Email marketing isn't just about the email. We've covered what makes a good email before, and the short answer is that a lot of it happens outside the inbox. But there's one factor that doesn't get nearly enough attention: your website.
You can send a beautifully crafted newsletter to an engaged list and still see nothing in the bank. Before you write off email entirely, check whether your website is the problem.
Your Website, Bounce Rates and You
Your website is where your business actually lives online. Not your Facebook page, not your Instagram handle. Your website is what tells people who you are and what you do.
If you've never heard of bounce rate, that's a good place to start. A bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who land on a page and leave without clicking anything, filling in a form, or visiting another page. They came, they looked, and they left.
Here are the most common reasons for a high bounce rate, and how to fix each one.
Slow Pages
"I love having to wait for things!"
, said no one, ever.
When did you last check your page load speed? The general rule is that visitors will wait about five seconds before giving up.
Fix this by:
- Optimising your images, don't use more than you need, and keep file sizes down
- Upgrading your hosting, you get what you pay for, and cheap hosting often means slow servers
- Simplifying your design, custom fonts, JavaScript sliders, and heavy scripts all have to download before a visitor reads a single word
Unrelated Content
However you found this page, you came here looking for information about website problems that hurt your email marketing. You didn't come here for facts about badgers or pop-up ads.
The same applies to your subscribers. If your email promises something specific, the page it links to must deliver exactly that, immediately.
Fix this by: every time you link to your website from an email, confirm that subscribers land where they need to be, finding what they were promised.
Un-skimmable Content
TL;DR: Too Long; Didn't Read. You don't want that reaction on your landing pages.
The difference between content people actually read and a wall of text is structure: visuals, headings, subheadings, and short paragraphs. Without that structure, readers give up before you get to the point.
Fix this by: finding someone who has never seen your site and asking them to look at a page for five seconds. Then ask them what the page is about. If they can't answer, the layout needs work.
The Wrong Page Entirely
This ties into the check yourself before you wreck yourself principle. Before you send an email, are you sure every link goes to the right page?
A "Contact Us" link that dumps someone on your homepage isn't a contact link. A "get directions" button that goes nowhere useful is worse than no button at all. Don't make subscribers hunt for the thing you invited them to find.
Fix this by: checking that each link matches both the destination page and the reason you're sending someone there.
Poor Spelling and Grammar
Spelling mistakes on a website seem like a small thing. They aren't. A typo on a landing page can undo the trust your email just built.
Fix this by: installing Grammarly, it's free and catches most common errors before they go live.
No Calls to Action
Why am I here? Why are any of us here, really?
If you don't want visitors asking that on your landing pages, give them a clear next step. One obvious action, plainly labelled, is all it takes. If people aren't taking that step, the action probably isn't clear enough.
Fix this by: guiding your users through the process you want them to follow. Don't drop them on a page and expect them to figure it out.
Too Many Calls to Action
The opposite problem is just as damaging. Yes, you want data for segmentation and targeting. But asking for eight preferences, four contact methods, and a subscriber's middle name will send people straight to the back button.
Only ask for what you genuinely need, and use it for the purpose you collected it for.
Fix this by: asking yourself whether each field is truly necessary or just nice to have. Then ask whether you'd fill in that form yourself for the same payoff you're offering.
No Website at All
If you don't have a website, that's where this conversation has to start. Your website is your brand, your story, and your credibility online. No email campaign can compensate for its absence.
Fix this by: getting a website.
The Checklist
Here are the steps to work through, plus a handy infographic to download below.
- Landing pages load in under five seconds
- The page content matches what your email promised, and it's front and centre
- Your content is easy to skim and quick to understand
- Every link goes to the right page
- The audience receiving the email is the right fit for the page
- Your copy is professional and free of spelling errors
- There is a clear next step guiding the user forward
- That next step isn't competing with five other calls to action
- You only ask for information you actually need
- Your website represents your brand in a way you're proud of
Frequently asked questions
- What is a bounce rate and why does it matter for email marketing?
- A bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who land on a page and leave without taking any action. In email marketing, a high bounce rate on your landing pages means subscribers clicked through from your email but found nothing compelling enough to keep them engaged, which directly kills conversions.
- How fast should my landing page load for email marketing campaigns?
- Aim for under five seconds. Beyond that, most visitors leave. Compress your images, simplify your design, and make sure your hosting is up to the job.
- Why are my email open rates high but my conversions low?
- High open rates mean your subject line and sender reputation are doing their job. Low conversions usually point to a problem after the click: a slow page, the wrong landing page, unclear calls to action, or content that doesn't match what the email promised.
- How many calls to action should a landing page have?
- One clear call to action is usually best. Multiple competing actions create confusion and increase the chance that a visitor does nothing at all.