Email marketing is one of the more personal ways to engage consumers virtually. It’s cost-effective, measurable, and effectively reaches people to establish a brand.
There’s a lot that goes into designing emails that delight readers. From writing killer copies to nailing visuals and branding, there are quite a few things to juggle before hitting send.
In this blog, we give you 10 best practices to email design to nurture leads and boost conversions.
1. Understand Who You’re Emailing
The first step to winning more clients through email marketing is understanding your audience. Know their likes, dislikes, and demographics by creating buyer personas and putting them into action.
As you get to know your readers better, adjust the body of your emails to build brand loyalty. Integrating this into your strategy gives you the chance to strike better conversations and give tailored product recommendations.
2. Perfect Writing Subject Lines
Subject lines are the first thing recipients read. Think of them as gatekeepers to the rest of your email content. If consumers don’t like what they see, your email will go unopened, deleted, or worse, marked as spam.
The perfect subject line accomplishes two things: grabbing attention and adding value to the reader. You start by summarizing the body of your email and converting it into a short and sweet phrase. Tell them what’s inside the email and hype it up.
Using action-oriented verbs at the beginning is recommended because they elicit a sense of urgency and excitement. Subject lines that make readers feel special also do wonders for email open rates. For example:
- “Happy Birthday [Name] — Surprise Inside!”
- “You’re missing out”
- “Earn double points today”
- “An exclusive offer for you”
- “Get this NOW before it’s gone”
3. Be Concise
No one likes going through lengthy emails. Modern-day consumers want information fast. Although you have a lot to say, there’s a good chance your readers don’t have the time or patience to go through wordy messages.
The ideal length of an email is between 50 to 125 words. Practice writing messages concisely and straight to the point. Give your readers what they need to know in simple terms and avoid over-explaining yourself.
Email marketing is a means to communicate with your audience so remember to sound like a real person. Tone down the jargon and fluff and write to your readers like you’re having a conversation. This will make the interaction more genuine and your relationship with them stronger.
4. Personalize Emails
Personalization is a powerful force in email marketing. It boosts open rates, engagements, and ultimately, sales and conversions. According to several studies, emails with personalized subject lines perform 26% better than their generic counterparts.
Personalizing emails means more than addressing readers by their first names. It’s about creating a seamless experience and providing tailored content depending on user activity and interests.
It all starts by collecting subscriber information. Once you have the basics (e.g., name, location, age), segment your email list and make custom offers for every group.
Dynamic content and automation tools assist in running personalized email campaigns. They allow you to make multiple versions on an email to cater to various preferences and send them out on schedule.
5. Stick to Your Branding
Email marketing is an extension of your branding efforts. If you’re only using it to deliver notifications and promos, you’re wasting its true potential.
The point of any digital marketing campaign is to establish your brand and make it as recognizable as possible. When readers open your message or set their eyes on your subject line, they should immediately be able to tell that it’s from you.
The most effective tactic is to use a consistent tone throughout all your marketing materials. Furthermore, incorporate your signature fonts and colors, and add links to relevant landing pages and your social media.
6. Use Visual Content
Adding visual content is a great way to keep readers interested as they scroll through your email. Visual information is easier to digest and allows you to communicate your message faster and more aesthetically.
There are various visuals you can incorporate into your email marketing campaigns. You can use stock photos, GIFs, infographics, and illustrations.
Using stock photos is tricky because you don’t want to end up with the same picture as everyone else. It’s better to provide original images, but if you have no choice, just make sure not to overuse them.
A popular trend is using custom illustrations. They’re great storytelling devices that add personality to your text and product images. You can choose from realistic digital illustrations, vectors, cartoons, and more.
7. Optimize Your CTAs
Calls-to-action are integral parts of any email marketing campaign. Depending on what stage of the buyer’s journey your reader is, your CTAs may vary from email to email.
It’s crucial that you don’t push for a sale prematurely so as not to turn off consumers. Engage leads by offering relevant content, then ease them through your sales funnel over time.
Effective CTAs use action-oriented, second-person verbs like “discover”, “learn”, “find”, and others. The trick is to describe what happens next after someone clicks on the CTA. Will it avail a promo? Will it help support a petition? Will it download a PDF? Make it very clear.
Moreover, align CTAs with the landing pages. Use the same terms on both touchpoints to avoid confusion. If your email says people get an all-access pass to your online courses, don’t go around and call it a “trial period” when they land on your website.
8. Use an Email Signature
Email signatures are often underutilized. When done right, they communicate professionalism and trustworthiness. It’s essentially a digital business card that expresses your willingness to connect and engage your readers further.
Using email signatures is also part of branding your messages. Include your name, contact information, job title, company name, and relevant links.
9. Custom Email Layouts
Ready-made email templates are great for startups without much experience in digital marketing. But as a company grows, generic templates no longer meet the expectations of consumers. They compromise branding and don’t engage readers as effectively.
Custom-made email templates address this by giving you full control over colors, typography, and illustrations.
Before anything else, you need to set a goal for your email. Welcome emails, newsletters, order confirmations, and sales promotions need different layouts to elicit the right emotions and responses.
Your layout should bring all the elements of your email together and highlight pertinent information and links. Spend time choosing fonts, colors, and visual media, as well as positioning them correctly to direct eyes on where they need to go.
10. A/B Test
Finally, conduct A/B tests and modify your campaigns appropriately. Email designing is both an art and an iterative process. The more you leverage data, the better you get at capturing the taste of your audience.
A/B test your CTAs, layout, color palette, images, and content. Experiment on what works best with certain groups and apply emergent insights to succeeding marketing efforts. A/B testing results in reduced risks and a higher ROI.
Final reminder
With good email marketing campaigns, you’re bound to create a strong and loyal following. Nail your copy and visuals, and don’t forget to use a responsive design to enhance user experience.
Hire a Team of Expert Email Designers
Win more clients when you work with seasoned email designers. We apply email design best practices and use the latest technology to craft stunning templates and illustrations. Contact Devwerkz today.