Email design best practices for strong email foundation

While it might seem superficial, investing time and resources into good email design ensures you’ll get the most out of your email marketing efforts. 

Madison Taylor Marketing, a full-service marketing agency, recently shared how good email design impacted one of their clients. Early in the collaboration, their client shared frustration with email marketing, convinced that it was no longer a viable marketing channel. 

Madison Taylor Marketing identified that its outdated email design primarily influenced the client's lack of performance. Once Madison Taylor Marketing gave the email design a much-needed makeover, the client gained a $2 million purchase order from what sales had previously deemed a “cold lead.” 

They also increased open rates by 20% and engagement rates by 31%. 

While this is only one example, the benefits of a strong email design are undeniable. 

Understanding the basics: What makes an email design effective? 

While we encourage everyone to explore their creativity, try new trends, and think outside of the box, there are a few email design elements and best practices to follow.  

These elements set the stage for more advanced techniques and ensure your emails are built on a solid framework.

1. Readability 

An effective email design should ensure that your emails are easy to follow and convey your message effectively. Everyone, including those busy readers, should understand the message and purpose of your email. 

White space

White space is just as it sounds - the empty space between email content. White space helps break up content-heavy spaces and makes it easier for the reader to grasp the content. Adding white space can be as simple as adding extra padding and spacing between content blocks. 

Visual hierarchy

Organize your content with headers, bullet points, and short paragraphs to break up the content further and guide your reader’s eye to the desired action. 

Fonts

Clear, legible fonts improve the readability of your emails, making them accessible to a broader audience.  Use fonts like Arial, Verdana, or Georgia, known for their readability. 

Overly decorative fonts can oftentimes be challenging to read and should be avoided in favor of simpler, more straightforward typefaces.

2. Responsiveness

With 41% of email views coming from mobile devices and poor mobile design resulting in 80% of emails being deleted - responsiveness is non-negotiable. A strong email design ensures a cohesive experience regardless of where it is being viewed. 

Additionally, emails optimized for mobile devices experience a 24% lower bounce rate than those that are not optimized.

‍Single-layout column

‍When you’re first starting out, a single-column layout is your friend. This layout is simple and easy to scan, ensuring a clean and focused design. 

A single-layout column needs minimal work to be mobile-friendly, so it’s a safe bet for ensuring a cohesive experience across screen sizes. Regardless, we always recommend testing your emails across various screens to ensure they render as intended! 

3. Accessibility  

Accessibility in email design ensures that all recipients, including those with disabilities, can easily interact with your emails. Creating accessible emails not only broadens your audience but also demonstrates your commitment to inclusivity and compliance with legal standards. 

Color contrast

Sufficient contrast between your email’s text and background color makes your emails easier to read. Be sure to follow the WCAG guidelines, which recommend a “minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.”

Alt text

Alt text is a critical component of accessible email design. For each email graphics used, provide clear and concise descriptions that convey the essential information of the image.

This descriptive text allows screen readers to convey the purpose of your images to those with visual impairments or in those cases where images don’t load properly. 

Dark mode

Designing emails that look great in both light and dark modes is not a must, but we highly recommend it. Many users prefer dark mode for its reduced glare and eye strain, so it's important to cater to their preferences.

Best practices for dark mode compatibility:

• Transparent Images: Use images with transparent backgrounds to avoid harsh contrasts when viewed in dark mode.
• Test across modes: Test your emails in light and dark modes to ensure a consistent and visually appealing experience.

4. Compliant

A clear and visible unsubscribe option is not only a best practice but also a legal requirement as defined by the U.S CAN-SPAM and European GDPR guidelines. 

5. Consistency

Consistency is a vital element of a strong email design. By ensuring that all of your emails are on-brand, you can strengthen your brand recognition, trust, and credibility. 

Tips for ensuring consistency:

• Follow your brand’s style guide to ensure your emails align with your brand identity, further strengthening brand recognition. 
• Create and use standardized templates for different types of emails (e.g., newsletters, promotions, transactional). Email templates can significantly streamline the email creation process, ensuring consistency and efficiency in your campaigns.
• Periodically review your emails to ensure they remain consistent with your brand standards.

Best practices for email design elements 

Once you’ve established a strong foundation for your emails, you can begin to incorporate design elements to enhance your design. Below are some best practices to consider when implementing them: 

CTA Buttons

Calls to action (CTAs) are vital to your email design, as they direct the reader towards the desired action. 

Make your CTA buttons easy to spot by using bold (but still on-brand) colors that stand out from the rest of your content. 

More importantly, ensure your CTA buttons are easily clickable, especially on mobile devices. Buttons should be easy to click on without difficulty and positioned in multiple locations throughout your emails. 

Lastly, the text on your CTA buttons should be clear and action-oriented. Use phrases that prompt immediate action, such as "Learn More," "Get Started," or "Buy Now."

Imagery, gifs, and videos 

Emails that include images can see an increase in their click-through rate by 42%. 

Images are powerful in capturing your reader's attention and conveying your message more effectively, but it’s important to ensure that they are high-quality images. Low-quality images can detract from the professionalism of your email and may even lead to recipients disregarding your message. 

Use images related to your email to make the content more digestible and break up text-heavy blocks. Irrelevant images can confuse the reader and dilute your message.

Additionally, incorporating GIFs and videos can explain complex concepts or demonstrate products more effectively than text alone.

Testing and optimizing your email design 

When you have reached a point where you’re confident with your email design, it’s time to test its effectiveness! 

Best practices for A/B testing your email designs:

A/B testing, also known as split testing, compares two versions of an email to see which performs better. This allows you to test different elements of your email, such as subject lines, layouts, images, and CTAs, to determine what resonates most with your audience.

• Test one variable at a time: Focus on one element (e.g., subject line, CTA) to isolate its impact.
• Use a significant sample size: Ensure your sample size is large enough to provide reliable results.
• Analyze results: Carefully review the data to determine which version performed better and why.

Regular testing of your email design elements can provide valuable insights into optimizing your emails for engagement and conversion. Monitor metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversions to gauge the success of your emails.

Mastering email design is key to a successful email marketing strategy. Good design marries visual appeal with functionality, ensuring your messages are engaging and effective.