What Your Klaviyo Metrics Are Really Telling You — And What to Do About It
If you’re using Klaviyo to power your email marketing, you already know it’s one of the most powerful tools out there for eCommerce brands. But with all the data it provides, it can be hard to know what really matters — and what to do when the numbers are not where you want them to be.
In this post, we’ll break down the core Klaviyo email metrics, what they actually mean, and how to improve them with practical, proven strategies. Whether you're running campaigns or automations, understanding your data is key to scaling your email revenue efficiently.
Why Your Klaviyo Metrics Matter
Email marketing is not just about sending more emails — it's about sending better ones. Klaviyo gives you deep insight into how your emails perform, which tells you:
How engaged your list is
How effective your content and offers are
Where revenue is really coming from
Where leaks are happening in your email funnel
Once you understand the key metrics and what influences them, you can optimize for growth instead of guessing.
1. Open Rate
What It Means
Open rate tells you how many recipients opened your email compared to how many received it. This metric is heavily influenced by your subject line, sender name, and send time.
What’s a Good Open Rate?
For eCommerce brands, an open rate between 35% and 45% is solid for engaged lists. Anything under 25% often points to deliverability or relevance issues.
How to Improve It
Use curiosity-driven subject lines (e.g. "Your cart missed you" or "You’ll want to see this")
Test your sender name (try brand name alone vs. first name + brand)
Clean your list regularly to remove unengaged subscribers
Send at optimized times based on past engagement or Klaviyo's smart send time feature
2. Click Rate (CTR)
What It Means
Click rate shows how many people clicked a link in your email out of those who opened it. This reflects how compelling your content, design, and calls to action are.
What’s a Good Click Rate?
A typical CTR for eCommerce ranges from 1.5% to 3.5% depending on list segmentation and content.
How to Improve It
Focus on one clear CTA per email whenever possible
Use buttons instead of text links for visibility and higher click-through
Highlight product benefits, not just features
Include lifestyle imagery or product-in-use shots that make the offer feel real
3. Revenue per Recipient (RPR)
What It Means
RPR tells you how much revenue you are generating per email sent. It combines open rates, click rates, and conversion rates into a single ROI-focused metric.
What’s a Good RPR?
For campaigns, anything above $0.10 per recipient is a healthy benchmark. For flows, it’s common to see $1.00 to $3.00+ per recipient on high-performing automations.
How to Improve It
Segment your list and personalize based on behavior or product interest
A/B test product placements and offers
Optimize your landing pages to match email content and drive conversions
Use dynamic product recommendations in post-purchase and abandoned cart flows
4. Bounce Rate
What It Means
Bounce rate reflects how many emails were rejected by the recipient's server. A high bounce rate often damages your sender reputation.
How to Improve It
Use double opt-in to ensure valid email addresses
Avoid purchased or scraped lists
Remove inactive subscribers who have bounced or never engaged
5. Unsubscribe Rate
What It Means
Unsubscribe rate shows how many recipients opted out of your list after receiving an email. While some churn is natural, a spike often signals a problem with content relevance or frequency.
How to Improve It
Set expectations in your welcome flow about what type of content subscribers will receive
Give people frequency options or preference centers
Avoid sending every campaign to your entire list — use engaged segments
6. Spam Complaint Rate
What It Means
This shows how many people marked your email as spam. It is a key factor in deliverability and sender reputation.
How to Improve It
Make sure your emails look legitimate — use branded domains, no spammy phrases
Honor unsubscribe requests quickly
Avoid misleading subject lines or bait-and-switch content
Final Thoughts
Klaviyo’s analytics can be a goldmine — but only if you know how to use them. By tracking and improving the right metrics, you can make smarter decisions that lead to more clicks, more sales, and more loyal customers.
Need help interpreting your data and turning it into results? At Milhook, we specialize in email strategy, design, and optimization for growing eCommerce brands. Whether you need a one-time audit or full-service support, we’re here to help.
