4.37 billion. Any idea what the number signifies? Besides your dream bank balance, of course! Allow us – the number of email users in 2023, according to a study following email usage statistics since 1993. That’s well over half the world’s population. Among them are those that make up your target audience, aka potential quality leads and prospects that you can target with a marketing email design curated specially for them.
But with a potential market that strong, the competition is bound to be just as sizable. So to ensure your emails grab your audience's attention and hold on to it, your email design needs to be on point.
Yes, that sounds vainer than the Kardashian family. But it’s time to face the truth, people – aesthetics matter.
But again, it’s not all about attraction at first sight. There are several other email design guides you must keep in mind to get the conversions and the sweet, sweet click-through rates you’re looking for.
Let’s dive right into
A Complete Guide to Email Design Best Practices
All About Content
Yes, it’s not strictly an email design idea. But still, content is the backbone of any marketing strategy, and emails are no exception
An attention-grabbing email always has one thing nailed down – a catchy subject line. You can offer me free tickets to a Taylor Swift concert, but if your subject line is boring, I’m not clicking on it. Alright fine, I’ll click for Taylor either way, but you get the idea.
An effective subject line should have the following:
- Not too many words – keep it concise and to the point
- A prompt or a question – engage the reader directly
- Mention the value-addition – what the reader can expect to get out of this
Simple, But Eye-Catching
Your email design should be simple and easy to understand, but that doesn't mean it has to be boring. Use colors and graphics that complement each other, and ensure that your text is easy to read. Avoid using too many fonts and keep your layout neat and organized. Too much noise and the reader is likely to instantly go back to the inbox.
Pro tip: Use visual hierarchy techniques. Allow us to explain: Human beings are creatures of habit. Generations of evolutionary adaptations later, we have become adept at scanning and focusing our surroundings in a particular way. And we can leverage this to our advantage.
For example, the Z pattern.
This tactic makes use of eye movement patterns. We have the inclination to skip forward when responding to texts while reading left to right. By interspersing highly attention-grabbing content throughout the email design in this pattern, you can reduce the likelihood that readers may lose interest midway through.
On-Brand Email Design, Duh
When someone opens an email sent by you, it must be instantly clear to them who this was sent by. This means your email must reflect a consistent design and elements that are synonymous with your brand.
Consider the following strategies:
- Use a tone consistent with your other content and marketing tools (website, social media, etc.)
- Keep the fonts and colours uniform throughout your branding and marketing documents
- Include calls to action (CTAs) pertinent to your products, links to your social media, website, etc. Oh, and don't forget about the logo!
Optimization & Testing
Did you know that over 50% of emails are opened on mobile devices? That's why it's essential to optimize your email design for mobile. Keep your email design responsive, so it looks great on both desktop and mobile devices. And finally, use larger fonts and buttons, so they're easy to tap on mobile screens. You don’t want them to accidentally click on the unsubscribe button, do you?
Now, once you have your design, layout, and optimization ready, it’s time to start testing! Test your emails on different email clients and devices to ensure that your design is responsive and looks perfect everywhere. Don’t be wary about dabbling in a bit of A/B testing, especially when it comes to subject lines, CTAs, copy edits, etc. This will give you irreplaceable insights into which elements drive conversions and which ones are underperforming, and take your email campaigns a step closer to success!
Yapsody Campaigns
Yes, this is not really a tactic. It’s so much more than that! Okay, we know that there are plenty of email marketing tools out there. But it might still surprise you to find out the capabilities that Yapsody Campaigns possesses over others.
Aside from the obvious, yet mightily impressive 50+ free predesigned templates to suit your business needs, Campaigns also provides several other features that allow you to:
- Increase click-through rates
- Generate a buzz around your brand
- Boost conversion rates
And isn’t that an email marketer's ultimate dream?
So wait no longer! Click here to sign up today!
