Email Design Tips

Email Design Tips

1. The From Field

The from field (see image below) is one of the first elements of your email campaign that your recipients will see when the email arrives in the inbox. It is sometimes displayed with a larger heavy font or in a different colour in the first preview and it tells the reader who the email is from.

Many recipients will base their decision on whether to even open the email on who the email appears from, which means you need to match the expectations of your readers. For example, the company name may be more recognisable to your recipients that your personal name.

There can be a limit to the number of characters in your from name, depending on the mailbox or device they are receiving your email. If possible we would recommend limiting the from field to 23 characters or under.

2. The Subject Line

The subject line (see image below) is another key element that has an influence on whether your email even gets opened. Again, this can be displayed in a heavier or different font to stand out.

The subject line can have a significant effect on your open rates so it is important to consider it carefully. To ensure that they appear in full on both desktop and mobile devices it is recommended to keep them under 30 characters to avoid any cutoff.

Certain words can also have an impact on open rates such as Invitation, Events, Update, Introducing, News, Offer… Remember to think about what your readers want to hear and include anything that adds intrigue to encourage your recipients to open.

3. The Email Content

Once you have got your recipients to open your email (with your subject line and from field) your next focus should be getting a good click through rate. Good quality content that explains in simple terms what you are offering to your customers is all you need.

You do not need to be an expert copywriter to write good content, as long as you can get your audience to understand the benefits of using your company you will see a good response. Avoid industry buzzwords or anything that could add confusion, keep it as clear and simple as possible.

Ensure your call-to-action (button) is benefit focussed to increase the click rate. Avoid the use of words like ‘Buy’, ‘Download’ and ‘Apply’ and think about the expectations the reader has with these types of words. Using words like ‘Learn more’, ‘Get’ or ‘See’ are less demanding and encourage the reader to see the benefit of clicking through to your landing page.