---
title: "How to send good email – opens, clicks, conversions - The Intercom Blog"
description: "Email open rate, which relies on a tracking pixel being loaded, is an unreliable metric because modern clients let users read without opening. Reader fatigue is inevitable as a list grows, and the only cure is staying relevant. Subject lines and sender fields have the strongest effect on opens; simple, personal lines like “Dinner?” performed well for a political campaign. Click-through rates are more accurate, and the first two links get most of the clicks, so the call to action must be prominent. Links should be visually obvious and placed predictably, as weak styling halves their click-through rate. The core advice is to write about what the reader wants to know, not about the product, and to test the email on a stranger before sending."
---

# How to send good email – opens, clicks, conversions - The Intercom Blog

[Intercom](https://yomu.fyi/company/intercom) · Oct 13, 2026

**Type:** Explainer

## Summary

Email open rate, which relies on a tracking pixel being loaded, is an unreliable metric because modern clients let users read without opening. Reader fatigue is inevitable as a list grows, and the only cure is staying relevant. Subject lines and sender fields have the strongest effect on opens; simple, personal lines like “Dinner?” performed well for a political campaign. Click-through rates are more accurate, and the first two links get most of the clicks, so the call to action must be prominent. Links should be visually obvious and placed predictably, as weak styling halves their click-through rate. The core advice is to write about what the reader wants to know, not about the product, and to test the email on a stranger before sending.

## Context

The post addresses common pitfalls in email marketing, particularly reader fatigue and click fatigue, and provides practical guidelines for improving open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.

## Approach / What changed

The post advises segmenting readers, using clear subject lines and sender fields, making links obvious, and writing from the customer’s perspective.

## Takeaways

- Open rate is unreliable because mail clients can preview content without loading the tracking pixel; it is not a strong measure of email success.
- The first and second links in an email receive the vast majority of clicks, so the call to action must be placed early and made visually obvious.
- The most effective email writing strategy is to focus on what the reader wants to know next, not on the product, and to test the email on a stranger before sending.

## FAQ

### Why is open rate an unreliable metric?

Email clients now load previews that allow reading without the tracking pixel being downloaded. This means an email can be fully read without registering as an open, making open rates inaccurate.

### Where should I place a call to action link?

The first two links in an email account for the vast majority of clicks. Therefore, burying the primary call to action as a later link will sharply reduce click-through rates.

### How can I combat reader fatigue over time?

Reader fatigue is natural as a list grows; people who once engaged may later find content repetitive. The only durable countermeasure is staying relevant, which has no quick fix.

**Tags:** [Customer Engagement](https://yomu.fyi/topic/customer-engagement), [Email Marketing](https://yomu.fyi/topic/email-marketing), [Marketing](https://yomu.fyi/topic/marketing)

- Source: [Intercom](https://www.intercom.com/blog/email-101-opens-clicks-conversions)
- Source URL: https://www.intercom.com/blog/email-101-opens-clicks-conversions
- Ingested by Yomu: 2026-10-13T18:00:36.138Z

[Read original post](https://www.intercom.com/blog/email-101-opens-clicks-conversions)