5 concrete solutions for better email open rates

1. Start at sign-up: lay the foundation for engagement

A good open rate doesn't begin when you send your email, but the moment someone subscribes. Sounds logical, but it's often overlooked.

Attract interested readers from day one

People who sign up for your newsletter need to know what to expect. Be clear about how often you'll email and what you'll send. Tell them right away what kind of content they'll receive: exclusive tips, product news, or inspiring stories? Transparency ensures that only genuinely interested people subscribe.

Remove inactive contacts from your list

It might sound counterintuitive, but a smaller, engaged list performs better than a large, inactive one. Contacts who haven't opened your emails in months drag down your open rate and can even harm your deliverability.

Send regular re-engagement campaigns to inactive contacts. Give them one last chance to show renewed interest. No response? Remove them from your list. This improves not only your open rates but also your sender reputation with email providers.

Use double opt-in

With double opt-in, new subscribers confirm their subscription through a confirmation email. This ensures that only people who are genuinely interested make it onto your list. It may seem like an extra hurdle, but you'll get quality contacts in return who actually want to read your emails.

2. Grab attention with a strong subject line and preheader

Your subject line is your first—and often only—chance to make an impression. Together with the preheader, it determines whether your email gets opened or ignored.

Write subject lines that spark curiosity

A good subject line generates interest without misleading. Avoid clickbait like "You won't believe what just happened!"—that might work once, but it damages your credibility long-term.

Try these approaches:

• Ask a question: "Which style suits you best this winter?"
• Use numbers: "5 books you can't miss this fall"
• Create urgency: "Flash sale ends tonight at midnight"
• Personalize: "Linda, new houses just listed in your area"

Keep it short and punchy. On mobile devices, subject lines often get cut off after 30-40 characters, so put your most important words up front.

Don't forget the preheader

The preheader is the text that appears right after your subject line in the inbox. It's too often neglected, causing email clients to automatically display the first sentences of your email. That sometimes leads to disasters like "Can't see this email? View it in your browser."

Use the preheader to complement your subject line, not repeat it. If your subject line is "New collection launched!" add something like "Discover the items everyone's talking about."

Want more tips on powerful preheaders that boost your open rates?
Check out our blog packed with practical tips and examples.

Or use our AI subject line and preheader generator that automatically applies all best practices and gives you 4 suggestions based on your chosen tone of voice and goal.

3. Choose a sender name that resonates

Your sender name plays a big role in whether someone opens your email. Yet this detail is often neglected.

Make it personal

People prefer opening emails from "Evelien at Flexmail" rather than "info@flexmail.be". A personal sender feels more trustworthy and invites engagement. It gives your brand a human face.

Choose a consistent sender name and use it in every email. Your contacts will learn to recognize it and associate it with valuable content. Don't keep switching between different senders—that creates confusion.

Test different sender names

Not sure which sender name works best? Test it. Try a personal name versus your company name, or a combination of both. Analyze which variant delivers the highest open rates and adjust your strategy accordingly.

4. Use segmentation: send relevant content

Not everyone needs to receive all your emails. In fact, they don't want to. Segmentation ensures you send the right message to the right person.

Divide your list into relevant groups

Segment your contacts based on criteria like:

• Interests: What did they indicate they were interested in when they signed up?
• Behavior: Which links have they clicked in previous emails? Which products have they viewed on your website?
• Customer journey stage: Are they a new subscriber, active customer, or haven't engaged in a while?
• Demographics: Depending on your audience, age, location, or job title might be relevant.

The more specific your segmentation, the more relevant your content becomes. And relevant content gets opened more often.

Start small and scale up

You don't need to create twenty different segments right away. Start with two or three clear groups. For example: new subscribers versus existing customers. Or: people interested in product A versus product B.

As you learn more about your audience and their preferences, you can refine your segmentation further.

Test your assumptions

Think you know what your different segments want? Test it. You might discover that a group you thought was inactive simply finds different content interesting. Or that your supposed best customers are less engaged than you assumed. Let the data tell you the truth.

5. Find the best send time for your audience

There's no universal perfect send time that works for everyone. What's ideal for your audience depends on their daily routines, preferences, and behavior.

Use general guidelines as a starting point

Research shows that Wednesday mornings and Tuesday afternoons often perform well for B2B emails. For B2C emails, Saturday mornings and Sunday evenings sometimes score surprisingly well. But these are averages—your audience might behave differently.

Use A/B testing to find your ideal timing

Test different send days and times systematically:

• Send the same email at different times to comparable segments
• Compare the open rates
• Repeat with different types of content

After several tests, patterns will emerge. Maybe your audience opens emails mainly in the evening after work. Or early in the morning with their first cup of coffee.

Consider the context

A newsletter with a weekly roundup might work better on Friday afternoon when people are winding down their week. An urgent promotional offer, on the other hand, might perform better on a busy weekday when people are actively checking their email.

Improving open rates: expectations and reality

The five solutions in this blog aren't quick fixes that will deliver thousands of new opens tomorrow. They're fundamental improvements that will structurally lift your open rates to a higher level. Start with one or two changes, measure the impact, and build from there.

And with the right tools, like Flexmail, it becomes much easier. From smart segmentation to A/B testing—you don't need to reinvent the wheel.

But let's keep things in perspective: an unopened email isn't a disaster. In fact, even inactive subscribers have value for your business. They can still convert without opening your emails. Discover why your inactive email subscribers are worth their weight in gold and how to strategically leverage them.

Focus on improvement, not perfection. Every step you take to increase your open rates brings you closer to your goals.