Key Email Marketing Metrics Every Ecommerce Store Should Track

Email marketing remains one of the highest-ROI channels for e-commerce stores. But crafting beautiful emails or automating sequences isn’t enough—you need to measure what matters. Tracking the right metrics helps you understand what’s working, optimize performance, and scale your efforts more effectively. Whether you’re running a welcome series, promoting a flash sale, or re-engaging inactive subscribers, your data tells the real story. 

If you’re unsure where to start or how to interpret your numbers, working with an experienced Email Marketing Agency like Sunlo Consulting can help. With deep knowledge of e-commerce KPIs and platform best practices, agencies like Sunlo turn raw metrics into actionable strategies that boost sales and retention.

Why Email Metrics Matter

Email marketing is powerful—but only if it’s measured correctly. Metrics are your compass: they tell you what content resonates, how engaged your list is, and where you may be leaving money on the table. Tracking these numbers over time allows for smarter decisions, better targeting, and ultimately, more revenue.

The Most Important Email Marketing Metrics for Ecommerce

1. Open Rate

What it is: The percentage of recipients who opened your email.

Why it matters: Open rate gives a top-level indication of subject line effectiveness and subscriber interest. However, due to Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection, open rate accuracy has been impacted, so it should be used in context—not in isolation.

Benchmark: A healthy open rate for e-commerce typically falls between 20–30%.

2. Click-Through Rate (CTR)

What it is: The percentage of recipients who clicked on at least one link in your email.

Why it matters: CTR reveals how effective your email content and call-to-action (CTA) are. High open rates paired with low CTRs often indicate that the email was opened, but the content didn’t compel users to act.

Benchmark: An average CTR is around 2–5% for e-commerce, but top-performing campaigns can exceed 10%.

3. Click-to-Open Rate (CTOR)

What it is: The ratio of unique clicks to unique opens.

Why it matters: CTOR helps you evaluate the quality of your content among those who actually opened the email. It filters out deliverability variables and focuses strictly on engagement.

Benchmark: A strong CTOR is generally above 10%.

4. Conversion Rate

What it is: The percentage of recipients who completed a desired action (e.g., made a purchase) after clicking through the email.

Why it matters: This is the most direct measure of your email marketing ROI. It ties engagement to revenue and shows which campaigns actually drive sales.

Benchmark: For e-commerce, 1–5% is typical, but this varies widely by product and offer.

5. Revenue per Email (RPE)

What it is: Total revenue generated divided by the number of emails sent.

Why it matters: RPE helps evaluate the financial impact of your campaigns. It’s a particularly useful metric for comparing the profitability of automated flows versus one-off campaigns.

Benchmark: There’s no universal benchmark here, as it depends on order value, but tracking RPE over time helps measure growth.

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6. Unsubscribe Rate

What it is: The percentage of recipients who opt out of your email list after receiving a message.

Why it matters: A rising unsubscribe rate can signal list fatigue, poor targeting, or irrelevant content. Keeping this number low helps maintain a healthy, engaged audience.

Benchmark: Anything under 0.5% is generally acceptable.

7. Bounce Rate

What it is: The percentage of emails that could not be delivered to the recipient’s inbox.

Why it matters: High bounce rates can hurt your sender reputation and deliverability. It’s essential to regularly clean your list to avoid sending to invalid or inactive addresses.

Benchmark: Keep it below 2%. Separate soft bounces (temporary) from hard bounces (permanent) for better list hygiene.

8. List Growth Rate

What it is: The rate at which your subscriber list is growing over time.

Why it matters: A healthy email list is a growing one. Even with great engagement, a stagnant list can limit your revenue ceiling. Prioritize opt-ins from high-intent sources like post-purchase checkouts or quiz funnels.

Benchmark: Aim for steady monthly growth of 1–3%, excluding unsubscribes and bounces.

Turn Insights Into Action

Knowing what to track is just the beginning. The real value lies in using these metrics to fine-tune your subject lines, optimize send times, personalize content, and segment your audience. Email marketing is not a “set it and forget it” channel— Even optimizing small elements such as adding your brand tagline or contact info in the email signature can make a measurable difference in performance.

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