How do you make your emails visually appealing and easy to read?

Here's how we make our emails visually appealing and easy to read: - Eye-catching Design: Use appealing graphics and images. - Clear Typography: Opt for readable fonts and sizes. Whitespace: Ensure space between elements for clarity. - Hierarchy: Organize with clear headings and subheadings. - Bullet Points: Break down information for easy consumption. - Color Scheme: Choose cohesive colors enhancing readability. - Responsive Layout: Optimize for various devices, including mobile. - Consistent Branding: Maintain brand colors, logos, and imagery. - Minimalism: Avoid clutter for a streamlined experience. - Preview Text: Craft compelling text for email previews. - Testing: Test across devices for readability and appeal.

More than 46% of emails are read on a mobile device. On these devices, they no longer read they skim. So optimised your writing for skimming. Keep your sentences short. Allow space between paragraphs. Use plain text for higher deliverability. If you plan to add graphics, use bright, bold and contrasting colours to compensate for dark mode.

A responsive template has become a common practice in email marketing because it is essential, considering the segmentation of users based on their device types and screen sizes. More people, depending on their region or generation, use only mobile devices for searching and making purchases. Thankfully, all email platforms provide general responsive templates. This allows email specialists to easily use drag-and-drop tools to create their own designs. If email specialists want to create something non-standard that is not supported by a general template, they can either create their own HTML template or request help from a dev team. Based on my experience, approximately 80% of companies fulfill their needs using general responsive templates.

Not only responsive, but clean! Keep your layout clean and organized. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and subheadings to break up text and make it easier to digest.

Visual designs and easy to read are subjective. However a minimalist design approach can go a long way. A clutter-free design not only enhances readability but also aligns with many modern aesthetic preferences. Take for example the success of some direct response copywriters and their minimalistic emails that are mostly text-based. Making a responsive template that is free of images and complex layouts becomes very simple.

Colors and fonts are like your email’s outfit - crucial for impact! Appropriate colors evoke desired emotions and enhance brand recognition. Contrasting fonts improve legibility and reduce eye strain. Think of colors that align with your message (calm blue for professional, playful yellow for promotions) and clear and professional fonts. Avoid scripts or anything too fancy. It’s also crucial to consider accessibility. Ensure sufficient color contrast for readers with visual impairments, and use fonts catering to diverse reading preferences. Balancing aesthetics and functionality will ensure your emails get attention and send the message across!

Don't forget to take dark mode into consideration - your emails may look fantastic in light mode and disappear in dark mode. Also consider accessibility: provide good contrast and don't use color alone to convey meaning.

Remember that simplicity and consistency are key. Stick to a well-chosen, readable font and a limited colour palette that aligns with your brand. Ensure that your fonts and colours enhance readability and maintain visual harmony. Use colours strategically to draw attention to important elements, like calls to action. Above all, test your emails on different devices to confirm that fonts and colours render well across various screens, ensuring a seamless and visually appealing user experience.

Don’t sacrifice readability for aesthetics. The first goal should always be to make your email the most effective at delivering its main message. All the fancy designing comes after that.

Colors and fonts play a big role in how your email is perceived. Stick to a limited color palette that reflects your brand without overwhelming the reader. Similarly, choose fonts that are easy to read and professional. Avoid using too many font types or sizes, which can make your email look cluttered and hard to read.

Only use images that support your email content. Don't forget to add alternate text to your images so that if it takes longer to load, at least the reader know what's that blank space is all about. If you plan to add a video link (videos can't be viewed within the emails for now), use gifs of the videos instead of an image to draw attention and create curiosity to click.

When adding images, make sure to use the “alt text” attribute. Some mailbox providers may view your email message as “unprofessional” if the “alt-text” is missing — which might penalize you. Plus, some email clients block images by default. If people can’t see your image, at least they can get an idea of what it’s about by looking at the “alt text”. To get creative, use this alt text: “enable images to see me” → which would serve as a “call to action” for them to enable their images.

A study from MIT showed that our brains can understand a picture in just 13 milliseconds. This means that when you use pictures to share an idea, people are likely to get it quicker and better than if you just write it out. So, whenever you can, showing something with an image can really help make your point clearer and easier for others to understand.

Personalized images, such behind-the-scenes shots, can create a more genuine connection with the audience. I've seen quite a few people adding into their signature a photo of themselves holding a handwritten sign relating something to the topic of the email.

Depending on your brand identity images can be used in fundamentally different ways. If your message is concise (ex: big sale coming up) the image itself can contain text and be hyperlinked directly to the end destination. If your content is more geared around product usage or educating your consumer the image selection should match that. Also, I don't see anyone talking about gifs. These can be incredibly useful to showcase multiple products/messages. One way to use gifs in email is to have a static image that has a dynamic element (ex: you show a rotating message in the top section of the image and your product in bottom of the image). Definitely worth testing.

Keep it simple. What do you want you get across to your prospect, or what do you want them to do? around 70% of SMEs do not include a call to action on their websites, let alone their emails! Never, ever over complicate your message. Not every email needs a CTA, but if the goal is to get the prospect to carry out an action such as fill out a form, or reply to the email, do. not. forget. your. call. to. action! Don’t make your prospects jump through hoops to find what you want them to look at. A simple landing page or link goes a long way. Navigating an unfamiliar website is the last thing a recipient wants to do following a cold email.

Subject lines rule the day. The most beautiful email with the most engaging copy in the world ain't worth the lint in my pocket if you can't entice them to open it. Every. Word. Matters. So choose wisely. Pose the question or tease the solution to what they need. Annnnnd.... don't forget the preheader copy. That gives you another chance to provide context and support for your killer subject line.

My favorite "hack" here is to use Hemingway app. Copy and paste your copy into the Hemingway app text editor. It gives your copy a reading level grade. Highlights hard to read sentences. Marks weak words in the copy. And more. It really helps make your writing clearer, more concise, and overall easier to consume. You can also use ChatGPT to simplify, clarify, and reduce word count as well.

Your email content should be clear and to the point. Long paragraphs can deter readers. Break down your message into short, digestible pieces. Start with the most important information. Make sure every word serves a purpose and contributes to your overall message. This approach keeps the reader engaged and encourages them to read through the entire email.

Personalizing the introduction and addressing the reader directly creates a connection and increases engagement. It's essential to structure the body of the email logically, presenting the value proposition clearly and supporting it with relevant evidence or benefits. Ending with a compelling CTA prompts the reader to take the desired action, while a professional signature adds credibility and accessibility.

Most emails won't be long enough to warrant subheaders. The exception would be a list-style email, where each list item needs a subsection. Lists are awesome. Especially for listing features and benefits, laying out steps, or explaining how a promo works (such as your BFCM offer).

I love bullets because: - They capture attention. - They break up the text. - They succinctly convey important information. If you want to get better at writing bullets, here are some formulas you can try: - The "how-to" bullet. "How to write irresistible bullets." - The "what never" bullet. "What never to do when attempting to write bullets." - The "if/then" bullet. "If you think you should write your bullets this way, then this list can help you." - The "single most" bullet. "The single most important way to write your bullets if you want people to act on your emails."

Subheadings should only be used to segment your email. Using these to identify one section from another can help with the flow of your copy and be a clear indicator of a new subject or point. Bullet points should be used to highlight key points you want to stand out. These work well for 'benefits' of a service or product or core values that you want to drive home. They deliver information in a short and snappy way, so make them memorable and straight to the point.

Subheadings and bullet points break up the text and make your email easier to skim. Many readers quickly scan through emails to find relevant information. Clear subheadings guide them through your content, while bullet points highlight key takeaways or action items, making your email more user-friendly.

Utilize Subheadings and Bullet Points: Break up your content into digestible chunks using subheadings and bullet points. This not only improves readability but also allows readers to quickly scan and grasp the key points of your message.

To ensure your emails are visually appealing and easy to read, always test and preview them across different browsers, devices, and email clients. This step is crucial to catch any errors, glitches, or inconsistencies. Also, check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors, and ensure all links, images, or videos function correctly. These checks help maintain your credibility and professionalism, prevent reader frustration, and support conversion rates. In my experience, thorough testing not only boosts engagement but also reinforces the quality of your communication efforts.

Preview the email on desktop AND mobile by sending yourself preview versions and viewing on each platform. See what the email subject/preview text looks like in both inboxes and as a phone notification. Look at the "above the fold" copy in mobile and adjust as needed to enhance curiosity. Make sure the text is easily readable on mobile, and that body elements aren't scrunched or weird-looking.

Always preview and test your email before sending it out. This step lets you see the email from the recipient's perspective, ensuring everything from the layout to the links works as intended. Testing across different devices and email clients also ensures your email looks good no matter how it's viewed.

My advice for testing and previewing emails is to create a comprehensive checklist. Include items like subject line clarity, mobile responsiveness, and checking for broken links. This systematic approach ensures your email campaign is error-free, boosting engagement and conversions.

Thorough Testing and Previewing: Test your email across different email clients and devices to ensure consistent rendering and readability. Preview your email in both desktop and mobile views to catch any formatting issues before sending.

In my experience, one of the biggest challenges in email marketing is ensuring that the emails are not only visually appealing but also engaging enough to prompt the recipient to take action. We once faced a situation where our emails were well-designed but lacked the compelling factor. We overcame this by incorporating storytelling into our emails, making them more personalized and relatable. This strategy, combined with the use of responsive templates, wise color and font choices, relevant images, and clear copy, significantly improved our email engagement rates.

Not making your emails or landing pages mobile friendly will lose you around 50% of your audience before you even get them to open. The importance of cross platform user experience can never be understated. Email marketing and lead generation needs to become second nature. A habit. Consistency is what will build brand trust, recognition, and loyalty. Random one off campaigns or inconsistent brand tone will confuse and become un-engaging. Overselling - a good customer journey gives before it takes. Be informative, give hints, tips, even fun seasonal games. There is a time and place for sales promotion, but not every email needs to be as such. Remember, the best brands are sold on reputation, not discounts and promotions.

Ensuring emails are accessible to people with disabilities, such as using proper contrast ratios and screen reader-friendly layouts, not only expands your reach but also demonstrates inclusivity.

If you’re not running an e-commerce physical product business, limit the number of images in your emails. This is because less images leads to better email deliverability. At the end of the day, people subscribe to your emails because they want your “useful content” — how they can apply these useful tips in their business or life. They’re not here to be in awe of how “nicely designed” your emails are.

On average, only 37 - 200 words of your email campaigns are read by your email audience. So how do you design emails for skim-readers? This question plagues many email marketers because so much time grabbing attention. To help you, here are two quick-fire tips, that may seem obvious, but continue to be effective in keeping your reader engaged: Keep it short – Interest in the content of an email diminishes as the email extends below the fold, so cut the copy and keep the most important points of the message near the top. Align to the left – Readers of left-to-right languages (like English) are accustomed to scanning from the top-left first. Keep this in mind when designing two or more column layouts for your emails.