What Does "Open" really Mean?

[Stu123]

Hi everyone...and particularly Constant Contact tech folks. I have a question about what it really means when someone "opens" an email. I do not think it means what we all think it means. CC says I have 25,000+ "Most Engaged" folks. The definition is that people "regularly open and click your emails." (I cannot paste an image into this message. Only text is permitted.) Of those 25,000, over 1,000 do not satisfy that definition; and 5,000+ barely satisfy it. One guy opened 99% of the last 165 (163) emails sent but clicked NONE of them! Opened 163 but clicked none?!?!? That's not possible...if "open" means he manually clicked on the email in his Inbox to open it. So what does "open" really mean in a CC context? And what algorithm does CC employ that reports someone opening 163 emails yet clicking none of them? Clearly, no such person exists... Thanks. Stu

[DavidFischerSolutionsForGrowth · Accepted solution]

Stu, thanks for your question about open rates and click rates! It's a great one to understand when diving into email marketing.

Opens tell us how many people actually peeked inside your email. Constant Contact uses a tiny, invisible pixel (like a single dot) embedded in each email that gets activated when it's opened. Think of it as a silent signal that lets us know someone took a look.

Clicks happen when someone interacts with your email by clicking on a link. Maybe it's a link to your website, a special offer, or even just a "learn more" button. Each click shows an extra level of engagement with your message

Constant Contact tracks who opens and who does not and uses that information to segment your email list into people who engage the most...and those who don't. Should someone consistently delete the email without opening it, they would likely fall into the non-engaged segment.
I know how frustrating it can be when your email program is not delivering the results you're looking for. If you'd like to explore ways to ensure email best practices, please reach out.
David Fischer

[Stu123]

HI David.

Thanks for the answer. I gave you a thumbs up. How do I give you a kudos?

I am still perplexed about something: Why would someone open 163 of 165 emails yet not click on one? THAT is what causes me to wonder about how CC tracks opens. And there are more than 1,000 folks like that!

Overall, our open and click thru rates are solid. We send around 80,000 emails per day, seven days week. They concern sports collectibles. For the past 30 days, we are at 59% open and 2.3% CTR.  Thus, I am satisfied with how we are doing. I am just scratching my head over some of CC's metrics. 

If a CC employee contacts me,  can we go over specific examples? I am not able to share them here in a public forum. 

Thanks.

Stu

[Chris-S]

Hey Stu,

You make a good point, let me clarify. A thumbs-up is the same as a "Kudos" in the community. @Stu123. 👍

[DavidFischerSolutionsForGrowth]

Stu, thanks for the feedback, it's appreciated. Everyone's behavior with emails is different, so it's really not possible to answer the question about the 163/165 numbers.
Your open and click rates appear healthy so you must be doing something right. I am one of Constant Contact's Certified Solution Providers and a SuperUser in the Community (not an employee). Our agency (one of the largest ones among Solution Providers) manages a large number of emails and I'd be happy to take a peek at your emails (no charge). Sometimes a tweak or two can make a meaningful change in results. On a related note...one of our clients is in the sports memorabilia business, so I'm familiar with your industry!
Easily schedule a call or reach out through the website.
David Fischer