Table of Contents
- What Is Email Marketing Design?
- Why Is Email Design Important?
- Improves your ROI over time
- 3 Main Types Of Email Design
- 1. Plain Text
- 2. HTML
- 3. Interactive
- All-in-one Email Solution
- Related Reading
- Top 9 Email Marketing Design Elements
- 1. Layout in Email Marketing Design
- 2. Importance of Headings in Email Designs
- 3. The Role of Links in Email Designs
- 4. Calls-to-Action in Email Designs
- 5. The Importance of Visuals in Email Marketing
- 6. The Impact of Color in Email Design
- 7. Typography Best Practices in Email Marketing
- 8. Elements of a Good Email Footer
- 9. The Role of Copywriting in Email Design
- 11 Best Practices For Email Design
- 1. Stick to your brand
- 2. Write a good subject line
- 3. Write an attention-grabbing pre-header.
- 4. Personalize emails
- 5. Include visual elements
- 6. Be clear and concise
- 7. Use responsive designs
- 8. End with a call to action
- 9. Include an unsubscribe button
- 10. Establish an email signature
- 11. A/B test your emails
- Related Reading
- Top Email Design Tools
- 1. Mailsplash
- 2. MailChimp
- 3. Stripo
- 4. Chamaileon
- 5. BEEPro
- All-in-one Email Solution
- Complete Step-by-Step Guide On How To Use Mailsplash’s All-in-one AI Email Solution To Design Marketing Emails
- Getting Started: Uploading Brands and Products
- Design & Write Emails with Mailsplash: A Guide
- Generate with AI
- Start from Template
- Sending Emails: Integrate with Any ESP
- 4 Great Examples Of Email Marketing Design
- 1. Domino
- 2. J.Crew
- 3. Harry's
- 4. Apple
- Create Fully-Built Stunning Email Templates That Convert With Mailsplash
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Whether you run a small business or a thriving corporation, email marketing design can take your campaigns to new heights. By tapping into the power of an eCommerce email platform, businesses can captivate audiences and boost engagement. From crafting visually appealing layouts to optimizing your messaging, the right email design can transform your business's bottom line. So how can you harness the power of email design to boost engagement and click-through rates? Let's dive in.
What Is Email Marketing Design?
Email marketing design refers to the process of creating visually appealing and effective email campaigns that engage recipients, communicate messages clearly, and drive desired actions such as clicks, purchases, or sign-ups. Effective email marketing design combines several elements, including layout, graphics, typography, colors, and content, to ensure the email not only looks good but also performs well in terms of achieving marketing goals.
For the most part, email marketing design is about the actual appearance of your emails more than the content. There are lots of different ways you can lay out text, images, and other important information, and the way you design your emails determines how quickly they catch the eye, how readable they are, and more.
Why Is Email Design Important?
Here are the main benefits of a successful email marketing design process:
- Contributes to brand awareness efforts
- Nurtures your target audience and increases conversions/sales
- Helps you spread information about your products/services
- Enables you to build authority in your niche market
Improves your ROI over time
The email marketing ROI is between $36 and $45 for every dollar spent, so designing beautiful and meaningful emails is key to reaching and sustaining this metric.
3 Main Types Of Email Design
1. Plain Text
Plain text emails are the simplest form of email marketing design, consisting of text only. These emails lack visual enhancements or formatting, making them appear more personal.Many eCommerce businesses avoid this type of email design because it lacks brand identity and can easily be overlooked.
Plain text emails are best suited for casual communications, such as personal correspondence or internal updates. While they may appear more personalized, these types of emails are often not visually appealing and may not catch a customer’s attention as effectively as HTML or interactive emails.
2. HTML
HTML emails are more engaging than plain text emails and are created using HTML or CSS language. They allow for the inclusion of graphics, buttons, GIFs, and embedded videos, offering a more visually stimulating experience for the recipient. Many email marketers craft HTML emails using drag-and-drop editors or pre-designed templates from platforms like Moosend or Mailchimp.
HTML emails are versatile and can be customized to match a brand’s identity and include interactive elements to drive user engagement. They are a popular choice for eCommerce businesses looking to create visually appealing and dynamic email campaigns that stand out in crowded inboxes.
3. Interactive
Interactive emails take email marketing design one step further by allowing users to interact with specific email elements to complete an action. For example, interactive emails may include elements like quizzes, product carousels, or countdown timers that encourage user engagement. These emails are typically created using JavaScript, but some marketers may shy away from them due to potential compatibility issues with certain email clients.
While interactive emails may not be widely supported across all email platforms, they offer a unique way to engage with customers and can drive higher click-through rates and conversions. As email marketing technology continues to evolve, interactive email designs are expected to become more prevalent in the future.
All-in-one Email Solution
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.
Try our All-in-one Email Solution today for free.
Related Reading
Top 9 Email Marketing Design Elements
1. Layout in Email Marketing Design
It is important to build an email structure that helps recipients quickly spot the different parts of your email. Most HTML email campaigns start with a header that includes the company logo.
You can also place a link to your main site, create a title to announce the email content, or add imagery that will steal the show. Next is the “main body,” which serves the main purpose of your campaign. There are many layouts, single or multi-column, to choose from based on the email content you’d like to share with your audience.
2. Importance of Headings in Email Designs
Headings are essential for two reasons in email marketing design. They create visual focal points that people who scan or skim can quickly get, and headers are essential for AT since they announce a new information block, dividing the reading flow into logical divisions.
When you want to caption the block of text and give a brief description, you will need headings. Do not use color, typeface, or decorative features for that. Use a heading. Do not overcomplicate things. When it comes to reading, the simpler, the better.
3. The Role of Links in Email Designs
Links are an essential element in email marketing design. As a rule, links are blue and underlined. If this convention does not fit your color scheme, you can play with stylistic options. Do not overdo it.
That links should be compatible with AT. Do not make them redundant and overly decorative. They should stand out from the reading flow and be easily accessible through the keyboard.
4. Calls-to-Action in Email Designs
Call-to-action buttons are among the most critical elements in designing email marketing since they are magnets that open doors to landing pages. They stand behind good CTR. Therefore, they should be prominent. They should have some traditional design elements. For example, they should be perfectly outlined, and a rounded rectangle is the best solution.
5. The Importance of Visuals in Email Marketing
Visuals are a regular thing in email marketing design. Images, illustrations, patterns, textures, icons, animated gifs, and even emojis: email design teams use all the weapons in the arsenal. They help engage the audience, hold the user’s attention, and keep everyone interested in the brand, to say nothing about making an impression.
Strike a balance between visuals and text, use visuals to support the content, use human illustrations without ideal shapes, use abstract or absurd illustrations, and use high-quality photos that look great across all devices.
6. The Impact of Color in Email Design
Each color in email design gives an emotional experience. For example, green elicits peace, blue elicits trust, and pink has a female vibe. You can benefit from color psychology in email design depending on the customer’s gender and age, current situation, tone, and value of your brand. Depending on the color palette, you may benefit from one or another type of color. For example, pink is excellent for the female audience, whereas blue is great for startup and serious businesses.
7. Typography Best Practices in Email Marketing
The main reason you should keep an eye on typography in email design is that it has a considerable influence on aesthetics, user experience, and readability in a small space. Font families have hidden meanings and bring their gamut of emotions. For example, serif fonts look more elegant and sophisticated while sans serif fonts feel more casual and rustic. Use sans serif fonts for long text, use custom fonts for headings, and use the right size and space between lines and characters.
8. Elements of a Good Email Footer
At the bottom of each HTLM email campaign, there should be an email footer. Effective email footers include social media buttons, an unsubscribe link, a preference center, legal/privacy note, and contact information. Plus, by allowing customers to unsubscribe, you emphasize their free will and reduce possible spam rates.
9. The Role of Copywriting in Email Design
Your email copy should complement your email style and design. Keep it straightforward and add spacing to make it easy to read. As shared previously, use headings wisely to create an optimal user experience. If you use links inside your copy, ensure that the color of the hyperlinked text aligns with the rest of the design and that it’s easily recognizable and accessible by readers.
11 Best Practices For Email Design
1. Stick to your brand
When it comes to crafting your marketing emails, your brand's voice should be unmistakable. Your emails should reflect your brand’s personality and identity, including using your company’s logo, colors, name, and other elements that reinforce your brand. The goal of email marketing is to create a strong brand presence and attract subscribers who are genuinely interested in your products or services.
2. Write a good subject line
An engaging subject line is key to capturing your audience’s interest. It should be concise yet captivating, giving readers a glimpse of what your email is about. Your subject line serves as the first point of contact with your audience, so it’s crucial to ensure it’s appealing before hitting the send button.
3. Write an attention-grabbing pre-header.
The pre-header is a sneak peek of what recipients can expect from your email, akin to a meta description for a webpage. It is the second thing readers notice after the subject line. Instead of merely restating the first sentence of your email, utilize the pre-header to provide a tantalizing preview of the message.
4. Personalize emails
Injecting a personal touch into your emails can enhance customer engagement. Something as simple as addressing customers by name instead of using generic terms like “valued customer” can make your emails feel more personal. With automated tools that can automatically personalize emails with customer names, it’s easier than ever to create a customized experience.
5. Include visual elements
Breaking up a wall of text with visual elements like images and videos can make your emails more visually appealing and easier to digest. Visuals can also help illustrate your message, such as using a chart to showcase a product’s performance. It’s essential not to overwhelm your emails with too many visuals that could detract from readability.
6. Be clear and concise
In an age where people receive numerous emails daily, it’s important to keep your emails brief and to the point. Avoid overwhelming readers with excessive information. Instead, introduce the email’s topic, impart the essential details, and conclude with a clear call to action. Short and concise emails are more likely to hold readers’ attention.
7. Use responsive designs
Opt for responsive designs to ensure your emails are easily readable across various devices. Responsive designs adapt to different screen sizes and resolutions, preventing formatting issues on different devices. Email templates are an effective way to maintain responsiveness while customizing content.
8. End with a call to action
Conclude your emails with a compelling call to action that urges readers to take the next step. This could involve prompting readers to learn more, explore new products, or sign up for a program. While a call to action is essential for driving action, it’s crucial to strike a balance and avoid sounding overly pushy.
9. Include an unsubscribe button
While calls to action are crucial, so is providing readers with the option to opt out of receiving emails. The unsubscribe button should be easy to locate, ensuring compliance with regulations like the CAN-SPAM Act. According to the FTC, including a clear explanation of how recipients can opt-out is mandatory.
10. Establish an email signature
Consistency and likability are vital for your brand’s digital marketing success. An email signature can enhance brand loyalty by adding a personal touch and fostering a sense of connection with customers. Including essential details like the company name, author’s identity, contact information, job title, and even a photo can humanize your brand and increase customer engagement.
11. A/B test your emails
A/B testing is a critical step in refining your email marketing strategy. By sending different versions of an email to segments of your subscribers and analyzing the results, you can optimize your content and design based on what resonates best with your audience. A/B testing helps identify what works for your subscribers, enabling you to focus on delivering high-quality, engaging content.
Related Reading
Top Email Design Tools
1. Mailsplash
Mailsplash is an AI-powered tool that can help you create stunning email templates that convert. In just a few minutes, you can design and create impressive emails for your campaigns or flows. The tool also allows you to send your emails with any email service provider you prefer, such as Mailchimp or Klaviyo.
2. MailChimp
With over 100 templates to choose from, MailChimp offers you the flexibility to customize your email designs for your target audience. Even if you don't have coding skills, you can still create professional-looking templates. If you have coding expertise, you can take your design a step further and code your own templates.
3. Stripo
Stripo is a platform that requires no HTML knowledge to design professional email templates. The tool provides you with responsive pre-made templates for easy viewing across all devices. You can sync your current email service provider (ESP) with Stripo to access all your email and contact information from one central location.
4. Chamaileon
As a collaborative email builder, Chamaileon lets you invite team members to work together on your email designs. The software ensures your emails have a responsive design and comes equipped with over 100 templates that you can customize for specific recipients. This tool is excellent for team projects.
5. BEEPro
BEEPro enables you to design responsive emails within minutes. Smart design tools help you quickly format your emails and ensure that the layout complements your content. You can also create and save multiple email design templates to maintain consistency in your messaging and branding.
All-in-one Email Solution
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.
Try our All-in-one Email Solution today for free.
Complete Step-by-Step Guide On How To Use Mailsplash’s All-in-one AI Email Solution To Design Marketing 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.
4 Great Examples Of Email Marketing Design
1. Domino
Domino's newsletter is an exemplary blend of creativity and information in its design elements. The layout of the email is cleverly segmented into multiple sections covering a range of topics such as giveaways, a profile on Chelsea Handler, design tips for bathroom and bedroom, and a compelling call-to-action.
Each section is accompanied by high-quality images which make the information easily scannable. The use of horizontal divides helps in the clear separation of topics, making it visually appealing and easy to navigate. A masterstroke in balancing content and design!
2. J.Crew
The J.Crew email design speaks volumes about the power of visuals over words. This particular email promotes a sale but doesn't hit you with heavy text upfront. The copy almost apologizes for the scroll you are about to undertake, and as you proceed, you are greeted with a stunning, high-definition image of an ice cream cone that indeed makes the scroll worthwhile. The use of striking visuals immediately captures the reader's attention and sets the tone for the sales promotion without explicitly stating it.
3. Harry's
Harry's seasonal email is a lesson in color psychology and balance. In their winter gift set promotion, Harry's opted for a color scheme reflecting the winter season with shades of green, blue, and brown. The email cleverly balances textual content with visuals and employs a simple tile design to enable easy scanning. The harmonious blend of colors and layout makes it visually appealing and underscores the brand's attention to detail in its email campaigns.
4. Apple
Apple's holiday email exemplifies the art of minimalist design combined with strategic visual placement. The email strikes a perfect balance between white space and product displays, creating a visually engaging experience for the readers. The consistent color scheme of the products is complemented by the strategic arrangement, creating visual patterns that draw the eyes and maintain interest throughout the email. This design approach lets the products speak for themselves, reinforcing Apple's confidence in its products and reinforcing the brand message effectively.
Create Fully-Built Stunning Email Templates That Convert With Mailsplash
Mailsplash is a game-changer in the realm of email marketing design. Our AI-powered tool allows users to effortlessly create eye-catching and high-converting email templates within minutes. This All-in-one Email Solution is ideal for freelancers, brands, and agencies aiming to craft personalized and effective email campaigns at a fraction of the cost associated with traditional marketing agencies.
Mailsplash enables users to design campaigns, flows, and all other email elements with ease and efficiency. Emails created on the platform can be sent using any email service provider, such as Mailchimp and Klaviyo. With Mailsplash, the process of email marketing design is simplified, streamlined, and accessible to all.
Try our All-in-one Email Solution today and experience the difference for yourself.
Written by
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.
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