Best Practices For Designing An Engaging & Effective Email Layout

Designing an engaging email layout can boost your email marketing efforts. Follow these best practices that will captivate your audience!

Best Practices For Designing An Engaging & Effective Email Layout
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When it comes to email design, the layout is key. A good layout can make your email stand out in an inbox full of messages. A poor layout, on the other hand, can make your email look sloppy and unprofessional -- or worse, make it difficult for your readers to engage with your content. That's why it's so important to get your layout right. To help you do just that, we've put together a comprehensive guide to email layout. In it, we'll cover everything you need to know to create an email that looks great and drives results.

What Is Email Layout?

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Email layout is a prescription of how your template will look like. It helps you customize what will draw the subscribers' attention and what emotions the message will stimulate. For example, any article can be hard to read without images on the screen. Some email designs can make the information difficult for readers to perceive on mobile devices.
Of course, we are not used to exploring online content with no image or in a boring style. Even basic knowledge of marketing and instructions from an email builder help you realize the importance of qualitative email design. You need to analyze the goals of your email marketing campaign and create email layout that will benefit your business.

Email Layout vs Email Structure

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Email structure refers to the way your email content is organized. This includes aspects like the order of your sections, which can impact the visual hierarchy, i.e. the order of importance readers assign to the information. For example, the most common email structure involves:
  • Header image
  • Headline
  • Email Body text
  • Call to action (CTA)
  • Closing
Meanwhile, email layout primarily concerns the curb appeal of your email, i.e. its visual interest and aesthetic. These design choices and elements influence whether or not your email is visually pleasing and engaging for your target audience, which also impact the hierarchy too.

Common Types Of Email Layouts

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Single Column Layout

As the name implies, all the elements in this email layout are stacked in a single vertical column. These kinds of email designs simplify the browsing experience by streamlining the info into one continuous flow from top to bottom, just like our natural reading pattern. This email layout has a single full-width column that has all the content in it. It follows a certain hierarchy and specific order in which the content is added to the emails. The order is usually the sender’s name, an image, body content, and then an action button followed by the footer.

Two Column Layout

Email layouts featuring a double-column design distribute information across two columns on a page. It’s a great option for image / information-heavy content or when you’re covering multiple topics, since this division lays it out into distinct, separate blocks.

Multiple Column and Hybrid Layouts

You have the freedom to change up your email layout depending on your content and objectives. Given this, many opt to create emails with hybrid layouts — that is, they borrow elements from both single and two-column email designs. This can be purely for aesthetics (i.e. to align with a specific style or look), for branding purposes or to curate information in the way it’s intended to be consumed.

Empower Your Email Marketing with Mailsplash's AI-Powered Templates

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.
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How To Choose The Best Email Layout Template For Your Emails

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Purpose and Goal

When selecting an email layout, I start by clarifying the purpose and goal of my email campaign. Whether it's a newsletter, a product promotion, or sharing updates, the purpose of your email will impact the type of layout that best fits your needs. To ensure that your email layout aligns with the goal of your email campaign, your layout should support your messaging needs effectively.

Audience Preferences

It is essential to consider the preferences and expectations of your target audience when selecting an email layout. Understanding whether your audience prefers minimalist designs, vibrant visuals, or clean, professional layouts will help you align your template selection with your audience's preferences and demographics. To ensure the effectiveness of the email campaign, it is crucial to select a layout that resonates with your audience.

Branding and Visual Identity

When choosing an email template layout, it is essential to make sure that it aligns with your brand's visual identity and style guidelines. You should look for templates that allow you to incorporate your logo, brand colors, fonts, and imagery seamlessly to reinforce brand recognition and consistency. Selecting a layout that reflects your brand's identity will ensure brand consistency across all touchpoints.

Content Structure

Considering the content structure and organization of an email template is crucial to ensure that it accommodates your messaging needs. A layout that offers flexibility in showcasing different types of content, such as text, images, videos, and CTAs, in a visually appealing and easy-to-navigate manner will help you convey your message effectively. An organized content structure will facilitate a seamless flow of information and enhance the overall user experience.

Mobile Responsiveness

Selecting an email template layout that is mobile responsive and adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes and devices is critical. As more users access emails on mobile devices, prioritizing templates that provide an optimal viewing experience across desktop, tablet, and smartphone devices is essential. A mobile-responsive layout will ensure that your email campaigns reach a broader audience and deliver a consistent user experience across all devices.

Focus on Your Message's Visuals, Copy, Headers, and CTA

Focusing on these elements will give your emails a clear and appealing layout. Making sure your message includes cohesive visuals, easily readable copy, clear headers, and a prominent call to action will help you create an engaging and effective email campaign. A focus on these elements will help your email stand out and drive user engagement.

Whitespace

Whitespace, also known as negative space, plays a crucial role in creating an effective email layout. It helps create breathing room, improve readability, and draw attention to key content. By using whitespace effectively, you can avoid visual clutter and create a sense of balance and harmony in your email layout. Ensuring that your email layout incorporates whitespace will enhance the overall visual appeal and user experience.

Test and optimize your templates

Testing and optimizing your email templates is essential to ensure that they drive engagement and deliver results. By using A/B testing to compare different templates and making data-driven decisions, you can refine your email layouts for optimal performance. Testing and optimizing your templates will help you identify what works best for your audience and improve the effectiveness of your email campaigns.

Complete Step-by-Step Guide On How To Use Mailsplash’s All-in-one AI Email Solution To Design Your Email Layouts

Getting Started: Uploading Brands and Products

Before you can generate an email, you’ll need to upload a brand and product.
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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

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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!
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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

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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

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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.
  • Email Graphic Design

Create Fully-Built Stunning Email Templates That Convert With Mailsplash

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Mailsplash is a game-changer for anyone looking to create visually stunning and engaging email templates that convert effectively. With our innovative AI-powered tool, you can now design and create captivating email campaigns and flows in a matter of minutes. It’s the perfect solution for freelancers, brands, and agencies that need to produce personalized emails efficiently, without breaking the bank.

Comprehensive Email Campaign Management

Our All-in-one Email Solution allows you to handle every aspect of your email campaigns, from crafting compelling copy to designing personalized, branded templates that resonate with your audience. Plus, you can seamlessly integrate Mailsplash with popular email service providers like Mailchimp and Klaviyo.

Transform Your Email Marketing with Mailsplash

Give Mailsplash a try today and see for yourself how it can revolutionize your email marketing efforts. With our tool, you can create eye-catching emails that drive results, all at a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing agencies.
  • Figma For Email Design
  • Transactional Email Design
  • Stripo Alternative

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Saif Akram

Written by

Saif Akram

Hello, I'm Saif Akram, founder of MonetizeMail, an innovative email marketing agency. We're proud partners with Klaviyo and Customer.io, specializing in boosting MRR and reducing customer churn. Our agency has scaled over 50 brands, generating over $18M in revenue. With proven expertise in enhancing engagement and driving sales, I'm passionate about transforming businesses through effective email marketing strategies.

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