CTR stands for click-through rate. It measures how many people went from viewing your message to clicking on it. It is used in email, WhatsApp, SMS, ads, and banners. It indicates whether the content and the call to action sparked enough interest for people to take the next step.

Why does it matter?

A click is a stronger signal than opening an email or viewing an ad: the person chose to take the next step. A low CTR usually indicates that the offer isn't relevant to that segment, that the message isn't clear, or that the call to action is hidden.

Be careful with the basis for the calculation. For email, some teams divide by the number of emails delivered, while others divide by the number of emails opened (the latter is sometimes called CTOR). For ads, the calculation is based on impressions. Always specify which metric you’re using to ensure a fair comparison.

How is it calculated?

Formula: CTR = (unique clicks ÷ messages delivered) × 100

For example, if you send 8,000 emails and 240 people click on at least one link, the CTR is 240 ÷ 8,000 × 100 = 3%. For an ad, if it is displayed 50,000 times and receives 500 clicks, the CTR is 1%.

Story mode

An online sports store sends an email featuring ten products and three different buttons. The CTR is low. In the next campaign, it shows only the products from the category that each customer buys most often, with a single button. Lucía, a running enthusiast, sees three pairs of running shoes tailored to her needs and clicks on them. The CTR goes up because the message has become more relevant.

How to Use It with Data4Sales

• You segment by behavior and product affinity to show each customer what makes the most sense for them.
• With Orbis Creative, you can craft a unique message for each customer based on their data.
• The Pixel tracks what the customer browses after clicking, and you can make that data actionable in campaigns and workflows.
• Control group attribution measures the incremental revenue from each campaign, treating the click as the means and the sale as the result.

Related terms

• Opening rate
• Conversion rate
• Email marketing
• Attribution