Average email open rates vary depending on many circumstances – the most important being which industry you are in. For example, businesses in the hobby niche get much better open rates (27% average) than businesses that are in the e-coupon niche (15% average). Furthermore, businesses in the gambling niche get much better click through rates (3.6% average) than businesses in real estate (1.7% average). It all depends on your niche!
Having said that, 20% is often seen as the benchmark email opening rate. If you are getting less than a 20% open rate, then it might be a sign that your emails aren’t providing enough value to your customers or that your headlines aren’t captivating enough. If you are getting over 40%, then it means that you have a highly engaged list, which is an excellent position to be in!