That being said, what’s the average email open rate for ecommerce? Based on data from Mailchimp, the average email open rate for ecommerce businesses is 29.81%. At the same time, according to Klaviyo's report, the industry’s average open rate for ecommerce is 37.93%.
11 Tips to increase your ecommerce email marketing open rates in 2026
So what exactly can you do to ensure higher open rates on your email marketing campaigns? These tactics might be helpful:
1. Sharpen your email subject lines
Your subject line is the gateway to your email content. It’s the first impression your audience gets, and it can determine whether they open your email, ignore it, or – worse – mark it as spam. In fact, statistically, 47% of email recipients decide whether to open an email based on the subject line alone, while 69% may mark it as spam if the subject line seems suspicious or irrelevant.
Considering that most of your subscribers probably get dozens (if not hundreds!) of new emails daily, your ultimate goal is to craft a subject line that can really cut through the noise and convey value. Here are 3 important things to keep in mind when creating subject lines:
- Keep it short (under 70 characters): After analyzing 7 billion emails, GetResponse discovered that subject lines between 61 and 70 characters have the highest average open rate of 32.1%.
- Personalization goes a long way: Personalized subject lines can increase open rates for most users. That can be done by using recipients’ names, referencing their recent activity, or tailoring the message based on their preferences.
- Limit punctuation and emojis: Research from Mailchimp revealed that it’s best to use no more than 3punctuation marks per subject line and only one emoji at a time.
2. Make your preheader work for you
Preheader text (also known as a preview text) is just as critical as your subject line when it comes to getting people to open and read your emails. If your subject line is the title, your preheader is the subtitle that adds context. Preheaders typically run between 80 and 100 characters, so make every word count.
Well-crafted preheaders can truly make a difference. According to data from GetResponse, emails that include a preheader achieve an average open rate of 44.67% – more than five percentage points higher than the industry average.
What’s also important to remember here is that if you don’t set a preheader in your email’s settings, most email service providers will display the first line of your message instead. And this may fail to provide any value to your audience.
3. Cut out words that trigger spam filters
According to CloudHQ, 48% of emails end up in spam folders. This often happens when your messages contain common spam trigger words or phrases. These are flagged because they’re frequently linked to scams, misleading marketing, or overly promotional language. Here are some of the most common spam trigger words and phrases you should avoid in your messages (in both the subject line and body of the email) to ensure your emails don’t end up in spam folders instead of inboxes:
- Words that make exaggerated claims and promises: “100% satisfied”, “lowest price”, “extra cash”, “free gift”, “incredible deal”
- Words that create unnecessary urgency and pressure: “act now”, “do it today”, “What are you waiting for?”, “take action”, “see for yourself”
- Words that look like spammy or unethical behavior: “buy direct”, “no hidden costs”, “no catch”, “no questions asked”, “cancel at any time”
- Words that make confidential claims: “secret formula”, “exclusive access”, “private offer”, “special invitation”, “confidential”
- Words that are jargon or legalese: “clearance”, “discount”, “pre-approved”, “unlimited”, “compare rates"
4. Segment your audience
Segmenting your email list makes your messages more relevant to your audience and can significantly improve open rates. For example, based on data published by Sender, segmented email campaigns drive 30% more opens and 50% more click-throughs than unsegmented ones.
These are some examples of segmentation categories that work best for ecommerce and retail brands:
- Purchase history: segments customers based on what they’ve purchased before.
- Customer loyalty status: categorizes customers by their engagement and loyalty to a brand, considering factors like purchase frequency and total spending.
- Customer lifecycle stage: categorizes customers by where they are in their journey – new, active, or inactive.
- Engagement level: categorizes customers based on how often they open or click your emails.
- Cart abandoners: categorizes customers who left items in their carts without completing a purchase.
- Product category interest: categorizes customers by the product types or categories they’re most interested in.
- Location and time zone: categorizes customers by their geographic location or time zone.
5. Choose the right sender’s name
The sender’s name can significantly impact your email open rates. It’s basically one of the three elements your recipients see in their inbox before they even open a message. Stats say that 42% of people look at the sender’s name when deciding whether to open an email. These two approaches might be helpful when deciding what sender name to use:
- [Your first name] from [Your brand name]: This adds a personal touch and shows that there’s actually a real person behind your emails – not just a business. It works especially well for sharing tips or solving customer problems.
- [Your brand name] Team: Instead of focusing on one person, this shows that your brand is a team of friendly people working together to support customers. It’s great for product announcements or special offers.
6. Personalize your content
Let’s face it, generic, one-size-fits-all emails often feel impersonal and uninspiring. And they rarely drive strong engagement. Personalization, on the other hand, can make a significant difference by delivering a much more relevant experience. When you tailor your email subject lines, in particular, that drives higher open rates. According to Campaign Monitor, personalized subject lines can increase open rates by up to 26%.
Here's a quick example: instead of using a generic subject line like “Dear subscriber, we’ve just added new features”, you might use something like “Hi Peter, we added the features you requested”. Not only will it lift your open rates, but it will also make your email feel more personal and relevant. Plus, it can help you improve other email engagement metrics like click-through rates and conversions.
7. Optimize your send times
Optimizing your send times is another important factor to consider if you want to improve your open rates. So, what are the best times and days to send out your email marketing campaigns?
Well, there’s no magic formula that guarantees that sending emails on a particular day and time will improve open rates across every industry or audience because too many variables can affect the outcome.
However, based on the Email Marketing Benchmarks report from GetResponse, there are two time slots that get higher open rates: early in the morning (4-6 AM) and later in the afternoon (5-7 PM). The report also revealed that while the average open and click-through rates are the highest on Tuesdays, they aren’t dramatically different from the rest of the week.
Image source: GetResponse
8. Make sure your emails are mobile-friendly
Optimizing your emails for mobile isn’t optional anymore. Based on stats from Genesys, in 2025, mobile devices accounted for 55%+ of all email opens globally. Moreover, 75% of users will immediately delete emails that aren’t optimized for mobile.
While there are many best practices you can implement to optimize your email for mobile (like using smaller images that download faster, larger fonts, and finger-friendly CTA buttons), it all really starts with a subject line. Aim for 25–50 characters to make sure it’s visible on mobile screens.
9. Stay out of the spam folder
Obviously, your emails won’t get opened if they never reach the inbox. We’ve already mentioned the importance of avoiding common words that trigger spam filters in your emails. But there’s so much more to it.
Since Gmail and Yahoo introduced stricter authentication rules in 2024, and spam filters have become more advanced, it’s essential to follow these best practices to keep your messages deliverable and protect your sender reputation:
- Get permission first: Always send emails only to contacts who have explicitly agreed to receive them.
- Be transparent upfront: When users opt in, let them know exactly what kind of emails they’ll get and how often they can expect to hear from you.
- Use a verified domain: Authenticate your emails with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to prove you’re a legitimate sender.
- Include a clear unsubscribe link: If someone decides to opt out but can’t find the unsubscribe button easily, they might simply mark you as spam.
- Maintain consistent sending frequency: Sudden spikes in volume may appear spam-like and trigger filtering.
- Keep your lists clean: Inactive or invalid addresses lead to higher bounce rates and more complaints, damaging your sender reputation.
10. A/B test your email campaigns
A/B testing is one of the most efficient ways to improve the overall efficiency of your email marketing campaign – and open rates, in particular. If you always send the same version of each email, you’ll simply never know what works best. You can test many different aspects of your email content, but for the sake of improving open rates, focus on testing subject lines, preview text, sender names, and send times.
One key thing to remember is that you’ll get the most valuable insights from A/B testing when you change only one factor at a time. If you tweak too many variables at once, you won’t know which one really influenced the results.
11. Resend unopened emails
Even with the most engaging subject lines, fine-tuned preview texts, and optimized send times, your emails won’t always trigger most of your contacts to open. And that’s completely normal – people get busy with work, life, or other priorities and skip messages without meaning to. That’s exactly why sending a follow-up makes sense.
Resending the email to unengaged subscribers, typically with a different subject line or a refined send time, can boost your total opens significantly. Research from MailerLite has actually shown that resending an email campaign can increase open rates by an extra 30%. At the same time, if subscribers don’t engage after multiple tries, consider taking them off your list to maintain a healthy sender reputation.
How Maropost Marketing Cloud can help you run efficient email marketing campaigns
Boosting your email open rates in 2026 and beyond requires more than simply following the best practices we’ve listed above. You also need the right technology to back your strategy. And that’s where Maropost Marketing Cloud can make a difference, helping you ensure you get the most out of your email marketing campaigns. With Marketing Cloud, you can:
- Build custom segments with AI to make sure every message reaches the right audience with the most relevant content.
- Get your emails delivered to your recipients’ inboxes with a 98% deliverability rate and tools like Deliverability Score and Spam Checker.
- Craft highly personalized messages with automated product recommendations to help you increase engagement and conversions.
- Gain valuable insights from the eRFM report to plan your email marketing efforts more strategically and effectively.
Book a demo now to discover how Maropost Marketing Cloud can help you run more effective email campaigns and reach your customers and prospects at the right moments in their journey.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good email open rate?
A good email open rate typically falls between 35% and 40%. But it can vary widely depending on the industry, your audience, and the type of email campaigns you are running. For example, niche B2B sectors may see higher engagement, while ecommerce or entertainment brands might average slightly lower. The key is to benchmark against your own past performance and continuously optimize for improvement instead of chasing a universal number.
What are other critical email marketing metrics to track?
Beyond the open rate, the most critical email marketing metrics that you should track include:
- Delivery rate: the percentage of sent emails successfully delivered to recipients.
- Click-through rate (CTR): the percentage of your recipients who clicked on a link inside your email.
- Conversion rate: the percentage of recipients who performed a specific action (like a purchase).
- Unsubscribe rate: the percentage of recipients who clicked the unsubscribe link and opted out of future emails.
- Bounce rate: the number of emails that couldn’t be delivered to the recipient’s inbox.
- Spam compliant rate: the percentage of people who marked your emails as spam, as reported by subscribers’ email providers.
How can I improve my subject lines to boost open rates?
To boost your open rates, write subject lines that immediately grab attention – think urgency, curiosity, or clear value. Personalization also goes a long way in making your emails feel more relevant. But instead of just using someone’s first name, try referencing their past behavior or interests (for example, “Still thinking about those running shoes?” instead of a generic “Check out our sale”). Additionally, make sure to avoid spam trigger words that can hurt deliverability. And finally, A/B test different variations to continually optimize what resonates best with your audience.