How Much Will Personalized Images Improve My Click-Through Rate?
This is the question we're asked most often. The honest answer is that we can't give you a number, and you should be wary of anyone who does.
Some websites promise improvements of 300% or more, without any data to back it up. Your results depend on your audience, your offer and how you use personalization. The only reliable way to know is to test it yourself.
What affects your results
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Does your audience know you? | People who already know your brand are more likely to click. Personalization can make a bigger difference with cold audiences, where you need to stand out. |
| How personal is it? | Just a first name has some effect. Details that show you understand them, such as their company, website, location or last purchase, have much more. |
| Is it relevant? | A personal image works best when it's part of a useful message, such as a new product they'd like, an upcoming event or something left in their basket. |
| Is the data accurate? | A wrong name or a missing value does more harm than no personalization at all. Always set fallback text for missing details. |
| Where is it? | An image near the top of an email, with a clear call to action next to it, gets more attention than one at the bottom. |
What the research says
Although we can't promise a figure, there is strong evidence that personalization improves marketing, engagement and click-through rates.
In research by McKinsey & Company:
- 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions, and 76% get frustrated when this doesn't happen
- Personalization most often drives a 10% to 15% revenue lift, and between 5% and 25% depending on the company
- Faster-growing companies drive 40% more of their revenue from personalization than slower-growing ones
Further reading
- The value of getting personalization right or wrong is multiplying - McKinsey & Company
- The State of Personalization Report 2024 - Twilio Segment
- The 2024 State of Customer Engagement Report - OneSignal
- The State of Customer Messaging in 2023 - OneSignal
- 50 Stats Showing the Power of Personalization - Forbes
How to measure the difference
Run a simple A/B test to find out what personalized images do for your audience:
- Create two versions of the same email: one with a personalized image from OKZest, and one with a normal, generic image. Keep everything else the same.
- Split your list at random into two equal groups. Most email platforms, such as Mailchimp, Klaviyo and Instantly, can do this for you.
- Send both versions at the same time to at least a few hundred people each. With small numbers, the difference is often just chance.
- Compare the click-through rates, or better still, the sales or replies each version produced. Don't rely on open rates, because the image doesn't affect whether an email is opened, and some email apps open emails automatically.
- Keep the winner, then test something else, such as a different image, more personal details or a new position in the email.
Ready to try it? Create a free account. New accounts get 500 free images, which is plenty for a first test.