Click Rate vs. Click‑Through Rate: Why Both Are Important

The difference between click rate and click-through rate

Even though there are some similarities, click rate and click-through rate are not the same things.

If you send out a hundred emails to your targets, the click rate represents the percentage of the people who received those people who actually clicked on and opened the email.

The click-through rate represents the percentage of people who not only opened the email but also clicked on the link or ad in the email. That is why a lot of people refer to this click-through rate vs click to open.

What is click rate?

If you run an email campaign, you probably try to use enticing subject lines to get people to open the email. What percentage of people actually open the email you send them?

There is a chance that some people might have those emails blocked out by spam filters. There is also a chance that some people may see the subject line of the email, recognize that it is a marketing email, and make the decision to ignore it. The click rate refers to the number of people who actually open the email that you send them.

What is click-through rate?

The click-through rate is different. This represents the number of people who actually click on the advertisement in the email.

Not everyone is going to open the email, and not everyone who opens the email is going to click on the advertising. Some people may be interested in the subject line, but once they start reading the email, they may realize that the product or service is not necessarily for them. If that is the case, they might not click on the advertisement or link in the email, which could cause the click-through rate to drop.

Even though there are several differences between the click rate and the click-through rate, you need to keep an eye on both metrics. Both are important for your email marketing campaign, which is why you need to know how to properly measure both values.

Why it’s important to monitor click rates and click-through rates

As you take a look at your on-page SEO and content optimization, you need to make sure that you get as much out of your marketing campaign as possible. That means measuring your click rates and click-through rates.

For example, you need to know what your click rate is because you need to know that your front end email marketing and digital marketing metrics are working. It doesn't matter how good your products and services are if people do not know about them.

If people are unwilling to open the emails you send them, the rest of your marketing campaign is simply going to fall flat. That is why you need to keep an eye on your click rate. If you are wondering why your sales and page view numbers are lagging behind, it might be because your click rate is not high enough. You need to work with your marketing team, using the latest tools available. That way, you can figure out how you can increase your click rate.

At the same time, you need to measure your click-through rate as well. This is arguably one of the most important metrics when you are measuring the effectiveness of various digital marketing methods. If you keep your click-through rate high, you can garner key insights regarding the success of your email campaigns.

Then, you can figure out where you want to allocate your optimization efforts. Even though there are some situations where one metric might be more important than the other, it is important for you to keep an eye on both values. That way, you know that you are getting as much out of your marketing campaign as possible.

What is a good CTR?

When you take a look at your click-through rate, you might be wondering if you have a good CTR. The answer is that it depends.

First, it is important to take a look at a few different situations where you might measure your CTR. A few examples include:

• If you are running a PPC campaign, how frequently are people clicking on the advertisements that you actually show them?
• If you are running a social media marketing campaign, how frequently are people clicking on the advertisements that show up on their newsfeeds?
• If you are running an email marketing campaign, how frequently are people clicking on the links or advertisements included in your marketing email?

Because there are so many different types of marketing campaigns, a good click-through rate for one marketing method might not necessarily be a good click-through rate for another marketing method. There might be some situations where a click-through rate of 2% is high, but there are other situations where a CTR of 5% percent is high.

That is why it is important to take a look at trends over time. If you notice that your CTR is suddenly dropping, you need to figure out why. Or, if you notice that the rate is going up significantly, you need to figure out what caused the jump. That way, you can capitalize on what is working, improve what is not, and get the most out of the money you spend on your digital marketing campaign.

What if you have a high click rate, but low sales?

When you take a look at your numbers, you need to figure out what they mean. After all, the goal is to increase online sales. Even though it is important to understand the difference between click rate and click-through rate, you also need to know what the numbers mean. If you have a high click rate, but a relatively low sales volume, what does this mean?

Wrong target audience

It might mean that you are targeting the wrong audience. For example, a lot of people will open the advertisements and emails that you send to them, but once they realize that the product or service is not for them, they will simply move on. As a result, you might see that your open rate is relatively high, but your sales volume is relatively low.

Your sales numbers might be low because you might not necessarily be targeting the right audience. If you want to improve your sales numbers, consider sticking with the same marketing strategy, but switching the target market. You might need to invest in different tools that can help you figure out what the right target market is.

Unpleasant buying experience

Another reason why your sales numbers might be low is that you do not necessarily provide people with a smooth buying experience. For this information, you may want to take a look at the click-through rate. If your click rate is high but your CTR is low, this is still a sign that you are targeting the wrong market because people are not clicking on the advertisement in the email.

On the other hand, if you notice that the click rate and CTR are high, but your sales are low, this could indicate that there is a problem with the buying process. You need to make the process as smooth as possible if you want people to complete the purchase. If people realize that the website is not working properly, or if they see that you do not accept their payment method, they may decide to go somewhere else.

Monitor your marketing emails, too

It is critical for you to keep an eye on your marketing emails. That means looking at your click rate vs click-through rates. If you keep an eye on your email marketing campaign, you can put yourself in the best position possible to maximize the results of your digital marketing effort.

Your time is your most valuable resource, and you need to use tools that will provide you with the information to make appropriate decisions regarding your email marketing efforts.

That is why you might want to invest in a few retargeting ads and email marketing tools as well. You can find some of the best tools available today if you rely on Mailchimp. Mailchimp can help you keep an eye on your email marketing efforts, identifying what is working and what is not.

That way, you can put your email marketing campaign in a position to be successful. As long as you understand the most important metrics to track, you can optimize your marketing efforts accordingly.