Email Marketing Benchmarks by Industry (2025 Report)
Are your email campaigns delivering results, or are you falling short? Comparing your performance to email marketing benchmarks reveals insights into your strengths and weaknesses, guiding you to craft more impactful campaigns.
- Best Email Marketing Software
1. Open Rate
The percentage of email recipients who open your emails reflects how effectively your subject lines and sender reputation engage your audience.
Why is this important?
Open rates reveal whether your audience finds your emails compelling enough to click on. Strong open rates are the foundation of email marketing success.
Industry Benchmarks
| Industry | Average Open Rate |
| Nonprofit | 25%–30% |
| Retail/E-commerce | 15%–20% |
| SaaS | 20%–25% |
| Travel/Hospitality | 18%–22% |
| Healthcare | 25%–30% |
| Education | 30%–35% |
| Real Estate | 19%–22% |
| Technology | 21%–23% |
How to Improve Open Rates
- Write captivating subject lines: Incorporate urgency, curiosity, or personalization to catch attention.
- Segment your email list: Tailor content to match the preferences of specific audience groups.
- Optimize sending times: Test different times to see when your audience is most likely to open emails.
2. Click-Through Rate (CTR)
CTR measures the percentage of recipients who clicked on links in your email, providing a direct indicator of how engaging your email content is.
Why is this important?
A higher CTR indicates that your email resonates with recipients and successfully drives them toward desired actions like visiting a website or making a purchase.
Industry Benchmarks
| Industry | Average CTR |
| Nonprofit | 3%–5% |
| Retail/E-commerce | 2%–3% |
| SaaS | 3%–4% |
| Financial Services | 2%–3% |
| Technology | 3%–5% |
How to Improve CTRs
- Simplify your design: Keep emails clean and visually appealing to highlight CTAs.
- Use actionable CTAs: Ensure your call-to-action clearly defines the next step.
- Personalize offers: Make content and links relevant to recipients’ preferences.
3. Bounce Rate
The bounce rate is the percentage of emails that fail to reach recipients due to invalid addresses or technical issues.
Why is this important?
A high bounce rate can harm your sender reputation, leading to reduced deliverability rates and campaign performance.
Industry Benchmarks
| Industry | Average Bounce Rate |
| Retail/E-commerce | 0.5%–1% |
| SaaS | 0.5%–1% |
| Education | 0.5%–1% |
| Technology | 0.7%–1.2% |
How to Improve Bounce Rates
- Use email verification tools: Prevent invalid addresses from being added to your list.
- Regularly clean your list: Remove inactive or unresponsive recipients.
- Double-opt-in: Ensure users confirm their email address when subscribing.
4. Conversion Rate
The conversion rate is the percentage of recipients who complete a desired action, such as purchasing or signing up, after interacting with your email.
Why is this important?
It shows how effectively your email content and offers convert recipients into customers.
Industry Benchmarks
| Industry | Average Conversion Rate |
| Retail/E-commerce | 2%–3% |
| SaaS | 5%–7% |
| Nonprofit | 2%–4% |
| Technology | 5%–6% |
How to Improve Conversion Rates
- Use urgency in CTAs: Highlight limited-time offers to prompt quicker action.
- Offer incentives: Discounts or freebies can entice hesitant customers.
- Optimize landing pages: Ensure a seamless user experience when recipients click through.
5. Unsubscribe Rate
The unsubscribe rate measures the percentage of recipients who opt out of your email list after receiving a campaign.
Why is this important?
Monitoring unsubscribe rates helps identify content or frequency issues that may alienate your audience.
Industry Benchmarks
| Industry | Average Unsubscribe Rate |
| Nonprofit | 0.1%–0.3% |
| Retail/E-commerce | 0.2%–0.5% |
| SaaS | 0.2%–0.4% |
How to Improve Unsubscribe Rates
- Refine email frequency: Balance regular updates without overwhelming recipients.
- Offer email preferences: Let users select the types of content they want.
- Focus on relevance: Create content tailored to their specific interests.
6. Email ROI
Email ROI calculates the revenue generated for every dollar spent on email marketing efforts.
Why is this important?
It highlights the profitability of your email campaigns, ensuring your investments are paying off.
Industry Benchmarks
| Industry | Average ROI (per $1 spent) |
| Retail/E-commerce | $42 |
| SaaS | $36 |
| Nonprofit | $40 |
| Financial Services | $38 |
How to Improve Email ROI
- Implement automation: Reduce manual efforts and improve targeting with automated workflows.
- Invest in personalization: Customize campaigns to drive higher engagement and conversions.
- Optimize campaign costs: Use cost-effective email marketing platforms to maximize margins.
Anastasia Belyh
Anastasia Belyh is a senior tech writer with over 15 years of experience in marketing, sales, and business software. Having worked in investment banking, management consulting, and founded multiple companies, her in-depth knowledge and hands-on expertise make her software reviews authoritative, trustworthy, and highly practical for business decision-makers.
