Business owners often underrate the importance of email design. It’s mainly because email marketing as a whole is put on hold until the rest of the marketing operations are ready and running smoothly.

This is a mistake. Email marketing is the most effective way to retarget audiences. In fact, it has one of the best ROIs in any marketing strategy. Not many tools can boast 36 dollars of revenue for each dollar spent.

Moreover, emails provide higher conversion rates, transactional rates, and 21% more purchases, thanks to recovered abandoned carts.

However, just sending any email is not enough to gain these benefits. You need to consider the email’s design. A great email design will enhance your overall performance immensely. Sure, your CTR and conversion rate will be the most noticeable changes for the better, but the benefits are far more. The enhanced user experience will drive customer satisfaction levels to new heights. And, as you know far too well, a satisfied customer is a buying customer. Furthermore, this is a unique opportunity to reinforce your brand identity. In the long term, this will enhance your overall authority and credibility, leading to even better results.

However, to open this chest of gold, you must know how to design your email properly. Though copy is important, how your website looks is far more critical, as otherwise, no one will care enough to read your copy. With this being said, we’ve prepared a list of 17 email designer tips that will be instrumental to your success.

So, Let’s have a look.

Always Stay On Brand

Every email you send must scream your brand. It must be instantly recognizable, and users must be able to tell who sent it from the very first glance. Consistent branding will give your email an enormous credibility boost. Recognizable logos, fonts, colors, and styles will capture the attention of any user far before any copy. So, by branding your email, you will actually watermark your messages, essentially saying, “Yes, that’s us.” This step also prevents scammers from using your name and brand to extract money. This is especially true if you have unique fonts and typography, which are hard to come by.

So, by enhancing the user’s trust in your email, you increase the chances of them following your CTA. It also stands out from the vast pollution of spam mail and unwanted newsletters, so the user will instantly recognize this email and what it is most likely all about.

For example, if you send your subscribers a special offer each Wednesday, they will instantly know what the email is all about only by seeing your brand. Thus, their brains will release dopamine, making their association with your brand a pleasant one. Naturally, this will lead to more purchases.

So, to help you with the demand, you need to create a master template. This way, your email will have the same aesthetics, fonts, sizes, and general placement. Since you will be sending more than one type of email, it’s wise to have a few of these templates—at least one for each type. That way, you will drastically reduce the time spent creating your email from scratch. But more importantly, you will be able to maintain the all-important consistency.

Use The Design To Highlight Pain Points

Now, brand personality is essential, but as emails are a marketing tool, you have to concentrate on what your audience cares about. Email design can help you significantly in this direction.

So, while placing your logo in the header is a great idea, the headline of your email should focus on a particular benefit the reader will receive if they follow the CTA.

Take, for example, this email from Business Insider:

The logo is in the header, making the branding visible but unobtrusive. Then, the headline is what instantly captures your attention. The giant 80% instantly gives you an idea of what to expect. The subheadings also list benefits. As you can see, “cancel anytime” is a regular text. That’s because the sender doesn’t want you to focus on the fact that you can quit. Yes, it’s there, but don’t think about it.

Then there is this Bitly email:

The headline is not what you, as a customer, need but rather what they want. Moreover, such a headline can bring anxiety, as it can bring back memories of your parents sitting you down for a talk.

So, naturally, the Business Insider will have much better results, as people will at least hear them out.

Remember, There Are Dark And Light Modes

When creating your template, remember that users can choose either dark or light modes on their devices. This means your email should accommodate both options. Now, there are some platforms that allow you to create both options, and the user can choose which one to see. However, your goal is not to make additional steps for the recipient. So, ensuring your email design looks equally good in light and dark mode is far better.

So, consider a neutral background color that perfectly represents your brand. We strongly recommend against using white for your background. Sure, it will do the trick, but at the same time, it’s way too aggressive when the user purposefully decides to use a dark mode. Your email gouging his eyes out with its whiteness will force the user into a defensive demeanor. This will lead to a reduced chance of reading the email. If that’s a repeated offense, the user will unsubscribe. So stick to soft, pleasant colors that represent your brand.

Follow Accessibility Best Practices

Now, when it comes to emails, you need to make them as accessible as possible. This way, you will be able to tap into an audience that most brands regularly ignore. Following some basic best practices will not only enlarge your outreach but also ensure that some underprivileged groups that often remain outside the market scope will have access to your email content.

Naturally, showcasing your commitment to helping them be a part of your community will be greatly appreciated. Moreover, it will lead to an instant CTR increase, as a brand that goes through the trouble of making its emails accessible will surely have done the same for its website.

So, there are a few things you should stick to.

First and foremost, make sure to add alt text to all images. Furthermore, stick to short and descriptive subject lines, preview texts, and ensure all important information is outside the pictures. This will help people with impaired sight to understand what the email is all about.

Furthermore, use contrasting colors and make sure your headers between sections are large and easily readable. This way, people with difficulties will receive your message loud and clear.

Responsiveness Is Everything

With 75% of people sharing that they check their email on the go, it’s obvious that mobile-friendly email designs will yield much better results. Luckily, most email design tools offer an instant mobile conversion, so you don’t have to worry too much about coding. Still, there are a few things that you need to consider.

First and foremost, you must align your subject and preview text with mobile inbox requirements. While the desktop will allow you to go up to 60 characters (spaces included), the mobile email inboxes allow no more than 30 – 35 if you want every single smartphone to show your subject line in full.

Next, make sure your email is in a single column. This is the most efficient way to ensure the reader will see all of the intended information.

Then, there is the size of the copy. The subheadings should be at least 22 in size, while the regular text should be 14 at the minimum. This way, the readers will be able to receive the message much more clearly and without a hassle. Something more. Many would just close the email entirely if they had to zoom in or force their eyes to read it.

So, making sure mobile users are able to read your email easily and comfortably will ensure a higher percentage of them will actually click on the CTA.

Of course, if you want your conversion rate to increase as well, you have to ensure your web design is just as responsive and accommodating to the mobile audience.

Use Visual Hierarchy

If you have no idea what visual hierarchy is, we urge you to read this article first. It will help you greatly not only with your emails but with any type of content you decide to make.

Essentially, the visual hierarchy will help you establish a customer journey and effectively focus the reader’s attention on the most important elements of the email. This will significantly improve the email’s readability. However, even more importantly, it will increase the message’s scanability without sacrificing important information. Users often take a quick look at an email without reading the whole thing. So, if you create a visual hierarchy, their eyes will instinctively follow precisely the path you intended, making it far more likely to click on the CTA.

How to Create Visual Hierarchy

So, how do we create this hierarchy? Well, for emails, there are two main ways to do it. Firstly, make sure to use the proper font sizes and contrasting colors to ensure the most important parts of your message stick out. Then, integrate the Z or inverted pyramid layout.

Users, at least most of them, are easily predictable when it comes to how they will read a particular email. In Western society, we read from left to right, up to down. So that’s how every single user scans any content. Emails are no different. So, using the Z or zig-zag layout will allow you to keep the reader’s attention to the end of the email. However, make sure to add interesting elements or information throughout the copy in strategic places. For example, on the right corner right before the fold, you must place something important to rehook the reader. Often, users will jump right to the end of whatever is on the screen to see how it ends. So, if you want to keep them interested, here is your chance.

Then, there is the inverted pyramid layout. This one is by far the most popular. The idea is to grab the reader’s attention at the very top and draw them down slowly, focusing their attention by narrowing the content’s width. Usually, the CTA button is at the bottom of this funnel.

These are the two patterns that work most effectively on emails. Still, you must apply more aspects of the visual hierarchy to increase your CTR even further.

Use The Design To Personalize

One of the biggest advantages of email marketing is the ability to personalize the content. You already have significant and valuable data on the recipients. So, make sure to utilize it to attract their attention. Your email design should take a leading role in this endeavor.

Of course, to personalize the design, you need to have clearly segmented email receivers. So, make sure to put the subscribers in relevant groups. For example, those who bought a product should be in one segment, and those at the top of the funnel must be in another. The same goes for people in New York and those in Texas.

The most valuable segmentation, however, is zero-party information—the one that users give you personally in surveys, quizzes, and on-site forms.

Once you’ve divided your subscribers into groups, it’s time to create different templates for each group.

When it comes to the design, the precise personalization depends on the segment you are targeting. For example, if one email is being sent to people who have already bought a product, you might want to remind them that they have this product and that some other products will complement it. On the other hand, this information is irrelevant to people at the top of the funnel, so you must hide it. Luckily, most email builders allow you to show or hide some bars or features from specific segments. This will make your whole job much easier. You wouldn’t have to create a template for every segment, but just a few additional blocks.

Include a GIF

A great way to ensure you will capture your audience’s attention is to add some moving elements to your email. People are programmed to focus on moving objects instinctively—it’s our hunter instinct. So, great email designs implement this.

Now, it’s essential to make sure the moving element is actually of consequence. It can be the CTA, but a far better strategy is to make your main offer the center of attention. For example, making your offer blink or tremble instantly draws the user’s attention. Of course, ensure it’s not annoying, as this will cause an instant unsubscription.

Keep The Header Simple

The email header is an important section, but it must be highly unobtrusive. The header’s main purpose is to represent your brand and provide some personalized information. It’s not about the main message. As such, it should remain minimalistic and discreet.

Now, the best email headers rarely have anything more than the brand logo. However, they can also list a fundamental benefit of your brand regardless of the main message. Still, it should remain there, at the corner of the eye.

For example, if you offer free delivery to all your products, regardless of the product, you can add it to your header just to solidify your brand’s policy.

Still, keep in mind that the header is the brand’s domain, so don’t mix product advertisement with brand advertisement.

Keep CTAs simple

The CTA is arguably the most important feature of your email. So, if enhancing your CTR is your top priority, there is some essential designer advice regarding your Call To Action. Keeping it simple is probably the most important of them.

As always, a good CTA doesn’t leave readers guessing what to do. So, get straight to the point. Keep it short, sweet, and simple. In the email, there is no such thing as a CTA segment. Instead, you only have a button.

Now, an email can have multiple CTAs. However, make sure to focus your reader’s attention only on one of them. Diverting their attention in multiple directions will cause more harm than good. Plus, you can always A/B test which CTA will bring you the most value.

See how Board Game Arena placed their main CTA visually separate and bigger than the three other CTA? It even has a different copy.

If you have two CTAs close to each other, and one of them is the main one, make sure they are clearly distinguishable. For example, if you offer more than one service tier, make sure to separate them visually. Moreover, choose the one you think will make the most impact and use your brand’s colors (the one you use on your website’s CTAs).

Make The CTA Instantly Visible

Now, when it comes to email, you need to understand that people are not prone to give them too much time. They have to be straight to the point and instantly provide all the needed information. Emails, especially sales emails, are not the place to give lengthy details. Depending on the targeted segment, they can be either sales or lead generation tools. In both cases, users will skim your email at best, and only if they find your primary offer interesting, they may read the rest.

So, to ensure all your information is instantly visible, place your CTA right before the fold. This way, the user will be able to see the three most important parts of your email—the branding (the header), the offer (the headline), and the solution (the CTA).

Focus On Low Commitment CTAs

When you put someone on the spot, they are often reluctant to agree, even if they have the need and the offer seems good. So, instead of putting them on the spot, try to change your CTA with a low-commitment alternative.

In other words, instead of using “Buy Now,” go for “Learn more,” “Check it out,” or even “Browse our collection.”

These CTAs don’t require commitment and are not focused on finalizing the transaction. Thus, the email reader will be more comfortable clicking the button to learn more about the product and the offer.

Forget about Image CTAs

Finally, don’t integrate your CTAs into images. This will make A/B testing much harder, and each small change to the CTA will require a new design. This may sound like a small step that doesn’t really increase your overall CTR. However, A/B testing is essential in finding the best copy and CTA for your email. So, making it easier on yourself will make improving your overall click-through rate far more effortless.

Never Prioritize Images Over Copy

While images are important and surely draw attention, the copy is the one that will sell your product and drive up your CTR. So, you must find the delicate balance between the two.

Now, the urge to include as many images of your product as possible in the email is completely understandable. After all, you want your product front and center. However, image-heavy emails are also slow to load, especially if the user’s internet connection is not great when they open them.

Moreover, while the images are responsible for the branding and overall vibe of the email, the text delivers the message. So, finding the right balance is key to enhancing your CTR.

Use The Footer Effectively

Once you’re done with the CTA design, it’s time to pay some attention to the footer. This is the place where you will include much of the additional information that’s not related to the current message. For example, you may add a preferences link, where subscribers can give you zero-party information on what they want to get. This is also the place where you will put other features that will enhance your credibility – your business address, social media accounts, and, once again, your logo.
Still, you can also add other tokens to your brand culture. Some add a personal message. Others just add their slogan. It’s up to you. The best part is that the footer is at the bottom, after the CTA and the important information, so it doesn’t matter how long you make it, as long as it doesn’t get boring or distasteful.

Include an Unsubscribe Link

The unsubscribe link is the most important link in your footer. This is the link that allows your subscribers to refuse any new messages from you. We understand why you might be reluctant to add such a button, but those are essential for complying with various regulations all around the world.

Regardless of the regulations, you have a genuine interest in the unsubscribe button as well. You don’t need audience members who are not interested in what you have to offer. This will only dilute your stats and won’t give you a clear picture of your email’s success. So, instead of manually clearing your list, let it clear itself.

Most importantly, if your email doesn’t have the unsubscribe option, users will likely flag it as spam. This will be a massive blow to your overall email marketing campaign. When enough people flag you, email providers send your letters directly to spam.
Still, you can make some effort to mask the unsubscribe button with a bit more discrete word choices. Check out what Booking’s unsubscribe button looks like:

Sure, their Footer is definitely not the best, but the copy choice for the unsubscribe link is simply gold.

So, while the unsubscribe button doesn’t help increase your CTR, it helps it remain intact.

A/B Testing Is The Key

Finally, once your email is ready, it’s time to test it. Now, keep in mind that there are no design patterns that are set in stone. There are many minor tweaks you can make to better your performance. For example, some vendors add social proof from third-party websites in their emails. They often do it in the body of the email, and it works pretty well. What you add to your email depends on your industry, niche, and, most of all, the type of email.

Now, you might wonder, “How do you know it will work.” You don’t. Actually, you need to get some data to learn which will be the best option for your particular case and audience. So, this is where A/B testing comes around.

Now, when you’re doing an A/B test, you can check on anything. You can even test two completely different designs. As long as you have a clear goal of what you want to learn, there are no wrong A/B tests. However, make sure the results are conclusive before you scrap one of the solutions.

As you can guess, finding the design that will click with your audience will instantly skyrocket all your performance stats. So, while everything in this list is pretty much tried and tested, before you check it yourself on your own product, you can never be confident whether there is a better solution.

What’s next?

With an increased CTR, you will enjoy far more visitors to your website. So, make sure your hosting infrastructure can handle it all. In fact, one of the biggest problems in email marketing is that the website is not ready to take on the surge of visits during the campaign. As you will be sending hundreds (if not thousands) of emails simultaneously, people will reach your website in a very short period. This will put your servers to the test, and they will often crash under the weight.

Well, not if you use HostArmada as your hosting provider. Our cloud-based infrastructure guarantees your website will be online 99.9% of the time. Moreover, our generous buffers will ensure all your visitors will enjoy lightning-fast loading time and zero lag.

So, if you’re not among the lucky website owners who already have HostArmada hosting, check out our plans and choose the one that will best suit your needs.