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How Email Design Trends Have Evolved: Insights from Two Experts on the Ground

Dalila Bonomi
Dalila Bonomi
Aug 24, 2017
How Email Design Trends Have Evolved: Insights from Two Experts on the Ground
How Email Design Trends Have Evolved: Insights from Two Experts on the Ground

There's no better way to learn about email design trends than to ask the people on the ground, designing emails every day for multiple clients. We partnered with Rachel Rewerts, client success team manager, and Celeste Odell, senior graphic designer, both fromDelivra, to share their insights on where email design is headed.

What are the top email designs concerns among your clients today vs. 3-5 years ago?

Celeste: The main concern design-wise among our clients has always been rendering. Clients would like to be sure that contacts using Yahoo! Mail on a Chrome browser arealso seeing the email in the same way as those viewing it in Outlook 2010. Thankfully, within the last 3-5 years, we've had more clients become concerned with responsive email rendering, and the design shifts and changes on small mobile screens continue to be easy.Rachel: Our clients are very aware of how their emails look on a mobile device. Luckily, the stats have helped us encourage them to make the shift to responsive mobile email design. We are seeing mobile device open rates for our B2C clients in the upper 50% to low 60%. B2B clients are up there, too, but more in the 30% range. In addition, clients are more concerned today with email effectiveness and brand awareness. I used to see a lot more “newsletter”-type emails with five to seven call to action buttons, but now I see a lot more clients sending announcement-type messages with one to three call to action buttons.

How many clients do you work with or have your eye on at a time?

Celeste: Each person on our Design team typically has 5-10 projects going on at once. Thankfully, it feels like a pretty good pace, as our clients need time to review designs and gather feedback, and every project is different.Rachel: At any given time, I would say our Client Success Managers are working with 10-20 clients that have active projects going on at one time. However, they are responsible for many more accounts, depending on the client need. Some clients are more self-sufficient when it comes to managing their email marketing strategy and finding the platform to execute their strategy. Some need a bit more guidance and hand holding.

What are some email design innovations that marketers are trying, and which of them really seem to be gaining traction?

Celeste: Over the last 5 years, I've seen a lot more of our clients incorporating data personalization into their email content. This could be organizing the layout of the email based on past interactions, populating the email with personalized content from previous purchase data, altering the call to action based on a contact's subscription type… more than simply merging in a first name. Real personalization is such a good thing to see gaining traction!Rachel: I’m seeing more and more clients focusing on a simple design and using dynamic content to provide the right message at the right time. It’s a nice way to use one piece of content with small but impactful changes. I think the other thing I’ve noticed is the tone used in the email copy. The tone feels more client-focused versus a hard sell—something we have really focused on is that it’s the email’s job is to sell the clickthrough and not the product itself. The buying cycle is a journey and clients definitely get that now more than ever before.

Which design elements are clients moving away from?

Celeste: I've noticed more marketers and designers begin seeing their email as its own experience rather than a digital version of a direct mail piece. I used to often receive the print PDF of a mailer from the marketer and be asked to directly code it into an email. People respond to direct mail differently than they do with their own email and have different expectations. Thankfully, that knowledge is becoming the norm.

How has the increase in mobile email reading changed the way your clients think about email design?

Celeste: More of our clients are thinking about designing for both mobile and desktop, considering things like how to design banners to work well on small and large screens, how much content is being placed into an email, or how many clicks a content file is receiving from mobile users in a split test.Rachel: We talk to clients a lot about making sure their primary call to action is easy to click on a mobile device. We also remind clients that when a recipient spends more than eight seconds reading an email, that’s a success! The good news is that, according to this Litmus study, readership times are on the rise for our mobile readers, but while you may have a little more time, you still don’t have much time to let the reader know who you are, what you want them to do, and why they should do it. I learned this from the very first Marketing Sherpa conference I attended. For some of our clients,design is about the basics—you have to master those first.

Which brands are sending the most creative or compelling emails?

Celeste: My favorite emails are actually fromEnvelopes.com. I rarely even have the need for custom envelopes, but their emails are just so good for sales-y B2C emails. They're beautifully designed, incorporate clean animated GIFs, and their copywriting is always cute and punchy and catching. The emails keep me daydreaming about what print project I might design. And, all they sell are envelopes! Some samples ofEnvelopes.com emails:

          

Rachel: One email brand I have always loved is King Arthur Flour. Their emails are always so well-designed and enticing. I also like the way their call to action copy is more than just click here or learn more. Williams-Sonoma does such a nice job of staying on-brand and there is always at least one thing I want to learn more about. I feel like I’m stepping into the store when I open one of their emails. They also have a nice dynamic piece in the footer that shows my closest store location and upcoming classes.

Are there email design trends that you really love or hate?

Celeste: The overuse of emojis in subject lines is a trend I numbed to pretty quickly. I've seen too many marketers slapping emojis into their subject lines without bothering to test the copywriting or email content. I'm not against using emojis in subject lines—I would just like to see marketers have a more solid idea of why they're using them. As for a trend I love—I've seen very classy uses of animated GIFs in email in the past few years. I've seen it used more and more to gently guide users to a call to action or create visual interest. More of this, please!Rachel: Whoa, I couldn’t agree more with Celeste, here! I have a client doing some interesting subject line testing with a company called Persado—they provide the subject lines, the client imports how each subject line performs, and by using that data their platform provides even more relevant subject lines each time they test. It’s just a reminder not to let your own personal views impact a potentially relevant subject line or design element trend—and not to assume you know your audience without testing and measuring responses.Want to build beautiful emails in a quick and simple way? Try our easy email editor --for use with any ESP!-- BEE Pro. No HTML knowledge required!

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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.

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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.

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