Email banner design plays a crucial role in your email marketing strategy. When done right, it captures your reader’s attention and entices them to engage with your content. A well-designed email banner is a show-stopper that can make your email stand out in a crowded inbox. In this blog, we will explore the why, what, and how of email banner design, and how you can leverage it to enhance your email design and performance. Let's dive in!
What Is An Email Banner?
An email banner, also known as an email header, is a visual element placed at the top of an email that complements the marketing copy. It's a fantastic way to establish the tone for the message's content and make a lasting visual impression in the recipient's mind. Brand banners can vary from basic designs that feature the brand's name and logo to intricate promotions.
These banners are distinct from signature banners, which are typically found at the bottom of an email. Brand banners are designed to catch your attention right from the beginning, while signature banners usually include contact information, a professional sign-off, or links to social media handles.
A brand logo and name in your header is the first thing people see. It sets the tone for the rest of your email content, reinforces your brand identity immediately, and lends credibility to your message.
Brand Colors
Using your brand colors in your email banner reinforces brand identity and ensures visual consistency. It’s much easier for recipients to recognize your email as a visual signature. The key is not to play with too many colors. Keep your brand look professional and cohesive by using a limited color palette. Also, ensure the contrast between the background and text colors is enough to make your content readable.
Link to Your Website
Adding a link to your website in your email banner is a strategic move and is especially relevant for e-commerce emails. It provides a direct pathway for recipients to shop or explore your offerings.
Current Promotions or Announcements
Highlighting current promotions or offers can reduce bounce rates and put your best deal front and center so nobody misses it. A banner featuring a special sale, event announcement, discount code, or limited-time offer adds a sense of urgency to your message, encouraging subscribers to act quickly and not miss out.
10 Examples Of The Best Email Banners
1. Honey
This email banner is beautifully designed with illustrations in vivid colors, and the call to action is attention-grabbing and direct
2. Airbnb
The captivating design, unique style, and beautiful colors make for a captivating email banner.
3. Vimeo
The product shot and enticing value proposition make this email banner enticing and engaging
4. Nissan
The balanced layout and engaging hero image in this email banner capture attention effectively.
5. Picmonkey
Simple, yet attention-grabbing, this email banner offers freebies to entice viewers.
6. Mailmodo
A minimal amount of text and focus on visual elements make this email banner appealing and interactive.
7. Feather
This email banner uses a play on words to highlight their product, making it punny yet effective.
8. Stocksy
Using a funny image and a clever subject line, this email banner effectively promotes the brand's stock photos.
9. Grammarly
Straightforward and to the point, this email banner showcases a new product effectively.
10. Allset
Using unique typographic art as the banner, this email stands out in terms of design.
Complete Step-by-Step Guide On How To Use Mailsplash’s All-in-one AI Email Solution To Design Stunning Emails
Getting Started: Uploading Brands and Products
Before you can generate an email, you’ll need to upload a brand and product.
Navigate to the “Brands” tab and select “Add a Brand”. Once you’ve defined the brand’s name, logo(s), font(s), and color(s), you can upload your product(s).
You can do so by simply pasting in the product link, which will auto-populate the product description, name, and images, as seen below. Now you’re ready to design and write stunning emails with Mailsplash.
Design & Write Emails with Mailsplash: A Guide
Generate with AI
Not sure where to start? From your dashboard, click “Generate with AI” to get to ideating. Simply select the brand(s) and product(s) you’ve uploaded and describe the email you’re looking for (e.g. an email campaign promoting new pants on sale for 25% off). You can even define the design style you’re looking for!
If you’re feeling like a pro, click “Advanced Setup” to get more detailed access to other parameters such as your target audience, the type of email, and so on. Once you’re happy, click generate and watch the magic happen! In 30 seconds or less, you’ll have a email custom-tailored to your input.
Start from Template
Already know what kind of email you’re looking to create? You can then click “Start from Template” and browse through our gallery of templates, curated for the most common use cases. We currently support 21 templates for 7 different categories, but will be continuing to update this based on your feedback! Once you select an email type, you’ll be prompted to select a brand and product and be taken straight to the builder.
Sending Emails: Integrate with Any ESP
When exporting your email generation, you’ll be able to integrate with Klaviyo by inputting your API key. It’s as simple as that. We’re working on adding support for other major ESPs!
Now you should be well-equipped to save time and money on your email marketing.
Still confused? Have feedback? Let us know by sending us an email.
10 Best Practices For Creating An Email Banner Design That Works
1. Keep it Simple and Clear
Overcrowding an email banner design with too much information can be overwhelming to the viewer. It's essential to keep it simple and clear, focusing on the primary message you want to convey.
2. Use High-Quality Images
Utilize high-quality images for an email banner design that attracts attention and reflects your brand's professionalism. High-quality images also ensure that the banner design looks polished and appealing to the viewer.
3. Incorporate Brand Colors and Fonts
Consistency in branding is key to creating a lasting impression on your audience. Use your brand's colors and fonts to maintain a cohesive look and feel across all marketing materials, including email banner designs.
4. Include a Call-To-Action (CTA)
An email banner design should have a clear and compelling call-to-action that prompts the viewer to take the desired action. Whether it's making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or visiting a website, the CTA should be prominently featured.
5. Optimize for Mobile Devices
With a growing number of people accessing emails on their mobile devices, it's essential to ensure that your email banner design is responsive and optimized for mobile viewing. This will help maintain the design's integrity and effectiveness across different screen sizes.
6. Test Different Designs
A/B testing different email banner designs can provide valuable insights into what resonates best with your audience. By testing variations of your design, you can refine and optimize your email banner for maximum impact.
7. Personalize the Design
Personalizing the email banner design with the recipient's name or other relevant information can increase engagement and make the viewer feel more connected to your brand. Personalization adds a touch of individuality that can set your email apart from generic marketing emails.
8. Balance Text and Visual Elements
A well-designed email banner strikes a balance between text and visual elements. Too much text can overwhelm the viewer, while too few visuals can make the design seem bland. Find the right balance that conveys your message effectively.
9. Use White Space
White space, or negative space, helps create a sense of balance and focus within an email banner design. A cluttered design can be overwhelming, so use white space strategically to highlight key elements and improve overall readability.
10. Stay Consistent Across Campaigns
Consistency is crucial in maintaining brand recognition and reinforcing your brand's identity. Ensure that your email banner designs are consistent across various campaigns, helping your audience associate the design with your brand easily.
4 Tools To Create Email Banner Designs
1. Mailsplash
Mailsplash is an AI-powered tool to create stunning email templates that convert. Design and create stunning/converting emails (campaigns, flows, all of it) in minutes. Send with any email service provider (Mailchimp, Klaviyo, etc.). We enable freelancers, brands, and agencies to rapidly create personalized, converting email campaigns at lower cost than traditional marketing agencies, from email copywriting, to personalized branded email template design.
Canva is one of the easiest tools to use for graphic designing. If you are a starter, this should be your go-to option. To stop this, the endless number of templates available makes it easier to use. When you start your project with Canva, you will easily get the hang of it and enjoy the journey. The best part is that the team keeps on updating it and adding more topical templates.
3. Visme
Akin to Canva, Visme is an easy-to-use graphic design tool that helps non-designers create beautiful presentations, emails, banners, and infographics in a few minutes. It is free, and there’s no time limit till when you can enjoy its free version. There are only some templates and elements that are paid.
4. Adobe Photoshop
One of the more professional and tougher options is Adobe Photoshop. Albeit difficult, the number of features this software has is unmatched. While it’s also expensive, it is the most widely used graphic designing software in the market.
Create Fully-Built Stunning Email Templates That Convert With Mailsplash
Mailsplash is the ultimate tool for creating eye-catching email templates that convert. With the power of artificial intelligence, you can craft stunning email campaigns and flows in mere minutes. Whether you're a freelancer, brand, or agency, Mailsplash enables you to quickly produce personalized, converting emails at a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing agencies. From email copywriting to personalized branded email template design, Mailsplash has got you covered.
Hi! I'm Dan Kwon, a growth hacker and digital innovator who first gained social proof by hitting a million social media followers at 17. I founded an AI writing tool startup, propelling it to $1M ARR and over a million users in just 3 months, leading to a successful exit. My specialty lies in creating viral brand identities and understanding Gen Z’s digital marketing landscape. I'm always ready to share practical, real-world insights in digital marketing.