Email marketing is a powerful tool that can yield great results, but getting your design wrong can do more harm than good. Not only can it hurt your open and click-through rates, but it could also cause your emails to land in the spam folder.
Many consumers access their email on mobile devices, and images are often blocked by default settings. When this happens, recipients will not be able to read your email and may be turned off by the content.
1. Lack of White Space
When it comes to email design, white space can be a great way to make your message stand out and grab the attention of your readers, according to Emails Nest. However, many marketers don’t use enough white space in their emails, which can lead to a cluttered and confusing layout that makes it difficult for the reader to navigate. Here are a few things to keep in mind when using white space in your emails:
One of the most important factors to consider when designing an email is how it will look on mobile devices. Most people access their email on their smartphones, so it’s essential to ensure that your emails are responsive and optimized for small screens. Including plenty of white space in your emails will help to make them more mobile-friendly and will also prevent the text from being too tightly packed together.
In addition to incorporating ample white space, you should also use larger font sizes and simpler typography in your emails. This will help to ensure that your content is both readable and visually appealing, which will also increase the overall email aesthetic.
Another thing to keep in mind when using white space in emails is that it’s okay to leave some areas blank. This can be a great way to draw the reader’s attention to specific elements in your email, such as a call-to-action button. In addition, it’s also a good idea to include alt-text for your images in your emails so that they can be understood by screen readers.
While including lots of images in your email can be a great way to capture the reader’s attention, it’s important to avoid overdoing it. Too many images can be overwhelming for the reader and can cause them to lose interest or miss the main point of your email. Instead, try to focus on a single image at the top of your email that can capture the reader’s attention and then guide them down to your call-to-action button.
Lastly, when it comes to using white space in your emails, it’s also important to use the “inverted pyramid” model. This model places the most important information at the beginning of your email and then gradually reduces the amount of detail as you move towards the bottom. By following this approach, you can create an effective and engaging email that will help to drive clicks and conversions.
2. Too Many Colors
Color is a powerful communication tool that can evoke emotions and affect perceptions. When used effectively, it can make an email stand out from the crowd and encourage recipients to take action. However, when used incorrectly, it can detract from the message and cause confusion. To avoid these mistakes, marketers should consider the color psychology of their audience when creating their email campaigns.
Red is a power color that symbolizes passion, strength, and energy. It is often used in promotional emails to entice recipients to act quickly. It can also be used to highlight important information or call-to-action buttons. However, red can be overused and cause subscribers to become overwhelmed by the intensity of the color. It is best to use it sparingly and in conjunction with other colors.
Cool colors such as blue, green, and purple evoke feelings of trust and tranquility. They are ideal for email designs that require a sense of reliability and trustworthiness. They can be incorporated into the header or footer of an email to add contrast and highlight key elements. In addition, these colors can be used as accents to create a sense of urgency or to accentuate links in your email.
Black is a neutral color that represents elegance and luxury. It is often used in emails from high-end fashion brands to communicate a sense of sophistication and exclusivity. While black can be a powerful tool in email marketing, it is best to limit its usage and to ensure that the overall design of your email is cohesive.
Color perception can vary across cultures, so it’s important to consider your audience when selecting a color scheme for your email. For example, red may symbolize passion in Western culture but may represent danger or caution in other countries. It’s also a good idea to use white in your email designs, as it is generally perceived as pure and clean.
While it is tempting to incorporate a variety of colors in your emails, this can be overwhelming for recipients and lead to poor readability. It is also important to ensure that the text of your email has sufficient contrast with its background. This will help readers easily identify and click on your links without having to enlarge the text or adjust its font size. When in doubt, try using underlines, bold text, symbols (>), or buttons to indicate links rather than color alone. In addition, keep in mind that some email clients will invert your colors, so it is a good idea to test your emails on different email platforms. This will ensure that your emails are optimized for all devices and email programs.
3. Not Using a Call-to-Action Button
It may sound obvious, but without a call-to-action button, your email lacks a clear direction. A button makes it 100% clear what you want readers to do, and it can be especially helpful for mobile users who rely on their fingers to tap. Additionally, buttons can be easier to find on smaller screens than links and other text-based calls-to-action.
A good call-to-action button is a bold, eye-catching color that stands out from the rest of the email. It should be a darker shade than the background and text, but not so dark that it blends in with the screen or is difficult to see. Button size is another important factor to consider, as many email users will access their emails on their phones or other small devices. Make sure your button is large enough to be easily tapped on smaller screens and that there is plenty of spacing around it to avoid accidental clicks.
Using the right wording in your CTA is also important, as some words are more action-oriented than others. For example, a button labeled “buy now” is much more action-oriented than one that says “learn more.” Use the wording that best suits your goals for the email and try to keep it as short as possible.
While it is tempting to include a lot of images in your email, too many can distract or confuse readers. Emails with more than three primary images typically have lower click-through rates, and many people will have their email image blocks blocked automatically. Stick to one or two main images for your email, and make sure the images you do use are eye-catching and relevant to your message.
Another mistake many marketers make is including too much copy in their email. While a long, detailed description of your product or service is an excellent way to engage with consumers, an email that reads like an advertisement will turn readers off. Try to limit the amount of copy in your email to no more than five lines of text.
Getting your email design right can help you increase your conversions and make more money. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can create an email that will grab the attention of your readers and guide them toward becoming customers. So, start putting your best foot forward with your email design, and watch your sales grow!
