Beefree blog

Choosing an Email Platform: 6 Top Design Requirements to Consider

Beefree team
Beefree team
Aug 3, 2017
Choosing an Email Platform: 6 Top Design Requirements to Consider
Choosing an Email Platform: 6 Top Design Requirements to Consider

Choosing an email platform, or email service provider (ESP), can be hard. And when it comes to design capabilities, there's a lot to consider. Email marketers need to strike a balance between out-of-the-box capabilities and customization options. So, what tops the list when it comes to finding the must-have ESP design tool? We asked some email marketing gurus to weigh in. Read on for their wise insight and top tips.

Must-Have #1: Features that streamline the design process

One of the best things about working with an email marketing platform is the ability to streamline the process. Here are my favorite design-related features:

  • Drag & Drop Sections: I love being able to easily add, remove or reorganize sections of an email. When working with newsletter or event emails especially, this feature comes in handy.
  • Web Font Integration: Including web fonts may seem like it's a small detail, but it goes a long way with brand identity & recognition. The easier it is to add web fonts to an email, the better.
  • Image Uploading: This seems like a silly feature, but it can be a pain if your uploaded doesn't work!
  • Responsiveness: When I'm working with ready-built templates from an email marketing platform, it's great to know that they've been tested on multiple devices. This helps to take out some of the guess work and extra rounds of testing.

Each of these features helps my team to work with the clients in a smooth and effective way. They allow us to be creative while also meeting deadlines!— Melanie Kinney, Digital Design Director at G3 Communications

Must-Have #2: Marketing automation capabilities and responsive templates

When looking for a new ESP, there is no reason not to go with one that has automation. Marketing automation is no longer the future ofemail—it's the present. I would encourage clients to choose an email platform with advanced segmentation logic (allowing both AND and OR statements), and one that allows for a combination of auto-responders and automated lifecycle programs. Also, the platform MUST easily and accurately sync with whatever application you use to manage customers, or you won't be able to take advantage of those automation features.Any ESP should be able to tell you, ahead of time, which applications it syncs with and how it will help you set up the connection. On top of that, there are a few "nice-to-haves": responsive templates with an HTML editor (for greater customization), and an ESP that's onthe list to sync with Litmus(what a time saver!)— Belinda Blakley, Sr. Creative Digital Marketing Specialist at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine

Must-Have #3: HTML flexibility, including custom template uploads

I mostlydesignand code custom HTML emails outside of ESPs. Therefore, I look for the flexibilityto upload my own templates. My preferredway of coding emails is fluid/hybrid. It's based on a technique I learned fromNicole Merlin. This means the layout is not relying on media queries because not allemailclients support it. However, I do use responsive method for image swapping, for example. This way I can control the art direction ofvisuals betweendesktop and mobile.Emailservice providers that offer a naming convention in their template language are great. This makes it very easy to create editable content sections (or, modules). I can offer my clients one large master template. Clients can then build their own emails and use prebuilt modules on-the-fly or repeat modules for personalized of content.— Annett Forcier, Senior Developer with Cossette

Must-Have #4: Ability to create and upload custom code

Having the option to upload full HTML files is a must-have for any ESP. Being able to create and upload custom code allows you to match the needs of your business and brand better, setting you apart from the competition.In addition to importing HTML files, an ESP should have a rendering engine (like Litmus) for previewing and testing templates across various devices. An ESP that is well-designed from a visual and experience standpoint, plus drag-and-drop editors, are also great. But, if the overall application is difficult to use or navigate, then it may not be worth it.— Shannon Crabill, Email Developer at T Rowe Price

Must-Have #5: A one-stop shop for templates, drag-and-drop editing, GIF creation, and rendering

Recently, I worked with a major client on an email campaign that was set up in one of the topemail marketing platforms. When you’re sending a steady flow of emails, the ease of producing and scheduling is definitely important! I learned how valuable it was to have existing templates, which can save a lot of time. A drag-and-drop editor also allowed flexibility with modules that could be easily moved/rearranged—but it was vital that a small change in padding, image size, and font size (whether through the WYSIWYG or HTML editor) didn’t break the template or cause rendering quirks.Also, in working with the design team to create new email designs, I realized other important factors for the ideal ESP, like: a rendering tool to show how an email would look on different devices and browsers, an image/GIF database, and a photo resizing/cropping tool. Even a GIF or video-creation tool would be helpful. Essentially, an ESP should be a one-stop shop that makes a user’s experience easier—so that there’s no need to have multipleaccounts for various services just to create one email!Sherry Huang, Growth & Product Owner at RevSquare

Must-Have #6: Intuitive UI and dynamic templates

When choosing a new ESP, ease of use should be considered first and foremost. The UI has to be intuitive to the user so that it flows as naturally as possible.When considering email designs, I look for readily-available templates that can be amended based on the needs for that particular campaign. The templates need to be responsive because mobile/tablet viewing has risen so fast over the years. An added plus: the ability to create a new layout from a choice of drag-and-drop templates within the system itself! Another aspect that ranks high is the ability to create dynamic variations within set templates. And, to truly make it a personalized and targeted email, it would be amazing to have theflexibility to create different layouts for the dynamic content sections.So here's a ranking of what I personally look for in an ESP:

  1. Ease of use
  2. Naturally intuitive platform and flow
  3. Choice of template layouts
  4. Dynamic variants within template layouts
  5. Ability to choose different layouts for the different sections of the email (choice of layout for header, hero image, body copy with columns, etc.)

— Priya Bransfield, Email Consultant

Wrap-Up: Design Questions to Ask When Deciding on an Email Platform

It's clear that choosing an ideal email platform means selecting one that offers the reliability, flexibility, and options that your design team needs.We love the feedback we got from our email marketing gurus! They covered all the bases, including most of the questions we typically ask:

  • Does the email platform have a drag-and-drop editor?
  • Will I need an email developer on staff to code templates?
  • Does it have a built-in template library?
  • Are the emails mobile automatically responsive?
  • How good are the mobile and desktop preview capabilities?
  • Can you easily incorporate interactive design elements?

What do you look for in an email platform? Share in our comments section!

Related posts

Email strategies you’ve likely heard of but haven’t implemented yet

While email marketing has come a long way and is changing faster than ever, there’s only so much you can do within 600x1,500 pixels. However, there are no limits to where your creativity can take you. 
Kruti Shah
Feb 5, 2025

How to Leverage Email Campaigns to Gather Sincere Product Reviews

What do customers think about your brand’s products? The best way to find out is to ask them directly, which you can do via strategic email campaigns. Keep reading to learn how!
Beefree team
Jan 22, 2025

How Beefree is Helping Email Makers Scale Their Production

2024 was a banner year for email markers everywhere. From sleek newsletters to interactive promos, you flexed your creative muscle to new heights and did it with a level of speed and efficiency that made crafting award-worthy emails look easy. Let’s dive into the numbers, trends, and stories that made this year unforgettable for email makers like you.
Beefree team
Jan 6, 2025

Email strategies you’ve likely heard of but haven’t implemented yet

While email marketing has come a long way and is changing faster than ever, there’s only so much you can do within 600x1,500 pixels. However, there are no limits to where your creativity can take you. 
Kruti Shah
Kruti Shah
5 Feb
2025

Now, let's be honest—you’ve likely heard about all of these rotating for the last few years. While email marketing has come a long way and is changing faster than ever, there’s only so much you can do within 600x1,500 pixels. However, there are no limits to where your creativity can take you. 

Let’s get into it.  

#1. Unique, tailored experiences 

Damian Grabarczyk, the co-founder and growth marketer of PetLab Co., says, “We faced the challenge of connecting meaningfully with an audience that expects more than one-size-fits-all communication.” 

When we speak about crafting tailored emails we mean going beyond the recipient's first name in the subject line. We’re talking about optimizing your entire email strategy to design multi-stage touchpoints to nurture leads across the customer lifecycle. As well as, leveraging data to send hyper-personalized, relevant, and engaging emails that feel less like a broadcast message and more like a conversation. 

Many are using AI machine learning algorithms and AI automation to analyze customer interactions, past purchases, browsing habits, website visits, and even social media behavior to curate engaging email content that resonates deeply with the real-time needs of recipients.

For PetLab Co this looked like including content such as an individual’s pet health history or product usage timelines. Damian Grabarzyk expands, “This approach transformed the conversion rate and strengthened customer loyalty. As we look ahead, I see brands in 2025 moving beyond generic personalization to adopt strategies that make customers feel truly understood and valued.”

On the other hand, many are leaning into user-generated content (UGC) for crafting tailored experiences. Customers today are more likely to trust the opinions of peers over branded messages. UGC like customer reviews, testimonials, videos, and photos are the best form of social proof depicting real people using and benefitting from your products or services. 

We see the benefits of using both AI and UGC to get the most out of your email conversions ;). 

#2. AI tools as an addition, not a substitution

Experts at NordPass state, "AI-powered content generation tools are not here to replace email copywriters and marketers. These tools make us more efficient. The smarter the tool is, the better equipped we are to create high-performing email content that drives results." 

AI tools can support us by significantly enhancing the speed, precision, and effectiveness of your emails. For instance while traditionally A/B testing has required a lot of time to analyze small variations with AI you quickly implement and test multiple email elements and make adjustments based on real-time engagement data. There are AI algorithms that can even predict which variations are most likely to resonate with different audience segments, leading to more accurate targeting and faster optimization.

In short, AI tools are revolutionizing the way we craft and optimize our email’s deliverability. There are many different types of AI solutions so we suggest finding the right one for your needs. 

#3. Even more transparency around data

With AI continuing to rise, folks are more and more concerned about where their data is going. That’s where zero-party data collection becomes a key strategy in email marketing, allowing you to gather data directly from customers rather than relying on third-party sources. 

Zero-party data includes information that consumers willingly share, such as preferences, interests, and purchase intentions. This data is often collected through surveys, preference centers, quizzes, or interactive content and is highly valuable because it is shared explicitly, ensuring accuracy and deeper personalization without privacy concerns associated with third-party tracking.

As privacy regulations tighten, zero-party data will empower you to deliver hyper-personalized email experiences while respecting user privacy. This approach will help you build trust, as customers feel more in control of their data, and you gain insights that lead to more relevant and engaging email content.

#4. The death of static emails

With attention span getting shorter day after day, digest-format emails are expected to rise in popularity in 2025. Presenting email content in an easy-to-scan, organized, and minimalistic layout will surely help deliver the most relevant information in a fraction of the time. 

Additionally, interactive emails will allow recipients to directly engage within the email without having to visit a landing page or website. Interactive elements like product carousels, polls, and quizzes create a dynamic experience that keeps subscribers engaged, especially in visually driven industries like fashion brands

So what now? 

You’ve heard these strategies before, but now it’s time to actually put them into action. The brands that win at email marketing in 2025 won’t just be sending emails—they’ll be creating experiences. Whether it’s hyper-personalized content, AI-driven efficiency, zero-party data collection, or interactive emails that break the mold, the key is to stay ahead of the curve.

So, what’s the first strategy you’ll finally implement? Your inbox (and your audience) are waiting.

How to Leverage Email Campaigns to Gather Sincere Product Reviews

What do customers think about your brand’s products? The best way to find out is to ask them directly, which you can do via strategic email campaigns. Keep reading to learn how!
Beefree team
Beefree team
22 Jan
2025

What do customers think about your brand’s products? The best way to find out is to ask them directly, which you can do via strategic email campaigns.

Email makes gathering authentic product reviews quick and easy. By collecting sincere feedback, you can build trust, increase sales, boost loyalty, and innovate product improvements. 

That said, requesting reviews via email requires precise timing, personalized messaging, and lots of engagement optimizations. But don’t worry—we’ll walk you through some key steps to create email campaigns that deliver the valuable feedback you need.

Why product reviews matter

Product reviews do more than confirm that you're meeting customers’ needs. Sincere feedback drives loyalty and sales, offers valuable customer insights, and helps you develop a strategic product development roadmap.

  • Fosters customer loyalty: Requesting and listening to feedback makes your customers feel valued and heard. It demonstrates that you prioritize customer satisfaction, which helps you build stronger, long-term relationships. Review requests also act as re-engagement emails by starting new conversations with customers.
  • Increases sales: Social proof drives sales. According to a recent survey by Power Reviews, 90% of potential customers use online reviews to make purchasing decisions. In fact, reviews have more influence over purchasing decisions than product prices. Turning product reviews into customer testimonials and encouraging reviews on third-party sites can significantly boost sales.
Image sourced from powerreviews.com
  • Builds Customer 360 insights: Customer feedback delivers insights into customer needs and sentiments, enriching Customer 360. Exactly what is Customer 360? It’s a unified, 360-degree view of customer data. It empowers you to tailor products and customer experiences to meet individual needs and preferences. 
  • Drives product improvements: Sincere customer feedback reveals what target customers like/dislike about your products. It provides key insight into their value, functionality, and usability, unlocking large-scale development opportunities.

How to create an email campaign to collect product reviews

Want to unlock the power of product reviews? Let’s explore how to create email campaigns that encourage customers to share their feedback.

Segment your audience

Like promotional emails, product review requests shouldn’t be sent to every subscriber.

If subscribers haven’t had the chance to try your product, product review requests will feel irrelevant and may trigger unsubscriptions. So, only send review email requests to customers recently trying your product.

You can do this by segmenting your email list based on where customers are in the buying cycle. Target loyal customers, recent purchasers, and first-time buyers with tailored email campaigns. This ensures that you’re sending emails to customers most likely to respond with insightful feedback.

Write a compelling email subject line

According to Superoffice, 33% of people open an email based on the subject line. 

Image sourced from superoffice.com

To get the click-through rates you want, your email subject lines should be personalized, relevant, and engaging. Here are some examples:

  • Did you love [product]? Or hate it? Let us know!
  • We value your opinion — help us improve!
  • We want YOU to help us make our product better!
  • Up for a discount? Share your feedback for 10% off! 

Learn more > Tips for writing open worthy subject lines.

Optimize for customer engagement

A successful email marketing strategy relies on customer engagement. Here are some key email elements you need to encourage interactions.

  • An attractive email design: With the right layout, color scheme, typography, and images, you ensure easy readability and promote interaction. Use these engagement-boosting email design best practices to help you create a design that boosts conversion rates.
  • Gratitude and value: Thank customers for reading the email and explaining why their feedback is so important. Also, consider including a personalized Gmail email signature with your content details to build trust and encourage customers to engage with your review request. 
  • Personalized, relevant content: Personalized email content motivates engagement. Use customer data platform (CDP) data to tailor messages to individual customers. What is a CDP? It’s a centralized platform that collects and unifies customer information, building comprehensive customer profiles. 
  • Incentives: Offering a small discount can motivate customers to leave reviews, especially first-time buyers. That said, incentives can (sometimes) generate insincere reviews, so stress the importance of honesty. 
  • A strong call-to-action (CTA): Your CTA should direct readers straight to the reviews submission page. Use clear CTAs with bold buttons and typography to make it stand out.
  • Mobile responsiveness: If your emails are slow to load or don’t display correctly on mobile devices, your bounce rate will spike. Leverage solutions that offer advanced mobile optimization features — such as Beefree— to create responsive emails every single time.

Ask specific, concise questions

Complex, drawn-out questions that are too open-ended can disengage customers. So, get straight to the point with concise, direct questions. Here are some examples:

  • What did you think of [specific product feature]?
  • How often do you use our product?
  • What are your favorite/least favorite features?
  • How likely are you to recommend this product?
  • What could we do to improve our product?

Use a mixture of closed and open-ended questions to increase your chances of receiving meaningful responses.

Make it easy to respond

The easier it is for customers to leave a review, the more responses you’ll receive. So, make the process as seamless and convenient as possible. One way to do this is with survey emails.

Email surveys have high response rates. They can be completed within the email with minimal effort, which is a big plus for busy customers. And, they can generate a wealth of quantitative data and metrics that are quick to analyze, leading to faster improvements. BeeFree has an extensive collection of email survey templates to suit every need.

For longer review requests, include a CTA that directly links to the review submission page. Review forms should use simple, clear language, be optimized for mobile, and have a progress bar. 

You could even provide your telephone contact details to allow customers to leave a review via telephone. It’s the preferred communication method for 55% of Baby Boomers according to Hubspot, so it’s worth considering. 

Leverage small business telephone services from Vonage to access call center capabilities like virtual receptionists and CRM integrations, streamlining processes.

Also consider directing customers to leave reviews on popular review sites, such as Google and Amazon.

Optimize email timings

If you send product review requests too early, there’s a chance your customers won’t have tried your product yet. But if you send them too late, your customer might have forgotten their experience. 

So, when’s the best time to request reviews? 

Aim to send review requests within 7-14 days post-purchase. This gives customers a chance to try the product a few times, leading to more sincere, meaningful reviews. Plan for seasonal surges such as Black Friday and incorporate them into your schedules.

Key takeaways

Do email campaigns work for gathering valuable product reviews that drive improvements, boost trust, and increase sales and loyalty? 

Absolutely — but they need to be strategic.

To generate sincere reviews and valuable data, ensure your marketing emails are personalized, engaging, and optimized for convenience. And, use email list segmentation and marketing automation to ensure they’re sent to the right customers at the right time.

Stay informed on all email trends

From the latest creative design strategies that inspire your next campaign to industry best practices and tech advancements, our newsletter is the go-to for all things creation.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
By clicking Subscribe you're agreeing with our Privacy Policy