Design

In the dynamic landscape of digital marketing, an email sign-up form serves as an instrumental tool in fostering connections between businesses and audiences.

As a precursor to long-term customer relationships, an email sign-up form fuels lead generation and enables businesses to personalize communication based on user preferences.

Here we'll explore the essential elements of an effective sign-up form, from design to copy to layout, supported by real-life examples and industry best practices. As well as discuss strategies to engage subscribers post-sign-up.

How to create a high-converting email sign-up form: The key elements

Crafting an email sign-up form that guarantees conversions hinges on assimilating key elements into your design. Here are six essential elements supported by industry statistics. Note that these aren't exhaustive but are a great foundation to begin with!

Simplicity

Simplicity is the cornerstone of any high-performing email sign-up design. Fewer fields translate into less work for a user, leading to higher sign-up rates. In fact, statistics reveal that reducing form fields from four to three can boost conversion rates by up to 50%.

It's important not to confuse simplicity with a lack of detail and clarity. For example, we don't want to keep the customer from important information (such as privacy details) for the sake of simplicity. Still, we don't need to include the entire Terms & Conditions on the sign-up page (this can be appropriately linked).

CTA Button

The Call-To-Action (CTA) button is another common element of a sign-up form. Making the CTA button stand out using a contrasting color can enhance conversion rates by 14.5%.

Read: What's the best CTA button color for emails?

Privacy Statement

Users are growing increasingly conscious of data privacy. A privacy statement offering assurance of data safety can increase form fill-outs by 19%.

For extra security, you can also include a double opt-in email. This email is sent automatically to your new subscribers with a link to confirm the email address. By doing this, you can highlight your commitment to subscriber consent and ensure email addresses have been entered correctly!

Incentives

Giving incentives act as persuasive agents for users to sign up for your emails. This could be in the form of a freebie, discount code, or free trial. But really, any content that is not accessible to those who have not signed up.

Google found that 90% of customers will share their email for an incentive, so it's highly likely to reap more rewards than any incentive will cost.

Design and Placement

 The visual appeal of a sign-up form and its strategic placement on your website can significantly influence user interaction.

For example, forms placed above the fold tend to capture significantly more leads than those placed below, as customers generally lose interest fast.

 You can also create a pop-up form that appears after a certain period or when you visit a certain number of pages on the site. Just ensure these don't "pop up" too quickly, or it can put potential subscribers off!

Testing and Monitoring

A/B testing and performance tracking of your forms can reveal critical insights. Businesses with a clear testing and monitoring strategy can generate up to 45% more leads.

Design Elements in Practice: Email Sign-up Form Examples

Now, let's explore some noteworthy examples of the best sign-up form practices.

These email sign-up forms have been chosen to highlight specific design, copy, and placement strategies for you to utilize, but of course, they are not exhaustive! We recommend researching your competitors and favorite brands and using this list as a guide for what to look for when aiming for a lead into a newsletter subscription email.

Using Minimalistic Design: Highway Robery

Highway Robery showcases how minimalism can lead to a compelling sign-up form. Their approach of "less is more" results in a design that's straightforward and free of clutter, allowing the user to focus on the sign-up process without unnecessary distractions.

They also use the contrast of black on the peach to make the CTA stand out, effectively guiding users to complete the sign-up.

It's got an engaging text that includes a brand-related pun and one input field, and the form contains no images, so the engaging copy is the main attention-grabber here.

The Power of Visuals: Primal Pet Foods

This sign-up form exhibits the power of engaging visuals. By pairing creative imagery with a simple form layout, they create a connection between their brand and the user's emotions.

This emotional engagement can boost conversions significantly. In fact, compelling visuals have been shown to increase user engagement by up to 94%.

Also, note the volume of information this sign-up form example requests. Alongside the email, they ask the subscribers for their name, zip code, and pet-related info. While this may seem long, they have cleverly utilized the UI and made two-question check circles much easier and quicker than writing and more likely to get responses!

This allows them to collect valuable customer information and tailor further communications effectively.

Providing Value Upfront: Sherwood Media Snacks

This sign-up form cleverly highlights the value proposition by promising a "3-minute newsletter with fresh takes on the financial news you need to start your day". They clarify what subscribers will gain from signing up, providing an immediate incentive.

Using Social Proof: LKR Social Media

LKR Social Media includes a quoted testimonial on their sign-up form, leveraging the power of social proof.

This establishes credibility and enhances trust, which can significantly increase sign-ups. 92% of consumers trust user-generated content more than traditional advertising.

Integrating an email sign-up form: SUMO

SUMO integrates its sign-up form into its homepage layout and utilizes the above-the-fold method mentioned earlier. This seamless design can increase sign-ups as it does not disrupt the user experience and feels like a natural part of navigation.

Engaging Your audience beyond the email sign-up form 

An effective email sign-up form is a fusion of design aesthetics, user psychology, and strategic thinking. And if you've made it this far, you're one step closer to transforming your sign-up form into a powerful lead-generating and customer-engaging tool.

The next step is to maintain their interest and engagement. An excellent way to initiate this engagement is by sending a welcome email. Welcome emailshelp generate 320% more revenue per email than other promotional emails.If you're ready to get started, explore our catalog of thousands of templates to help you attract, maintain, and nurture your audience. Happy designing!

The beauty of great email marketing templates is that they can both inspire you and allow you to work more quickly.Need to send an email in a flash? An email template is a great place to start. Looking for a beautiful design to execute an email marketing campaign, but don't have the time? Customizing a template is the way to go!While we love templates (I mean, we have built a catalog of over 1,500 templates), we do know that not all are created equally. Different templates serve different purposes, and choosing the right one is essential. Some things to consider when finding the perfect template for you are:

• Is this optimized for mobile?
• How will this show up in various ESPs?
• What is the goal of my email campaign? Does this template support that?
• Is it easy for me to implement my branding into this template?

With BEE Pro, we've made it easy for you to find the best email marketing template for you and your needs. In our catalog, you can specify the industry, usage, and season of your email. We even have a section for automated emails, such as an abandoned cart, confirmation, and transactional. By using BEE Pro for email templates, you also benefit from our easy-to-navigate, drag-and-drop editor, where you can fully customize the templates to fit your unique needs and brand. In each one, you can delete and add content, rearrange blocks, replace photos with your own or by accessing our free stock libraries, change button colors, and much more. The templates are all mobile responsive, too.Here are 13 of our favorite email marketing templates by BEE, so you can get inspired to make them your own!

1. Fashion Email Template

The Fashion Zine template is a great go-to option for any product feature or announcement, or even a content round-up. You can replace the great hero image and text with your own, then customize the following content blocks. There's plenty of white space here so this email feels fresh and breezy—perfect for any message you want to present with a modern, elegant vibe.

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

2. Email Templates for Coffee Shop

The Coffee Corner News template has a gorgeous dark background, no clutter-y navigation menu, and customizable modules for secondary content. This moody, minimal HTML newsletter template can be customized in a number of ways—replace the images and make it your own!

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

3. Download Freebie Email Templates

This Download Freebie template is an eye-catching blue with a unique white border. How much does that first CTA button pop, too? (Hint: keep it pink!) If you have a different call to action (other than download a freebie), simply update the text and images, and make the invitation suitable for your message.

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

4. Email Templates with Countdown

The Countdown to Elegancet emplate has a dynamic countdown timer and a built-in option to personalize the "Hello" greeting in the opener. This template is soft and soothing, with a simple, singular message.

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

5. Automated Email Templates

In the Cryptonboardingemail template, we have a great full-width hero image, followed by numbered modules with individual CTAs. This template is a great option for "getting started" and welcome emails, though you could also update it as an announcement or promotion message just as easily. We love the bold color scheme!

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

6. Email Templates for Photographers

If you're looking for a great dynamic photo grid, the Rose Photography template is a perfect place to start. It's an excellent choice for photographers searching for an email marketing template to showcase their work. Or you can use it to feature your products in a beautiful, elegant grid where the images are equally spaced and arranged neatly. Want to add a CTA button, too? Simply drag-and-drop one in, choose your colors and text, link it, and voilá!

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

7. Promotional Email Templates

Here's another option for a feature or promo message where you want to highlight a gorgeous hero image at the top. The Fashion Promotemplate is a sleek, minimal option that can be updated in minutes. And if you need to make a splash but don't have an image of your own, check out the free stock library!

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

8. Thank You Email Template

Ever just want to say Thank You? The Thank You email template is a simple, bright option for doing exactly that. Swap out the image and update the text to make it work for your brand and purposes.

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

9. Email Template for Food Delivery Services

Even though this template is about Food Delivery, you can customize it to be about just about anything. That's the beauty of templates. This one features large, easy-to-read text in modules with varying backgrounds—perfect for telling a story or stacking multiple pieces of content with unique images and CTAs.

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

10. Last Chance Email Template

BEE's free Last Chance template is fun, playful, and super handy. At the end of a sale, on the last day to sign up, or in the final hours of a free shipping promotion, it's so useful to nudge readers and remind them to act. An email like this one can be customized and sent quickly—just update the text and CTA button, and you're basically ready to roll.

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

11. Welcome Email Template

This bright, airy Welcomeemail template is a great place to get started when a new customer subscribes to your list or joins your network. The live text is super readable, the CTA button is easy to spot, and the entire email gives off a warm, friendly vibe.

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

12. Happy Birthday Email Templates

Everyone likes a happy birthday message. Use thisPopping Gifts template to send subscribers a celebratory message (and special promotion!) once a year.

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

13. Email Template for Lifestyle Brands

This Fashion Lifestyle template can be used in a variety of ways, especially if you have great product photos you want to feature. It's a great example of an email where a two-column design can come in handy, while still welcoming readers with a bold hero image to begin.

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

Ready to get started with BEE's free email marketing templates? There are dozens more to choose from in our library, and there's no signup required, so you can start designing immediately. Or you can choose to start from scratch and use our free email template builder. Go ahead, and have fun!

Make Email Templates Your Own!

Although each of these email marketing templates were created to serve a unique purpose, the great thing about them is that they're easily customizable. Love the layout of a template, but not so much the colors? Change them! Love the design of a flower shop template, but don't own a flower shop? Who cares! Change the copy and imagery to fit perfectly for your industry.BEE Pro makes it easy to customize HTML email templates, with features such as: brand style guidelines, reusable content blocks, co-editing, and more. The best part? it's free.Happy Designing!‍

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Editor’s Note: This post was updated on May 2023 to ensure accuracy and comprehensiveness. 

A product launch is the culmination of months or years of intensive work by multiple departments and teams, and making that product successful is a challenge. In fact, about 95% of new products released will fail. Your product launch email campaign can play a big role in whether your launch sinks or swims.How do you make every new product email count? You learn from the experts. We’re highlighting some particularly effective product launch emails and sharing key insights about why they work (and how you can use that wisdom in your campaign).

How Email Marketing Can Support a Successful Product Launch

Email marketing can be a critical component of your product launch marketing campaign because it reaches people who are already engaged with your brand. After all, they’ve already given you their email address. Through the use of strategically timed email sequences of various types of product launch emails like feature announcement emails, pre-order emails, and launch event invitations, you can generate interest in an upcoming product and prompt customers to buy as soon as the product launches.An effective product launch email should include several key elements:

• The product’s name so customers know that this is a brand-new product
• A brief “pitch” that tells customers what’s unique and amazing about this new product
• Attention-grabbing images to give customers a sneak peek into the new product
• A prominent call-to-action like a “buy now” button that takes customers directly to the product page, making it easy for you to capitalize on quick decisions and in-the-moment excitement for the product

The Difference Between New Product Announcements and Product Launches

A new product announcement is one of the first ways you’ll market an upcoming new product. It’s all about generating interest and letting customers know that there’s an amazing new product coming their way. Just like movies have trailers months before they’re released, product announcement emails are the “trailers” of the product world.A new product launch email, on the other hand, is the email you send out when the product is officially released to prompt customers to follow through and make a purchase. If the product announcement email is the trailer, the product launch email is the email that allows people to buy tickets to the movie. This email is all about driving sales.While product announcement and product launch emails each have their own purposes in a product introduction email campaign, each one makes the other more successful. They’re part of a cohesive campaign to hype customers and get a flurry of launch-day orders.

How to Get Product Launch Emails to Convert

What does conversion look like for a product launch email? It depends on where this particular email falls in your launch campaign. Depending on where you are in your product launch, a successful conversion could be:

• Buying the new product
• Pre-ordering the new product
• Signing up for product updates
• Signing up for a giveaway of the new product

How you reel in those conversions, on the other hand, is more complex. It’s a matter of factors like your subject line, the email’s timing, understanding what appeals to your audience, writing compelling content in the email, using images to direct recipients’ attention and showcase the product, making it convenient to make a purchase or convert, and more. A well-constructed, conversion-minded product launch email needs to bring all these strategies together.

1. Encouraging Continued Engagement with Opt-In Emails

Opt-in emails are emails that allow and encourage readers to sign up for specific mailing lists or notifications. In the case of a product launch, for example, you could invite people to opt-in for updates about the new product.In order to support a product launch, you want as many people as possible to be in the know. A few weeks before the launch, offer an opt-in deal. If your product or service has a premium option, encourage your readers to sign up for it. Explain that this is how they can stay up-to-date on all the exciting stuff you’re doing, helping them stay in the know before the general public — and then make good on that promise by providing a sneak peek at your new product. Alternatively, you can offer an opt-in just for details on the launch rather than as part of a premium service, as Ruggable did here.Subject line: Something a-DOOR-able is coming… 

Ruggable product teaser email

2. Sparking Conversation with Mysterious Product Emails

When it comes to information about an upcoming product, sometimes less is more. In fact, it’s strategic. When you have a product launch coming up, consider sending mysterious product emails - teaser emails that tell customers that something big is coming but don’t tell them what it is.Using our email editor to craft a cryptic email, teasing that something big is in the works (i.e. your new product) but not yet divulged, is a great way to draw interest.If you’re planning to send more emails in your product launch email series, send this mysterious email a couple of weeks prior to launch. Otherwise, you can send this email whenever you want. Huda Beauty kept things puzzling with this product launch email showing a blurred-out version of its new product.This tactic can be valuable when you want to start generating interest, but your product still has some details to work out. It serves a double purpose in that case: beginning to build interest without making any commitments you may not be able to keep. It’s also beneficial if you’re in a highly competitive market and you don’t want your competitors to know what you’re working on until it’s released.Even if it isn’t a priority to be secretive about your new product, the mysterious aspect can generate serious buzz. It’s especially helpful if you have a sizable following because people will be chatting with each other about what the announcement could be.Subject line: Something NEW is coming

Huda Beauty "Mysterious" product launch email

3. Preorder Emails Capture Sales from Early Birds

A preorder email is an email that allows customers to pre-purchase the new product before it is launched. This allows customers to ensure that they’ll get a product from the first release in case the product sells out, and it allows you to capture sales in advance and gauge interest in the product.About a week out from launch day, consider sending a preorder or early-bird-access email so your loyal customers can get a jump start on their shopping. Of course, sending a preorder email means you’ll need to announce what your new product is before launch day — and that’s completely fine, as long as you save some of the juicy details to create more hype (for now, go with “we’re making a better alarm clock” instead of “we’re making an alarm clock with a radio, nightlight, and water feature”).What does a good preorder email look like? A preorder email should generate excitement about your new product, using sensational language to explain the product’s features and benefits. Testimonials help, too — like Food52 added here.Make sure to be clear about the terms of the preorder too, such as whether customers are paying the full amount now or whether their credit card will be charged when the product ships. You also need to make it clear and easy for customers to make their purchases, such as with a prominent “preorder now” button that takes them to the preorder purchase page.Subject line: Our Five Two wooden spoons are nearly here — preorder now. 

4. Taking Advantage of the Big Day with Day-of Product Launch Emails

It’s launch day, and that means it’s time to send a great product launch email! If you send a preorder email, your product launch message will be similar; again, the goal is to generate a sense of excitement around the product and prompt customers to purchase.Remember when you kept a lid on some of the details in your pre-order email? Now is the time to pull out all the stops and really explain what makes your product shine: How is it different (and better) than comparable products? Include high-quality photos, too, at the top of the email and in the body copy.Want to give your product launch email the best chance to drive conversions? Follow these tips:

• Lead with an attention-grabbing subject line, like “It’s here!  has dropped, and YOU can get one!”
• Put the key information above the fold (meaning that people don’t have to scroll down to see the most valuable details
• Create a visually prominent, easy-to-find call to action, like a button that says “order now.”
• If you have this data available, include the recipient’s name in the subject line or body copy to personalize it and grab their attention.

Subject line: A few new things to feel good about… 

J.Crew product launch email

5. Build and Grow the Customer Relationship with Follow-Up Emails

Follow-up emails after your product launch are an important part of your launch campaign. Sent a few days after your product launch, these emails keep the conversation going and can keep the orders coming in too.You have several options here: You can ask happy customers to leave reviews on your website or a third-party platform. You could solicit user-generated content, asking for photos of people using the product. Or you can find a fresh angle to explain how great your product is. Even after launch, keep riding the excitement your campaign has generated to stay on the top of readers’ minds.

Try BEE Pro's Product Launch Email Templates

Your product launch isn't just about creating conversions. Use your product launch email series as a starting point to cultivate a sustained conversation that you can continue long after your launch is over. By thoughtfully crafting your series of emails, you'll be able to communicate your brand value.Ready to create your own product launch email sequence? BEE's easy HTML email editor offers a simple way to create beautiful and responsive on-brand emails. BEE’s set of product launch email templates is tailor-made for announcing new products, and each one can be edited in a few clicks to feature your brand visuals and make your new product shine!

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Editor’s Note: This post was updated on May 2023 to ensure accuracy and comprehensiveness. 

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There are various ways that your university can leave a lasting first impression on incoming students. A great example is orientation day/week. This event typically starts a few weeks before the academic year begins. It is an effective way to get students to meet their classmates and teachers, tour the campus, and experience a small glimpse of the next four years. Undoubtedly, this is an important step in getting students excited and engaged. But what if there was a way to emulate this excitement far before orientation?

The onboarding process for a student is crucial in how they will feel coming into your university. How you handle the onboarding process determines how safe and secure a student feels about their decision and their willingness to engage in university activities such as clubs, volunteering, and even their classes.

Most universities miss that student onboarding begins the moment they decide to attend their institution. So, how can you create a student onboarding experience that gets them excited from Decision Day and beyond? 

Student Onboarding Emails

An affordable and effective way to create an impactful student onboarding experience is through emails. 

An impactful onboarding email is a great way to welcome students to college and communicate important information that prepares them for success and excites them about the journey ahead. Frequent and resourceful communication allows students to feel sure about their decision, which supports student retention and engagement rates.

Beefree makes creating on-brand email sequences easier for higher education marketers by providing optimized and mobile-friendly email templates.

But, before digging into your email’s design, let’s discuss the best way to get started with a student onboarding college newsletter.

Before designing, establish your goal.

The first step to creating email communication is to identify who the audience is and what information they need. Next, consider your goals for communication in the example of a college student onboarding email. When thinking about goals, also think about the types of content that would help you achieve them.

• Student Orientation - provide helpful campus information like facility hours, building policies, and available student resources.
• Engagement - build community by sharing information about upcoming activities or social events.
• Retention - ensure students have a great start to the year by sharing tips for success in the classroom and how to make new connections.

What goals does your email marketing team have? Strategizing them and listing them out can keep everyone on track for building a successful student onboarding college newsletter.

Let’s get to design. 

Start from scratch or use an email template. 

Beefree makes email communications a breeze for higher education email marketers. 

Choose an existing template or create a new one from scratch. There are pros to both!

Beefree templates are professionally designed with your audience in mind and optimized for conversion. By starting with an existing template, you don’t have to worry about identifying which sections your audience needs, which layout, or where to add images and personalization. Simply drag and drop your unique content into the template and change style guidelines to ensure you stay cohesive with your university’s brand identity.

If you’re going the template route, start here: Higher Education Template Collection.

By “starting from scratch,” the possibilities are endless. Beefree gives you the unlimited design freedom to create fully customized email experiences by adding brand images, campaign videos, gifs, and more.

Email Design Best Practices for Using Beefree  

Beefree allows anyone to design emails with ease, regardless of experience. Our intuitive builder is easy-to-use and requires minimal time to get the hang of it. Here are a few features that will allow you to get the most out of Beefree.

• Style settings - Whether you’re starting from scratch or using a template, start by setting your style guidelines into Beefree. Add your universities color palette, font systems, buttons, icons, and even select your desired width for emails and pages to get an easy start to design. 
• Image library: Upload and keep your universities campus, faculty, and event images in one place so that everyone can access them easily when creating future emails or landing pages.
• Saved rows: Once you’ve built your repetitive content blocks, such as footers and headers, save them and reuse them for next time!
• Synced rows: Great for saved rows that need to be regularly updated, such as menu bars, social links, and terms and conditions. All changes made to a “synced row” will auto-populate in all other templates where that row lives, saving you time and minimizing errors. 

Double Check Everything on Mobile Design Mode

Okay! So you’ve customized your email or template to your liking and saved your rows for next time. Now it’s time to test it on mobile. 

85% of people open emails using their smartphones; therefore, it’s crucial that all emails are built with mobile in mind.

Beefree offers Mobile Design Mode to help you visualize exactly how your content will be shown on mobile.

A PRO tip is to toggle between desktop and mobile while designing to save time and make changes as you go

With Beefree, any changes to the below elements will only be applied to mobile mode for an optimized mobile experience:

• Alignments
• Button widths
• Paddings
• Spacer heights
• Text sizes
• Reconfiguring of elements
• Hiding elements  

The best part about using Beefree for designing mobile-friendly emails is that there is absolutely no coding required. 

Read: Email Design for Mobile: Best Practices to Take Your Email Marketing Up a Level

Collaborate with your team.

You’ve completed your email. Now it’s time to get feedback from your team. Simply begin the review process using our “Request for Approval” feature. The flow will then guide you and your team toward a fully on-brand and approved student onboarding newsletter.

This feature is available for Enterprise customers only, but Free and Team plans can still enjoy seamless collaboration by:

• Using “Send Test” to send your email designs to team members and request feedback.
• Provide comments within the email builder.
• Customize user and permission settings to let team members edit content (or not).

Engaging your whole marketing team to create a memorable student onboarding experience has never been easier.

From an Email to a Landing Page, Easy.

Once you have your email designs done and approved, it’s time to create additional assets that allow you to create a cohesive onboarding experience. Landing pages are a great way to expand the information included in your emails and further create an impactful onboarding experience for incoming students.

With Beefree, you can convert any email into a one-page landing page with just one click. From there, you can easily adjust the layout, content, and CTAs.

Start Designing Your Student Onboarding Emails With Beefree

The best part? It's free to get started.Create student onboarding email sequences, orientation day invitations, course reminders, and so much more. Sign up now! 

In 2021, U.S. colleges and universities raised an impressive $52.9 billion toward their fundraising goals. Alumni donations accounted for 23% of that total, showing just how important strong alumni engagement is for a university's success.So, how do universities use the money donated by alumni?

• Maintain operations
• Offer scholarships
• Improve/update technology
• Support specialty programs, such as study abroad and athletics
• Revitalize campus facilities
• Fund research programs

Higher education institutions rely on donations to support their everyday operations and to be able to give back to the students through events, tools, resources, and courses. Coupled with the changes in the workforce and mostly digital society, funds acquired help universities provide students the latest software and technology, setting them up for success.

5 Tips to Increase Alumni Engagement Using Email

Statista projects businesses will send more than 375 billion emails daily by 2025. This means that any email communication you send to alumni must command (and keep) their attention.

We Know You Hear This A Lot, But Write Compelling Subject Lines!

The subject line is truly the most important line of copy in an email. Why? Because it helps alumni decide whether they want to open the email or not.A great subject line evokes an emotion, elicits curiosity, and at times, makes them laugh. But most importantly, emails for alumni serve as reminders of why they love their Alma Mater.Here are some tips for writing an attention-grabbing subject line.

• Keep it short: you should grab their attention with as little as 40-50 characters.
• Don’t sound spammy: even though you may want to give away a free item in exchange for a donation, don’t use “free” in the subject line, or your message could go to spam.
• Ask a question: use a question to remind them of a college memory, like cramming for a test in the library.
• Create a sense of urgency: remind them students need their support now for the upcoming year 

Besides keeping it short and clear, here are some additional elements (with examples you can steal) to create a subject line that gets alumni to open:

• Draw curiosity: – trust us, you don’t want to miss out on this
• Urgency: One day left to make a difference!
• Belonging: We couldn’t have done it without you
• Personalized: , your help is needed

Use Personalization to Connect with Alumni

As we mentioned before, email inboxes are busy places. Personalization is an excellent way to get alumni to engage. When scrolling through the list of unread emails, readers are more likely to click on an email that calls them out personally.In fact, research shows personalized content engages readers. It improves open rates by 11% and clicks by 27%.When using personalization, consider what you know about your audience to generate successful email campaigns. Some personalized fields include:

• Name
• Last gift amount
• Donation history
• Graduation class
• College field of study

Use this information to interest readers beyond a simple “Hello, John.” We recommend weaving personalized details throughout the message to strengthen the idea you’re trying to communicate.Here are some ways to integrate personalization into a fundraising message:

• Thank you for your gift of [$10,000] last year.
• We appreciate the generous donations coming from the .
• Your support is helping to keep the department thriving.

Web is Dead: Optimize Email Content for Mobile Devices

Up to 41% of emails are opened on a mobile device, surpassing desktop (39%). While that might not seem like much of a difference, we will continue to see a spike favoring mobile in the coming years.This means that if your email is not optimized for mobile, you could be delivering less-than-stellar experiences for alumni. Always make sure that it is easy for alumni to complete the desired action.Here are some essential items to consider when optimizing your messages for mobile.

• Make the design feel app-like: use short amounts of copy and big buttons to take action.
• Use small file sizes: attention spans are short, and readers won’t wait for images to load.
• Use a large font size: no one wants to squint at their phone!

Don’t be Shy! Ask for a Donation.

When it comes to email marketing, beating around the bush won’t get you very far.A call-to-action is a direct statement leading the reader to take a desired step.Calls-to-action should be displayed as a large button or a highlighted link that the reader can easily click on.And if you’re too shy, we get it - there are various ways to ask for money without saying “Give Now” or “Donate Now.”After all, if every email you send says “Give Us Money Now,” alumni will eventually stop opening them. It’s good to change things up now and then to maintain engagement.Here are some options for inspiring call-to-action phrases.

• Make a Difference
• Donate Online
• See the Impact
• Support Students
• Leave a Legacy
• Join Us!

Remember, the alum audience is already invested in your university and wants to help in whichever way they can. A clear call to action makes it clear to the reader exactly how they can help.

Design Matters!

Inspire action in your university’s alums with engaging and strategic email design. Some ways to use design to level up your fundraising emails are:

• Send branded emails with university colors and logos to improve the legitimacy
• Incorporate images and videos in emails to evoke past college memories
• Use a layout that’s easy to navigate and write short copy
• Use an attractive and attention-grabbing color for call-to-action buttons

Great email design delights the reader and sparks memories of the fun they had in college. Feeling reminiscent of positive experiences can contribute to a larger sense of camaraderie with today’s students.One way to do this is to show them how their contributions are supporting current students in creating memorable, community-building experiences.Include photos or videos of life on campus, events, scholarship recipients saying “thank you,” or new equipment being used in class to relay feelings of gratitude and inspire future giving.

Increase Alumni Engagement With BEE Pro

Designing engaging alumni fundraising communications and newsletters has never been easier using BEE Pro. Our easy-to-use, mobile-responsive, drag-and-drop editor will help you follow email best practices to drive donations and alumni engagement.Start designing your university fundraising efforts using one of our free higher education templates made with conversion in mind.

The higher education industry encounters numerous challenges in the process of designing a great college newsletter. Challenges such as, struggling to keep up with the rapidly advancing technology in email marketing, contenting to limited resources, and ensuring that the campaigns are both relevant and engaging for their wide range of target audiences.The truth is, emails have evolved from simply being a form of communication to a tool for universities to establish connections with students, potential recruits, alumni, and their own internal teams.It's no longer enough to send simple text-based emails; now, the higher education industryhave to strive to ensure their messages are read and opened amidst increasing competition.Keep reading for email design ideas from professionals across different industry that you can implement today to design a great college newsletter.

1. Include Upcoming Events

"Make sure to include upcoming events on the college campus. When people read newsletters, it's nice for them to feel like they have things to look forward to. It also makes them feel like they're in an environment where there's always something fun or interesting going on. This lets them continue to look forward to receiving your newsletter."Maegan Griffin, Founder, CEO, Nurse Practitioner , Skin Pharm

2. Incorporate Images and Videos into Your Emails 

"Incorporate images and videos into your college newsletter to make it visually appealing and engaging for readers. Images and videos break up text blocks and add interest to your newsletter, so it’s more likely readers will read all the way through. Additionally, images and videos illustrate your point or visually tell a story, so your audience better understands your messaging.When using images and videos in your newsletter, use only high-quality images that are relevant to your topic. Otherwise, you wind up distracting readers from the messaging rather than help them comprehend it."Matthew Ramirez, CEO, Rephrasely

3. Include Topics Readers Enjoy

"Newsletters usually suffer from low open rates because they fail to address the needs of their audience.This often happens with college newsletters because faculty assume students are solely interested in scholastic topics. College newsletters rely as much on marketing psychology as any business email campaign does.Your first step should be sending out surveys to collect data on students' interests. Then, infuse these topics into your newsletter in the form of content pillars. By weaving in the student body’s ongoing interests—clubs, campus events, or sponsored job opportunities—you'll instantly see an uptick in your open and click through rates."Brian Nagele, CEO, Restaurant Clicks

4. Try Black and White Design

"One tip for designing a great college newsletter is to consider using black and white design elements. Black and white visuals can provide a clean, modern look that will draw readers in and help make your content more readable. This way you can draw readers’ focus toward the content, rather than eye-catching color or images.It’s also important to make sure the layout is organized, with a hierarchy of headings and subheadings that naturally guide readers through the content.Try using a grid-based design to ensure that all elements and texts are in the appropriate place on the newsletter. This breaks up the monotony of a black and white composition, making it more engaging for readers."Shaun Connell, Founder, WritingTips.org

5. Make the Layout Easy to Navigate

"One great tip for designing a college newsletter is to make sure that the layout is easy to navigate. When it comes to layout, simplicity is key. Use easy-to-read fonts and spacing, and limit the number of different typefaces you use.Breaking your content down into digestible chunks and using headings and subheadings will help your readers quickly scan through the information. Add images and graphs that’ll break up the text and add interest, but make sure they’re relevant to your topic. You also want to be careful about how much information you include—newsletters can quickly become overwhelming if you try to pack in too much information."Kate Wojewoda-Celinska, Marketing Manager, Spacelift

6. Ensure Your Emails Are Accessible

I would ensure that your newsletter is accessible to individuals with disabilities across all devices.Responsive design is when a website or email newsletter is correctly rendered on a variety of platforms, including desktop, mobile, and tablet. Making responsive newsletters is essential as more people read their emails on mobile devices.Thankfully, there are several email marketing platforms available that make it really simple to create flexible newsletter designs.Alice Hall, Co-Founder & Creative Director, Rowen Homes

Design a Great College Newsletter using BEE Pro

The higher education sector is facing increasing difficulties in creating impactful and engaging email campaigns. With the evolution of technology and shifting design trends, higher education institutions must work harder to achieve their goals through email marketing.To address these challenges, it is crucial for these institutions to look to other industries for inspiration and stay current with the latest design trends.BEE Pro, a collaborative email builder, provides a solution to these difficulties. With access to the most recent design trends and over 1,500 templates designed for conversion, higher education institutions can easily create emails for various audiences, such asstudents, recruits, or alumni’s. BEE Pro's latest feature, "synced row", takes email creation to the next level. This feature allows for effortless and seamless updating of your design systems such as -- headers, footers, social links, and menu bars across all templates.Simply make changes to a row in one template, and those changes will automatically "sync" in all other areas where the row is used. This helps keep designs consistent, accurate, and on brand. To learn more about the "Synced Row" feature, watch the video below.https://youtu.be/aQAbfcxkqTg?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=6-tips-for-designing-a-great-college-newsletter

The #BlackLivesMatter movement has been taking over our social media feeds and inboxes alike. Here at BEE, we wholeheartedly speak out against racism and affirm the value of all Black lives. We’re thrilled to see so many brands and email newsletters doing the same by sending their subscribers educational resources or places to take action.We realize, though, that crafting a good Black Lives Matter email can be difficult. This is a heavy topic — and it’s extremely important. How can your email design back up #BlackLivesMatter in a way that helps, not hurts? Take a look at these seven Black Lives Matter emails to get some ideas for your own timely messages.

Crafting a good Black Lives Matter email can be difficult. This is a heavy topic — and it’s extremely important. How can your email design back up Black Lives Matter in a way that helps, not hurts?

The Lily

Lily Lines, a women-centric newsletter created by The Washington Post, sent an excellent Black Lives Matter email to its subscribers. We love the way this newsletter is organized: It starts out with an essay by a Black author and community organizer, sharing beautiful illustrations between every few paragraphs. It continues with a few brief news hits and a social media highlight. And the whole message is laid out with black text on a plain white background, making the important information clear and easy to read.Subject line: This is a difficult time. An activist has advice.

Byrdie

Beauty brand Byrdie was on top of things when #BlackLivesMatter began to trend. This brand not only made a statement about how it supports equality and human rights, but went a step further by sharing extra resources. Supporting Black-owned brands is a great way to recognize and support the Black community. Byrdie took this to heart by sharing a massive list of brands that are relevant to its readers. The majority of this email utilizes a simple single-column layout listing links for readers to check out.Subject line: 60+ black-owned brands every beauty lover should know

The Wing

When it comes to trending causes that matter, your first instinct might be to think out of the box. If everyone is talking about the same topic, your contribution needs to stand out, right? But in most cases, simple is best. Black Lives Matter emails aren’t about your brand — they’re about the movement. So take a cue from companies like coworking space The Wing, who created a simple yet highly impactful email design. The background of the email is off-white and doesn’t detract from the message, and the words “Black Lives Matter” are in a strong font front and center. Importantly, The Wing backs up its statement by making a financial donation to the cause and encouraging its readers to do the same.Subject line: Black Lives Matter

Electric Literature

Electric Literature is another example of a great Black Lives Matter email that makes the content relevant to its audience. The email is organized with the most important information — Electric Lit’s statement condemning violence against the Black community — at the top. Next there are simple but attractive dividers to separate the rest of the content so you can easily scan and find what you’d like to read. The message doesn’t have an overt CTA. Instead, it quietly includes three buttons at the bottom for anyone who wants to click.Subject line: Read Black writers, now and always

Prose

Prose uses a muted color scheme and incorporates a few different fonts in this Black Lives Matter email. The white font is easy to read on the background colors and the quiet colors are appropriate for the message that’s being shared. Prose gets right to the main point of the email — Black lives matter — and encourages action from its readers.Subject line: A note to our community

B The Change

B The Change uses strong, powerful language to evoke a response from readers. Under its initial statement, the company follows up with several resources where readers can learn more or take action. We love the black-and-white images and text that make the green CTA buttons pop.Subject line: Let’s get to work tackling racism 

Tusk

Remember, with Black Lives Matter emails, simplicity is the best way to get this important message across. Tusk takes this principle to heart. From the subject line to the color scheme to the length of the copy, everything about this email is simple and basic. And because there aren’t any flashy design elements to detract from the copy, the message of the email truly stands out.Subject line: Black lives matter

Wrap-up: Black Lives Matter email templates

Now is the time to stand in solidarity with the Black community and send an impactful Black Lives Matter email from your brand. Choose a professionally-designed, mobile-responsive email template from the BEE catalog to send out this important message. By using Black Lives Matter email templates, your brand can add its voice to this historic movement and play a small role in making a difference.

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Retro design is making a comeback and is one of the top email design trends of 2022. According to The Designest, this wave of retro design includes elements from “Art Deco, Good Old ’90s, and 2000s Nostalgia.”

Design and Nostalgia

A simple explanation for why trends keep coming back, even those we wish never would, is nostalgia. People crave to relive the “simpler times” when they didn’t know what the future would hold and their worries seemed small. As marketers and designers, we have the power to use design to evoke that same feeling nostalgia creates: the warmth, the calm, the hopefulness.What does this mean for you?For one, making your readers happy is always a plus. When your readers connect with you, they are more interested in your content and will continue to read and look forward to the next message you send. They are also more likely to take action on what you’re asking from them. But even if it doesn’t get that far, you’re guaranteed to make a lasting impression because of how you made them feel.As technology and design advance, the human desire for something shiny, different, and new grows, but you can never go wrong with a little nostalgic design. Know your demographics to identify which era will resonate with them the most and bring them back to “the good old days.”

3 Ways to Incorporate Retro Design Into Your Next Email or Landing Page

Retro design encompasses various eras, each with its own unique elements. Because of this, the possibilities of what you can create are endless. Don’t be afraid to mix and match and make something memorable. If you’re unsure where to start, here are three simple ways to add a retro feel to your email design.

Color

Unconsciously, color plays a role in the way people feel, react, and make decisions about a brand and its product. In this case, color is the easiest way to communicate and illustrate an era that evokes nostalgia within your readers. For example, when you think of the 80s, what’s the first thing that comes to mind (besides leg warmers and leotards)?Perhaps the color pink, blue, or neon green?

You can use tools such as coolors.co, Adobe Color, and Pinterest to help you generate the perfect color palette for the era you want to recreate. If you’d create an 80’s feel to your next email design add the HEX codes in BEE Pro. You can also use this template by Veronica Medina.

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

Font

When it comes to retro design, there is just as much an emphasis on typography as color. The purpose of a font is to influence how the reader perceives and is affected by what you are trying. Take this example by RTRO. The “handwritten” font on the header paired with a monospaced font (inspired by the typewriter days) makes the email feel like a personalized note from RTRO to their reader. Use the Permanent Marker and Courier New fonts to replicate the same feel in your emails inside BEE Pro.

Shapes and Filters

If you’re not sure where to start embracing this email design trend, try playing with shapes and textures! Depending on the era you are trying to evoke, this can look different, but don’t be afraid to experiment and mix and match. This template by Betina Todorova incorporates those fun, bold colors that remind us of the 80s/90s paired with hand-drawn pop art style shapes influenced by the 50s.

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

BEE Pro makes it easy to add a filter to images inside the editor. If you’re looking to double down on the vintage feel of your emails or landing pages, try adding the Vintage Filter and Noise to your images for a grainy/ film camera look

Ready to Create a Retro Email or Landing Page?

Start creating retro email and landing pages with BEE Pro for free. Using the tips we shared above you can customize any of our 1,300 templates to replicate the era you wish to illustrate.Have fun with it! Trends are meant to offer something different and memorable to your reader. When it comes to retro design, each era builds off the other. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different elements and try something new.If you need some additional inspiration, hereis our take on retro design. It is fully functional and ready to be used for all your email or landing page needs. Enjoy!

Originally published on Feb 19, 2020. Last updated March 7, 2022.International Women’s Day happens every year on March 8. Gender equality is an ongoing struggle that touches the lives of women and their families everywhere. This holiday is a chance to acknowledge the women in your community and be part of a global conversation that matters to your audience. If you're considering sending an International Women’s Day email, you should make sure it's thoughtful and will resonate with your readers. We've gathered some examples from brands that have done it right:

Gender equality is an ongoing struggle that touches the lives of women and their families everywhere.

Tell a story like Bumble and Bumble

Storytelling may be the most essential way we connect with each other. And that's true for brands as well as individuals. In this example, Bumble and Bumble did this by spotlighting a few of its employees. You could also take a slightly different approach by soliciting user-generated content from your customers, asking them to share how they use your product to celebrate International Women’s Day.Subject line: Celebrate International Women’s Day 

Keep it simple like Memebox

We’re slightly obsessed with this pink-and-white Memebox email. The graphic ferns and flowers around the edge make the perfect frame for the message. The copy is clever: “Let’s get ship done.” Create a similarly simple but beautiful email to showcase your products this International Women’s Day.Subject line: Celebrate International Women’s Day with free shipping

Be both strong and feminine like Loft

The pastel color scheme and graphic flowers on this Loft email give it a feminine feel, but the strong font keeps the overall design from being overwhelmingly sweet. In terms of strategy, Loft cross-promotes its Instagram content and chooses a cause to support. Being clear on what you support, whether it's a holiday or a cause, increases brand loyalty; 84% of consumers are more likely to support a brand whose values align with theirs.Subject line: Celebrating women (today and every day)

Share content and products like J. Crew

This sleek black-and-white J. Crew email shares an inspiring piece of video content before getting into the products the company has to offer. Your Women’s Day email is a great place to highlight relevant products — the apparel, gifts or other items that support the cause.Subject line: Celebrate International Women’s Day with us… 

Promote action like Lululemon

As Lululemon points out, gender equality isn’t just important one day of the year. Encourage your readers to keep pushing for equal opportunities year-round. And like Lululemon, you can also create content that gives your readers actionable ways to do this. The links in the Lululemon email take the reader to a landing page with a podcast and a list of 364 ways to make a difference.Subject line: How will you spend the other 364?

Wrap-up: Create your own International Women’s Day email

Ready to design your own email? We have the perfect International Women’s Day email template, designed by Galina Grahovska.

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

We also made aWomen’s Day email template that’s meant for fundraising events specifically. This template was designed by Martin Nikolchev.

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

Use these International Women’s Day email templates – along with all this design inspiration – to celebrate and encourage women all year round!

According to a 2020 study by Android Authority, 81.9% of participants use dark mode on their phones and 64.6% of participants expect sites and apps to automatically apply a dark theme or at least offer the option. Popular email providers like Gmail and Outlook have already launched dark mode as an option for their users, changing the game for email marketers and designers. So, what’s the hype with dark mode? By turning light background colors dark (typically a shade of gray or black), it creates a new user experience that:

• Enhances accessibility and reduces eye strain on those with light sensitivity.
• Preserves battery life on devices by reducing screen brightness and using less energy. 
• Offers a slick and cool dark interface that many prefer.

With the increase in user screen time, it’s clear to see why users want this option.It’s time for marketers and designers (I’m looking at you) to stop ignoring dark mode when designing. Taking the extra step enhances user experience, ensures that your content is accessible to all, and prevents your emails from being sent to the dark place - aka the SPAM folder.

The Cold Hard Facts about Dark Mode You Can’t Ignore

Dark mode is becoming the norm. Almost every email client has adopted their version of it and readers expect a consistent experience.

Your readers matter.

The number one rule for content marketers and designers is to put the audience front and center. Considering and testing how content looks in dark mode vs. light mode shows your readers that you care about creating a consistent, cohesive, and accessible experience for all.

Email clients are unpredictable.

Depending on the email provider, there are three different ways that email clients might change the look of your content:

1. No changes at all: In the case of Yahoo mail and Apple Mail there is no impact on how emails are viewed. 
2. Partial color invert: Email clients like Outlook only detect light-colored sections and turn them into darker colors. 
3. Full color invert: This is where everything is inverted. All the areas with light turn dark and vice versa. This is the Gmail apps MO. 

It is important to make sure that designs are rendered as well as possible in both light and dark mode. If readers don’t recognize where the email is coming from, they will ignore it, delete it, and may unsubscribe altogether. This hurts your email deliverability in the long term.Take the extra step to ensure that your reader experience is consistent and enjoyable, regardless of their preferred mode.

How to optimize emails for dark mode

Designing for dark mode doesn’t have to be hard. Here are some of our best tips to start implementing today.

Avoid using true black

The high contrast between true black backgrounds (#000000) and true white (#FFFFFF) will make things more difficult to read, defeating the purpose of dark mode altogether. Instead, use dark gray (#121212) as the background color to soften the contrast.

Saturated Brand Colors

While your saturated brand colors look great in light mode, these colors are too bright and will affect readability.Before you run away, we’re happy to say there is no need to call your design team for reinforcement. Instead, have fun and experiment with a desaturated or muted pastel version of your brand colors.

Optimize Images and Logos 

For many email marketers, this seems to be the biggest challenge when it comes to optimizing emails and landing pages for dark mode, but again, it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few ways to optimize images and logos.

1. Use a logo that uses a brand color that isn’t black or white. 
2. If you have an image or element with a black background, add a white outline to improve its visibility and avoid it from fading into the background. 
3. Ensure images and logos are PNG format with transparent backgrounds.
4. Keep things minimal. Dark backgrounds can give the illusion of limited space so keep things simple to not overwhelm the reader. 

3 Dark Mode Design Examples

Are you a visual learner? Oh Good! We have a few examples of designs we love and why they work.Example 1: Apple Fitness AppThe Fitness app is a great representation of how using bold colors against black backgrounds is still possible without it being too harsh on the user. Dark mode shouldn't compromise the purpose behind the app. In this case, the final result is the same: it inspires movement and gets us excited to work out.

Apple Fitness AppExample 2: Notion AppTheis works because it exemplifies how dark mode shouldn’t hurt the essence of the product or the user experience. If anything, it enhances the experience altogether. Dark mode offers a level of sophistication and makes us feel fancy. All of these use different shades of gray to offer depth and create shadows without it feeling boring.

NotionExample 3: Google home screen

GoogleFinally, Google's dark mode offers a simple and elegant interpretation of dark mode. Notice that they don't use true black (the background color is #202124) and they differentiate the search and "I'm Feeling Lucky" buttons with a shade of grey (#303134). Everything else is white, so that CTAs are clearly readable.

It's time to stop ignoring the facts

Previously, email marketers and designers (looking at you again) have ignored the effects dark mode has on emails and landing pages. Partly because no one could have predicted how many users required this feature and partly because it seemed like a difficult task. We hope that we debunked that with this article. If we didn’t, then our apologies, but we want to offer you some hope.

The solution: Dark Mode Preview Toggle 

How can you adjust your email designs to account for dark mode? BEE Pro has the solution. Starting March 16, 2022, our email and landing page design suite will feature a new Dark Mode preview toggle that will help you create emails with dark mode in mind.By simulating how your messages display in dark mode, it will help you recognize and avoid main design issues that may occur when an email message is received by a reader that has dark mode enabled.

Preview how your email will render in dark modeThis handy feature will help spot common “design mistakes” and ensure that you are creating cohesive and consistent experiences for your readers without limitations based on the mode they choose to use.We hope that you’re as excited as we are. If you’re new to Beefree get started for free. You can also check out our HTML professional email and landing page templates and choose one that is dark mode friendly (refer back to our tips above).

Email design trends are always changing and smart design moves last year might not be what put you ahead of the pack this year. As you step into 2022, make space for growth by staying open to new ways to engage with your customers and prospects.Keeping up to speed with email design trends will strengthen your email marketing campaigns and allow you to consistently stand out in the inbox. Here are email design trends to expect in 2022.

6 Email Design Trends for 2022

As email design continues to evolve, be sure to keep up with trends so your marketing campaigns stand out amongst your competitors. Take note to get ahead on your 2022 campaigns with these 6 key trends.

Optimism and lightheartedness

After enduring years of restrictions, lockdowns and masks, it's time to bring fresh air and fun into our email designs. Take a look at the colors and gradients you're using. What emotions do they evoke? What stories are you telling in email? At the end of the day, we’re designing for the humans at the other end of the screen.

Dark Mode

According to a poll by Android Authority, over 90% of users use some type of dark mode on their mobile devices. Dark mode is growing in popularity, as it makes for a less eye-straining reading/working experience. Plenty of devices - both desktop and mobile - allow for an easy switch to dark mode. The days of choosing between a light design and a dark design are over. Make sure you optimize every design for both.

Mobile Design

Optimizing your email designs for mobile devices is becoming more and more important every year. Tests have found that 42.3% of people will delete an email if it’s not optimized for mobile. As new tools evolve to enable detailed responsive design, keeping  mobile design trendstop of mind is a must.

Animations

Emails are expected to become more interactive and animated in 2022. As our technology continues to evolve to enable larger image files, we’re able to bring in designs that are more eye-catching and exciting for subscribers. Add more GIFs and scroll animations to your list of bold email design ideas.

More personalization

Adding to the beginning of your email no longer counts as personalization. A truly personalized experience calls for segmentation, merge tags and crafty use of customer data. Examples like Spotify Wrapped have changed the game for what customers expect to find in their email.

Artificial Intelligence

AI is no longer in the distant future. In fact, it’s already here. If the aforementioned trends feel overwhelming to you, enlisting the help of AI-powered tools may be the answer. AI can help craft subject lines, choose color pallets, and even deliver customized content to your customers.

2022 Email Design Trends with BEE Pro

Now that you have a leg up on email design trends headed your way in 2022, it’s time to take advantage of them. Start designing your emails with BEE Pro to optimize your designs so they’re ready to outstand the competitors in the inbox.Our drag-and-drop builder gives you the creative flexibility to design faster and export emails straight to your email service provider (ESP). Design from scratch or choose from one of our templates in our catalog of 1000+ templates. Start your free trial here.

Designing a landing page is a lot like putting a house up for sale. You stage the place, take eye-catching pictures, and list it in hopes of achieving one goal: Selling the house.In the same way, a well-designed landing page gets you to a focused goal: Getting your customer to click on the CTA. Just as you would stage your house for the big sale, you have to make sure your landing page is designed with elements that will entice readers and lead them to click.You don’t need expert-level design skills to achieve a high-converting landing page. Narrowing in on the quality of your content and landing page design elements is a sure way to attain those big results.Are you helping your target audience and meeting their needs? Are you intriguing your customer base to the point of conversion? Think about these questions as you follow along with this step-by-step guide to start designing landing pages that convert.

Know when to use a landing page

Before we go any further, let’s pinpoint if a landing page is the right asset for your goals. Identify what type of page you want to use before you begin designing. Do you need a website or a landing page to achieve your goals?Use a landing page when:

• You have one focused goal to achieve
• There are few distractions and one CTA (Call-to-action: The action you want your customers to take)
• You need to include sign up forms, lead initiating content, sale promotions

Use a website when:

• You want to explain multiple goals and provide in-depth details
• There are plenty of info regarding different goals and multiple CTAs
• You need to build brand awareness and teach customers about your product

Now that we confirmed we need a landing page, you’re ready to jump into the design steps.

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

How to build a landing page in 10 easy steps

Landing pages are supportive tools for your business. They work to achieve results like building your email list or driving purchases. Building a landing page requires you to identify the purpose of the page and then implement design elements that align with that purpose. Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty of the design process.

Decide on a campaign goal

By definition, landing pages have one focused goal. Before designing your landing page, determine what your goal will be. Is your landing page going to:

• Drive sales? Display a specific product where the CTA leads straight to the shopping cart.
• Boost conversions? Have a clear path to conversion that builds brand awareness.
• Generate Leads? Grow faster by offering a product demo, free downloadable resource or sign up form.

Once you’ve decided on your campaign-specific goal, choose the template layout that fully supports your goal.

Plan your landing page layout

Your layout is what guides subscribers to achieve the goal of your landing page. The perfect landing page will have a visual hierarchy and includes a headline, your offering, an explanation of the benefits, visuals, a CTA and lead-capture forms.The visual hierarchy of your landing page content will do some of the legwork for you. It creates a natural, easy-to-read pattern for subscribers, which clarifies what action you would like them to take. The F-pattern or Z-pattern layout is recommended for a smooth read.

Also, always remember to prioritize content above the fold. This means that the most important content will be visible instantly upon opening the landing page. Important information and your CTA need to be front and center before you dive into more details.This technique is like a first impression, it gives visitors a quick look at what you have to offer before they scroll, which helps increase conversions faster. It’s also a way to be respectful of a visitor's time.

Write your concise copy

The copy is the driving force of your landing page. It’s how you entice visitors with your offer and communicate the benefits of why your product or service is worthwhile. When writing copy make sure to:

• Develop a clear headline. State your offer and how it will benefit your visitors. Keep this short and concise.
• Bring it back to the customer. Simply stating all the highlights of your product/service doesn’t help your visitor. Share the benefits, details and how this is going to help visitors in the short and long term. 
• Don’t get too technical. Cut the technical jargon and make it simple for visitors to understand what you have to offer. 

Get straight to the point with your copy. Be clear about your explanation of why and how your offer will help customers and meet their needs.

Create your CTA

The CTA is the action you want visitors to take on your landing page. It’s the conversion-driving component and it should be crafted carefully. When designing your CTAs be sure to:

• Prioritize a main CTA. Having one CTA is best for your landing page, but if you are including more than one, make sure your main CTA is larger and above the fold for visitors to clearly see and be drawn to.
• Be descriptive. The copy you use inside your CTA will dictate if visitors care to click in or not. If you keep the copy vague, visitors will be less likely to click. Use specific language like, “Start your Free Trial” or “Add to Cart”. 

The simpler the action, the more likely visitors will take that action. Concise copy and visible CTAs is the key to converting visitors.

Choose your images/visuals

Include images that your visitors will connect with on an emotional level. Customers should be able to relate, laugh or feel comforted by the imagery you use. For example, use pictures of dogs if your product/service is related to dogs, or with skin-care products use images of people using your product or close-ups of skin before and after using your product.It all depends on what your product or service is, but make sure to be mindful of the visuals you use for your landing pages. Images that create a more personable experience are what will get customers to buy.For your landing page use images that are personable, emotional and make sure they are optimized. They should also support the copy and other components of your landing page. 

Plug in your design elements 

Stick to the visual hierarchy when you start plugging in your content. This is the best way to limit distractions and ensure visitors will read your content. Use one of BEE’s landing page templates or start from scratch and drag and drop content blocks to make your own template.Be sure to match the landing page with the rest of the assets you create. Visitors and subscribers should be able to recognize your brand when reading your content.Last, be sure to optimize for mobile, and this is made easy with our Mobile Design Mode. This allows you to switch between desktop and mobile view while designing and it will ensure that your content renders on all devices.

Integrate with tracking tools 

Integrate your landing page with Google Analytics and your CRM platform to analyze page performance. See what components are working and not working through this tracking and rework based on that info.It’s also helpful to set your custom domain (with a BEE Pro Agency or Enterprise plan). This is a sure way to raise brand awareness and customer credibility.

Double-check everything and then hit publish

Before publishing your page make sure to:

• Check the copy
• Solidify buttons and forms
• Confirm that you’re focused on one goal

Make sure every component of your landing page is working properly to avoid any issues once it’s published.

Reel in traffic

Now that your landing page is live, it’s time to boast about it. Share your page through:

• Email marketing
• Social media handles
• Social or pay-per-click (PPC) ads

These techniques are the best way to target different audiences and increase conversions at a faster rate.

Improve landing page with A/B tests and optimization

Keep an eye on your landing page. If certain components aren’t achieving their intended purpose then try implementing it in a different way. This could be through changing the copy, the CTA color or any other element that could use some tweaking.Test new elements and optimize everything to make sure the conversions continue to increase.

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

How to build a landing page: Expert Insights with our Design Community

Now that you have reviewed each step of the design process and know how to create a landing page, it’s time to run through some insider design tips. Two of BEE’s freelance designers, Betina Todorova and Navid Nosrati blessed us with some expert advice on how to truly make the most of your landing page designs. Let’s take note:

The essentials

Betina: 

• Define your purpose/goal. 

“The purpose of a landing page is to guide the user to achieve a specific goal, not just roam around your website. A landing page goal like signing people up for a webinar or getting them to subscribe to something. An important part of achieving this goal is to offer an incentive.” 

• Structure your landing page (hero, body, CTA and footer).

“A hero section is where you have your headline/offering/value proposition,subheading and first CTA.In the body you have to build trust. You can put things like your USP (unique sellingpoints), social proof, reviews, customers you've worked with, etc. This is where you can also offer an incentive to help make up user's minds. For example if your goal is to sign up people for a webinar you can offer them a downloadable mini e-book.Then it's time for your finalCTA. This should be presented in a very clean and precise way so the user knows exactly what to do.”

Navid: 

• Be purposeful about your layout.

“Having an asymmetrical balance on a page plays a main role. The purpose of a landing page is to create conversion and to do so the page needs to be designed in a way that leads the visitors to different sections of the page.”

• Understand the weight each element carries and craft accordingly.

“The hero section has to have a clear value proposition and explain to visitors what's in it for them—this needs to be very powerful. Then, a strong call to action. We must tell visitors exactly what they need to do, for example: Click Here, Start For Free, Sign Up Here.And the most important part of a page is the visuals. We want to always show the visitors an image, and that image needs to be very clear and hopefully explain to them what they’re going to get. Normally, I design the images in a way that matches the header of that section so if the visitors are just scrolling without reading by looking at the image they still understand what that section represents.”

The nitty-gritty details

Betina:

• Create a visual hierarchy.

“Hierarchy is important, as this will guide the user along the page. The design of a landing page should be clean, not cluttered with 2 or 3 fonts max.”

• Include an accent color.

“In your color palette you should have an accent color. Save this color for your CTA to draw attention. Many people make the mistake of using their accent color everywhere and this results in users leaving the page because they're not sure what to do. Also an accent color doesn't have to be bright/neon to draw attention. It just needs to have high contrast from the background color to stand out and not be the same as the copy text for example.”

Navid: 

• Storytell with a Z-pattern technique.

“Look and feel is quite important. As a designer, my goal is to create a landing page to build trust and offer the visitors a great user experience. I most often use the Z-pattern technique to design my landing page, which is used for pages that follow the storytelling aspect.”

• Be intentional about each specific element.

“In my designs, I always include:Typography hierarchy: Headlines (no more than 6 words), sub-headers  (compliments the header but does not repeat the wording and no more than 100 characters), and use bullet points (skim-friendly).Call-to-action: Exhibit value of CTA. For example, having a CTA like "Start Now For Free,” provides trust to visitors that they can start using or testing the product without paying.Visual: Images (not complex and evoke emotion), color palette (complementary colors, good contrast ratio and accessible to visually impaired visitors).Social proof: Builds immediate credibility and leverages the bandwagon effect (testimonials or reviews).”

The common mistakes to avoid 

Betina:

• Too many CTAs, excess information, poor quality images.

“I think a few mistakes that are made are adding multiple CTAs, too much irrelevant information makes it difficult for the user to navigate the page. Also having a lot of menu items that lead to other pages and poor quality images that aren’t optimized.For example, check out Netflix’s site. Their sign up page doesn’t have any menu navigation. So you basically have nothing else to do other than to sign up.”

Navid: 

• Inconsistent, broken or unstyled elements.

“Having inconsistent, broken or unstyled elements can be really hurtful to the landing page because visitors will see that and subconsciously doubt your brand.Another common mistake I often see is the designer of the page tries to show everything that they have to offer which can be overwhelming. The landing page is a very specific page with a very specific goal therefore it needs to be clear to the visitors and on point.”

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

Create landing pages with BEE Pro

Now that you’ve got the steps on how to make a landing page and collected some expert insight, you’re more than ready to design a professional landing page. Head over to BEE Pro to start from scratch and try the step-by-step guide, or quickly input your content into one of our beautifully designed page templates (some created by Betina and Navid).Also, be sure to set your custom domain with BEE Pro. An Agency or Enterprise Pro account allows you to personalize your published landing pages by using your customized domain for a more on-brand experience. Learn more about this here.