How email design affects customer action
In the year 2020, 306.4 billion emails were sent and received, according to a report by Statista. In 2024, it is expected that this number will reach 361.6 billion.
While this looks like an opportunity on the surface, it reflects the intense competition that will prevail in the world of emails. No wonder, the average time spent in reading an email has reduced by 12% from 2018.
So, how will you convey the purpose of your email to your subscribers effectively and get them to take action?
The answer is: Create a well-designed email, considering all the best practices.
What is a good email design?
- A good email design guides the reading flow of the recipient and keeps them engaged.
- It lets them know the gist of the email without having to search for it.
- A well-designed email handholds the subscriber and encourages them to click on the CTA button.
With that said, let’s delve deeper into the email design best practices that you must bear in mind.
1. Clutter-free email design
Your email layout should be designed, keeping in mind the customer. Like Ian Brodie has said, think like the fish, not the fisherman. Include plenty of white space and steer clear of any distractions for the reader. Try to make the email as easy to navigate through as possible.
2. Visual hierarchy
Adhere to the inverted pyramid design model, according to which the top portion of the page is perceived as the most important. Add the logo at the top of the email, followed by the hero image and header copy, images, and relevant copy to go with it. It is a good idea to use grid-based layers to design a minimalistic, simplistic email.
Take a look at this email example by Invision to understand better.
3. Rich media and interactivity
We are programmed in such a way that we can consume visual information more easily than plain text. Therefore, you must always add relevant imagery to go with the copy. If you have too much information to showcase, you can consider using explainer GIFs or videos to convey the same. Alternatively, you can also use interactive elements like menu, accordions, and carousels to make the most of the limited space in the email. Add a suitable alt-text to go with every visual in the email. In case you have added any interactivity or gamification in the email, do not forget to give suitable fallback. This is important for subscribers accessing your emails on non-compatible email clients.
4. Accessible emails
It is imperative to follow email accessibility best practices so that your emails are understood by one and all. Sadly, 2.2 billion people all over the world are suffering from some form of vision impairment. To make your emails accessible to them, here are some points to remember:
- Always use semantic tags so that the screen readers can understand the flow of the email.
- Do not use too flashy images or GIFs with animations flashing between 2 Hz and 55 Hz.
- Use a proper color contrast, keeping in mind the color blind population in the world.
- Add headers and maintain a logical reading order in the email to facilitate screen readers to comprehend the hierarchy.
5. Responsive Emails
Designing responsive emails is a must because most of your subscribers prefer to access emails on mobile devices. Single column layout works the best to create mobile responsive emails that render well across all email clients and devices.
Ideal font size and spacing for mobile devices:
- Title font size: 22px or more
- Copy line width: 6 words with 12-14px font size
- Line spacing: 1.5x the font size
Over to you…
These are the most important email design best practices that you must follow without fail.
Source: Email Design Best Practices – Email Uplers
Kevin George is Head of Marketing at Email Uplers, one of the fastest growing custom email design and coding companies, and specializes in crafting professional email templates, PSD to HTML email conversion and free responsive HTML email templates in addition to providing email automation, campaign management, and data integration & migration services. He loves gadgets, bikes, jazz and eats and breathes email marketing. He enjoys sharing his insights and thoughts on email marketing best practices on his blog.
Email design stock photo by creativetan/Shutterstock
