As the second part of our email marketing step-by-step process series, we will dive deeper into designing an email. Designing an email for email marketing is not as easy as it looks, but it is definitely easier now compared to a decade ago. Today, there are pre-made templates that you can utilize to make the development more convenient.
Nonetheless, you should still be familiar with all the components when designing an email. When it comes to creating an email, you should create and view it as HTML for both desktop and mobile devices.
Text-Only Emails
Keep in mind that simpler phones call for elemental text emails. When we say text emails, this means the small, plain ones. The content is pure text. No images, no unnecessary clutter.
Now, since these are text-only emails, your copy should capture the attention of the recipient. In text-only emails, you don’t have images and multimedia to hide behind. Make sure that the copy converts.
HTML / Design Emails
On the other hand, HTML emails have a more complex design. Designing an email HTML can contain multimedia. This means images, videos, different fonts, hyperlinks, and etc. These are most common nowadays because multimedia helps capture a reader’s attention.
It’s important to remember that multimedia carries weight, and they will take longer to download on a user’s end. It also uses up more bandwidth so there’s a chance that users with low bandwidth won’t be able to open. This is why you should provide your audience the option to see your email in basic text or designed HTML.
Different Parts of Designing an Email
Here are the different parts of an email you should know when you’re designing an email. Check them out below.
Part 1: Sender Information
In this field, you will see the ‘to,’ ‘from,’ and ‘reply to.’ This gives you the unique and important opportunity to build a rapport with your readers. Use unique and personalized company email addresses to give your audience a sense of familiarity. For instance, using “jasmine@scalarly.com” as opposed to “no-reply@scalarly.com” gives your audience the chance to be familiar with the company. On the ‘from’ field, make sure you put the organization or the company’s name.
Part 2: Subject Line
The next piece of an email is the headline. It’s the main piece of an email. The subject is the primary thing your crowd sees. So when planning an email, ensure that the subject catches the consideration. It assists perusers with recognizing what the email is. It’s additionally the central factor for the perusers on the off chance that they should open the email or not.
Use consistent subject lines to ensure that the readers are familiar with you. Test different subject lines to find the formula that works for your company.
Part 3: Preheader
Your email preheader contains one or two lines that will be on display above your email header. Usually, this line of text will have a hyperlink that will redirect the readers to view the email online.
If it is achievable, it is fitting to include the Call to Action in the preheader. This will ensure that your readers will be exposed to your CTA even if they don’t necessarily read the whole email.
Part 4: Header
Another cool component when designing an email is the header or the banner. You can use banner images on top of each email. Usually, these are logos or a CTA image hyperlinked to your landing page.
Part 5: Personalized Greeting
An email, promotional or not, is not complete without a personalized greeting. Make sure that the greeting is personalized. Reading “Hi (customer name)” is always better than seeing “Dear Valued Customer.” Most of the time, companies also personalize the subject line to boost responses.
Part 6: Body
The body, or the copy is another important factor when designing an email. This is where the content goes. Here, you can add text, images, hyperlinks and even videos. But remember that the more multimedia you add, the heavier the email gets.
Use short paragraphs and emphasize the important parts by using bolding and colours. You can also use tables, bullet points and borders.
Part 7: Footer
Just like websites, emails also contain footers. These are often used to build consistency. It’s the customary place where you can add important info such as contact details, privacy policy, physical address, and etc.
You can also add social media sharing buttons and ‘forward to a friend’ links to help grow your email list. Footers should also have ‘Unsubscribe Links.’ In most countries, unsubscribe links are mandatory for commercial emails. This gives users the option to unsubscribe from your emails should they wish to.
Email Design Templates
As we mentioned above, there are a lot of email service providers or ESPs that offer email arrangements. These are all pre-made and setup templates that you can utiize for each email.
Naturally, you will want to change the filled slots in the appropriate sections. Make sure to use consistent templates for your emails to provide a sense of familiarity for your audience.
Remember that a hand crafted email layout will offer you the chance to design your own substance structure. It will likewise help guarantee that your email shows well across many email perusers and gadgets.
Whether you choose to use a pre-made email template, or hiring someone to do custom designs, it’s still important to test it. Test it with various email perusers, programs and cell phones. This will help guarantee that it shows accurately regardless of where the perusers open it.
Designing an Email Considerations
Now that we have discussed the different components of an email, here are important considerations you should look into. Majority are on the tech side.
- Keep it short and concise — whenever possible, keep your email short. This is because lengthy emails are difficult to read. Most readers do not read through the content. They just skim.
- Keep your important message highlighted — highlighted or segment the important content.
- Set a fixed width — a fixed width for your email will help keep the design together no matter what device it’s opened on.
- Keep fonts larger than 9px — this will make the content easier to read. Anything below 9px can be difficult to view.
- Test before you send — and of course, be sure to send test samples before sending them out to clients.
© Image credits to Tuesday Temptation
