Improving Click-Through Rates in Cold Emails
Want better results from your cold emails? Start by improving your click-through rates (CTR). CTR measures how many recipients click a link in your email, and the average for cold emails is just 3.67%. But with the right strategies, you can easily outperform this benchmark.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Deliverability is crucial: If your emails aren’t landing in the primary inbox, they won’t get clicks. Tools like Warmforge can help improve sender reputation and inbox placement.
- Personalization works: Tailored emails can boost CTR by 41%. Mention specifics like a recipient’s company, role, or recent achievements.
- Strong CTAs matter: Use clear, single calls-to-action, like “Schedule a 10-minute call,” to reduce friction and drive engagement.
- Design for mobile: With 42% of emails opened on phones, keep layouts clean, concise, and responsive.
- Test and optimize: A/B test subject lines, CTAs, and send times to refine your approach. Track metrics like open rates, CTR, and reply rates to identify what works.
Cold emails can deliver an ROI of up to 3,800% when done right. Focus on deliverability, personalization, and continuous testing to turn low CTRs into high conversions.
Cold Email Click-Through Rate Benchmarks and Key Metrics
How Email Deliverability Affects Click-Through Rates
Your emails won’t generate clicks if they never make it to the inbox. Deliverability is the backbone of any cold email campaign. Even the most persuasive copy and irresistible offers will fall flat if your messages end up in spam folders. As of Q3 2025, optimized campaigns had an average inbox rate of 72.9%, while 8.6% of emails were flagged as spam.
Modern email providers don’t just scan for trigger words anymore - they use advanced AI to analyze context, intent, and how natural your messages sound. They’re looking for signs that your domain is reliable and that recipients actually want your emails.
Three key elements determine whether your emails reach the inbox: domain authentication, consistent warm-up activity, and ongoing deliverability monitoring. These factors work together to build your sender reputation, which is like a credit score for email providers - deciding whether your messages land in the inbox or get filtered out.
Setting Up Domain Authentication and Building Sender Reputation
Domain authentication is how you prove to email providers that you’re a legitimate sender. Without it, your emails might look like they’re coming from a spammer. To get started, set up three critical DNS records: SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance). These records confirm that emails sent from your domain are authorized.
Start with SPF and DKIM, then add DMARC with a p=none policy to monitor results without affecting delivery. Once everything is running smoothly, you can switch to stricter policies like p=quarantine or p=reject to protect your domain’s reputation. A p=reject policy is becoming the standard for trusted senders, while weaker policies like p=none are increasingly seen as red flags.
It’s also a good idea to use a dedicated sending domain or subdomain (e.g., getcompany.com instead of company.com) to keep your main business domain safe. Beyond authentication, focus on maintaining strong engagement metrics. Aim for a bounce rate below 1%, a spam complaint rate under 0.01%, and a deliverability rate above 96%. To help with this, implement a sunset policy that removes contacts who haven’t engaged after 5–7 emails.
Automating Email Warm-Up with Warmforge
When you start using a new domain or email address, your sender reputation begins at zero. Sending a large volume of cold emails right away can trigger spam filters. That’s where email warm-up comes in - it gradually builds your reputation by simulating positive email activity.
Warmforge automates this process with AI that mimics human-like interactions. It sends emails between warm-up accounts, opens them, replies, and even moves messages from spam to the primary inbox. This creates the signals email providers look for to confirm your domain is legitimate and your emails are welcomed. A good approach is to start with 5–10 emails per day and slowly increase to 30–40 per inbox over 2–3 weeks.
Even if your domains are performing well, continuous warm-up is essential. Gabriel Martínez, Founder of Reachflow, explains:
Even when your domains are performing well, you should never stop warming up the mailboxes... It's basically an insurance policy for your inbox placement.
Warmforge runs warm-up processes in the background during active campaigns, helping to maintain your sender reputation. The platform even offers one free warm-up slot for every user (for Google or Microsoft mailboxes), so you can test its effectiveness before scaling up.
Testing and Monitoring Email Deliverability
You can’t fix deliverability issues if you don’t know they exist. Placement tests show exactly where your emails land - whether it’s the primary inbox, promotions tab, or spam folder - across different email providers. This insight lets you catch and resolve problems early.
Warmforge includes placement tests to check how your emails are performing across major providers. It also offers health checks to scan your DNS and MX records, verify your authentication setup, and monitor blacklist status. Every account gets one free placement test per month, with additional tests available through Pro ($39/month for 100 tests) or Growth ($169/month for unlimited tests) plans.
Daily monitoring is another critical step. If you notice a drop in inbox placement, you can adjust your sending habits, clean your email list, or pause campaigns to prevent further damage. Taking action early can stop a downward spiral where poor placement leads to lower engagement, which then further hurts deliverability.
Writing Cold Emails That Get Clicks
Getting your email into someone’s inbox is just the beginning. The real challenge? Getting them to click. Your email needs to grab attention, speak directly to the recipient, and make the next step crystal clear. While deliverability ensures your message is seen, it’s the content that drives action. Three key factors decide whether your email gets clicked or ignored: a subject line that sparks curiosity, content that feels personal and relevant, and a clear, frictionless call-to-action. Let’s break down how these elements work together to boost your email’s performance.
Writing Subject Lines That Get Opens
Here’s a stat that might surprise you: nearly 43% of people open an email based solely on the subject line. That means your subject line is your first - and sometimes only - chance to make an impression. The trick isn’t being overly clever; it’s about being clear, concise, and relevant.
The best subject lines are short - ideally between 3 to 7 words or under 50 characters. In fact, one-word subject lines have been shown to generate an 87% higher reply rate compared to longer ones. Personalization also plays a huge role, with personalized subject lines being 26% to 50% more likely to be opened. But personalization isn’t just about slapping a first name in there. Mention their role, company, or even a recent achievement to show you’ve done your research.
A useful tip? Write your subject line after you’ve drafted the email. As Jason Bay from Outbound Squad puts it:
"If you saw a trailer, and it was completely unrelated to the movie, you might be pretty mad. Or the opposite can happen where the trailer might do the movie a disservice and not get you excited about watching it."
Your subject line should match the content of the email. Avoid tricks like fake "Re:" or "Fwd:" tags, all caps, or over-the-top punctuation - they can ruin trust and even trigger spam filters. Instead, focus on a single psychological trigger, like curiosity or value. For example, “Quick idea for {{companyName}}” creates intrigue, while “How 27 SaaS teams cut bounces” adds credibility by referencing industry peers.
Personalizing Email Content for Each Recipient
Gone are the days when adding a first name to an email counted as personalization. To stand out, your email needs to feel genuinely relevant to the recipient’s specific situation. Mentioning their company’s recent news, a LinkedIn post they shared, or a challenge their industry is facing shows that your message isn’t just another mass email.
Emails that reference prospects multiple times in a meaningful way tend to perform better, often leading to higher booking rates. Use “you” and “your” frequently to make the email feel conversational, and aim for a length of around 120 words - 75 to 125 words is the sweet spot. Too long, and you risk losing their attention; too short, and your message might lack context.
One effective approach is the "Tiramisu" strategy: start with a unique opening line that proves you’ve done your homework. For instance, instead of saying, “I noticed your company is growing,” try, “I saw your team just launched in the Chicago market - congrats on the expansion.” This level of detail shows you’re not just recycling a generic template.
Ditch generic greetings - they waste valuable preview text and can make your email feel robotic. Jump straight into why you’re reaching out and highlight what’s in it for the recipient.
Creating Clear Calls-to-Action
When it comes to calls-to-action (CTAs), less is more. Including multiple CTAs in one email can confuse the reader and dilute the message. Stick to one clear, low-friction ask. Instead of requesting a lengthy 60-minute demo, suggest a quick 10-minute call or share a link to your calendar.
Soft, interest-based CTAs like “Open to a demo?” tend to perform better, driving 30% more responses compared to open-ended questions, which only see a 13% response rate. These softer asks lower the barrier to engagement and make it easier for the recipient to say yes.
Use direct, benefit-driven language for your CTA. Instead of a generic “Click here to learn more,” try something like “Schedule Your Free Demo” or “See How We Cut No-Shows by 22%.” Personalized CTAs can perform 202% better than generic ones, and using descriptive anchor text for links (instead of pasting full URLs) can boost click rates by 3% to 5%.
Avoid placing your CTA in the subject line - it immediately signals a sales pitch and can land your email in the spam folder. Save your ask for the body of the email, making sure it flows naturally from the content.
With a strong CTA in place, the next step is refining your email’s design and targeting to maximize its impact.
Improving Email Design and Targeting
Getting emails delivered and crafting engaging content are just the starting points. To truly boost click-through rates (CTR), your email's design and targeting strategy need to hit the mark. Even the most well-written email can flop if it’s hard to read or irrelevant to the recipient. With 42% of people checking their emails on mobile devices, your design has to adapt to various screen sizes. At the same time, tailoring your message to the right audience can be the difference between a 1% CTR and a 5% CTR.
Designing Mobile-Friendly Email Layouts
Mobile users are often juggling tasks, so your email layout must grab attention immediately. Use short, 1–2 sentence paragraphs, highlight key points with bullet lists, and leave plenty of white space to make the content easy to scan. For cold emails, keep it concise - stick to 100 words or less to respect limited screen space and attention spans.
Responsive design is a must. Your HTML and CSS should automatically adjust to ensure the email looks great on phones, tablets, and desktops without breaking the layout. Place your call-to-action (CTA) button near the top and to the left, as these areas draw the most attention. Opt for HTML buttons instead of image-based ones - HTML buttons load faster and won’t be blocked by email clients that hide images by default.
Here’s how layout choices can impact performance:
| Layout Feature | Cluttered Layout | Clean Layout |
|---|---|---|
| Visuals | 5+ images, multiple videos, many colors | 1–2 high-quality, relevant images |
| Text Structure | Long paragraphs with unnecessary details | Short paragraphs, bullet points, whitespace |
| CTA Design | Multiple links competing for attention | One clear, easy-to-click button |
| User Outcome | Often ignored or deleted | Higher engagement and easier navigation |
Emails with just one or two relevant images see a 42% higher CTR than those without visuals. But overloading your email with too many images can create clutter, distracting from your message.
Of course, even the cleanest design won’t perform well if the email doesn’t reach the right audience.
Segmenting Your Audience for Better Targeting
Sending the same email to everyone on your list? That’s a quick way to lose engagement. Segmentation allows you to speak directly to the unique challenges of specific groups, making your outreach feel personal. This is especially important with cold outreach. By segmenting your audience based on research, you can move from cold to warm communication. For instance, categorize your list by industry, job role, or behavior. A CFO in healthcare faces very different challenges than a marketing director at a SaaS startup, and your email should reflect those differences.
Personalization goes beyond just adding a recipient’s name. Conditional logic can tailor your email’s greeting, tone, or even value proposition based on the recipient’s industry or role. And the numbers prove it: 71% of business leaders who surpassed their revenue goals used detailed buyer personas, compared to just 26% who missed their targets. Personalized cold emails are also 2.7 times more likely to be opened than generic ones.
When done right, segmentation lets you adjust everything - tone, examples, and CTAs - to resonate with your audience. For example, you might use a formal tone for enterprise executives but adopt a more casual style for startup founders.
If you’re running A/B tests, make sure your segments are balanced. For instance, if one group is mostly VPs and another is filled with managers, the results could be skewed by seniority rather than the variable you’re testing. Proper segmentation ensures that your optimization efforts are accurate and effective.
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Using Data and Testing to Improve CTRs
Once your email deliverability and design are in good shape, the next step is refining your campaign through data and testing. This is where A/B testing comes into play, allowing you to compare two versions of an email to see which one drives better engagement.
Running A/B Tests on Email Elements
A/B testing, often called split testing, involves sending two variations of an email to separate audience segments to identify which version performs better. The key is to change only one variable at a time so you can clearly understand its impact.
Start by testing elements that influence engagement the most. For example, subject lines have a big effect on open rates. You can experiment with different lengths, levels of personalization, or even emojis. Similarly, test your calls-to-action (CTAs) by comparing direct asks like "Schedule a call" against softer approaches like "Would you be open to a quick chat?" You can also try placing the CTA in different parts of the email. Other variables worth testing include send times (morning versus afternoon) and the sender's name (a personal name versus a company name).
| Element to Test | Variations to Experiment With | Primary Metric Impacted |
|---|---|---|
| Subject Line | Length, Personalization, Emojis, Tone | Open Rate |
| Email Body | Short vs. Long, Bullet points vs. Paragraphs | Reply Rate |
| CTA | Button vs. Hyperlink, Direct vs. Soft ask | Click-Through Rate (CTR) |
| Sender Name | Personal name vs. Company name vs. Name + Title | Open Rate |
| Timing | Morning vs. Afternoon, Weekday vs. Weekend | Open/Reply Rate |
For accurate results, run each test for 7–14 days to account for time zone differences. A good starting point is 100 to 200 recipients per variation, but for more reliable insights, aim for 1,000+ recipients per version. Look for a p-value of 0.05 or lower to confirm statistical significance.
Here’s an example: In 2023, Woodpecker.co tested subject lines on 200 web designers, splitting the audience into two groups of 100. Version A, "Tired of cutting web designs on your own?" was tested against Version B, "Your projects on Behance & a question." Version B outperformed Version A with a 25% open rate compared to 15%, resulting in a 30% overall boost in open rates. Similarly, a SalesBlink client named Bob conducted subject line tests and saw a 30% increase in open rates, significantly improving his campaign’s ROI.
Once you've tested your email elements, the next step is measuring the results and understanding what they mean.
Tracking CTR and Related Metrics
After running your tests, it’s essential to track performance metrics to evaluate success. Start with the open rate, which reflects how effective your subject line and sender name are. If your open rate is below 50%, it might be time to experiment with more personalized subject lines or different sender names.
Click-through rate (CTR) is another key metric, as it shows how well your email content and CTA resonate with your audience. A low CTR might suggest that your CTA needs reworking - whether it’s the wording, placement, or even the number of links in your email. The reply rate, on the other hand, measures how well your email’s personalization and value proposition connect with recipients. If you’re seeing high open rates but low replies, it might be a sign that the body of your email or the CTA isn’t compelling enough.
For cold email campaigns, aim for an open rate of 50% or higher, a click rate around 40%, and a reply rate of at least 8%. These benchmarks are much higher than the general industry averages, where open rates range from 18% to 22.7%, and click rates hover between 2.6% and 2.9%. If your results fall below these levels, it’s time to rethink your strategy.
Before blaming your content, check your email deliverability. Low open or click rates might be caused by technical issues like missing SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records rather than weak email copy. Tools designed to audit deliverability can help you diagnose and fix these issues.
Once deliverability is confirmed, tie your metrics to the variables you’re testing. For example, track open rates for subject line experiments, CTR for CTA or link variations, and reply rates for changes in personalization or email content. Keep detailed records of your tests and their outcomes. This documentation will save you from repeating ineffective strategies and help you refine a winning formula over time.
Conclusion
Improving your click-through rate (CTR) starts with aligning several key elements: deliverability, relevance, design, and testing. At the core is deliverability - your emails must land in the primary inbox to even have a chance. As Janet Choi from Apollo wisely points out:
If you're not proactively managing deliverability, you're not just losing opens - you're leaving revenue on the table.
To ensure this, focus on proper email authentication and maintaining a strong sender reputation.
Once deliverability is under control, shift your attention to content relevance and clarity. Personalized subject lines and targeted campaigns consistently outperform generic, one-size-fits-all approaches. Your email design also plays a critical role - opt for mobile-friendly layouts and include a single, clear call-to-action to minimize friction and guide readers effortlessly.
Then comes data-driven testing, which is essential for refining your campaigns. Use A/B testing to experiment with subject lines, call-to-actions (CTAs), and optimal send times. For reliable results, test with at least 100–200 recipients to achieve statistical significance.
Tools like Warmforge can simplify the process by automating email warm-up, monitoring deliverability, and running placement tests. They even offer a free warm-up slot and placement test each month, giving you a chance to assess effectiveness before scaling up. With deliverability taken care of, you can focus on fine-tuning your content and targeting strategies to maximize engagement.
Cold email campaigns can deliver an impressive ROI of up to 3,800%, but success depends on getting all the moving parts to work together. Start with a strong foundation in deliverability, craft emails that resonate with your audience, optimize for mobile devices, segment your lists effectively, and test continuously. When all these elements align, low CTRs can turn into reliable conversions.
FAQs
What is domain authentication, and how does it help improve email deliverability?
Domain authentication is all about proving that your emails are sent from a legitimate source. It’s a way to establish trust with email providers like Gmail and Yahoo Mail, helping ensure your messages don’t end up in the spam folder.
Using protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, you show email providers that your messages are genuine and authorized. These measures not only boost your email deliverability but also safeguard your domain from being exploited for phishing or spam attacks.
What are the best ways to personalize cold emails for better engagement?
Personalizing cold emails isn’t as daunting as it might seem - it just takes a few smart strategies. Start by using dynamic fields in your email platform. These can automatically pull in details like the recipient’s name, company, or job title, giving your email a personal touch without requiring you to do it manually.
Next, think about audience segmentation. Group your recipients by shared characteristics - like their industry or role - so your messaging feels directly relevant to their needs. But don’t stop at just tweaking the subject line. Incorporate specific details in the body of your email, highlight solutions that align with their challenges, and craft tailored calls to action (CTAs) that encourage engagement. Personalized CTAs, in particular, can make a big difference in how recipients respond.
By blending dynamic content, thoughtful segmentation, and customized messaging, you can create cold emails that stand out and feel genuinely relevant - boosting your chances of a positive reply.
Why is it important to consistently warm up your email account?
Consistently warming up your email account plays a key role in keeping your sender reputation intact and ensuring your emails land where they’re supposed to - your recipients’ primary inboxes. By gradually building trust with email providers and ISPs, this process minimizes the risk of your messages being flagged as spam or, worse, blacklisted. It’s like laying a solid foundation for better email deliverability.
Keeping up with a regular warm-up routine also helps you stay ahead of changes in email algorithms. This is especially important if you’re running cold email campaigns, where maintaining good standing with email providers is critical. Tools like Warmforge can simplify this task by automating the warm-up process. They simulate human-like email interactions, helping to protect your sender reputation and boost the success of your outreach efforts.