Despite the arrival and popularization of other forms of Internet communication, email still remains one of the most commonly used systems to communicate in the world of business. Due to our dependence on email, the average user will receive and send around 98 emails every day.
With nearly 100 emails passing through an account daily, it’s no wonder many emails will simply go unnoticed. Even in our corporate pursuit of inbox zero, there is no guarantee that a user will open our emails, let alone actively interact with them and respond. In the world of business, if you want to make sure your emails get noticed, you need to do everything in your power to set yourself out from your competitors.
One of the most effective ways of optimizing emails is to focus on the graphic and context elements included on the page. By understanding the most impactful elements of email design and using them in your favor, you’ll be able to create captivating emails that your clients and customers connect with.
In this article, we’ll discuss the most impactful elements of email design, demonstrating exactly why you should restructure your email template strategy going forward. Let’s dive right in.
Why Is Email a Chosen Medium of Communication in Business?
Email and email accounts sit in a space that other mediums of communication cannot recreate. Messaging someone’s personal number may seem invasive, and finding their Slack account after joining their channel would be nearly impossible. Email sits in a sweet spot that is not too personal nor invasive. What’s more, absolutely everyone has an email account, with the vast majority of internet users utilizing their email every single day.
In the business world, reaching someone by email is also one of the most direct forms of communication you can offer. Any email you send will arrive directly to a user’s account, right at the top of their inbox. This sequential system also allows people to move through their inboxes throughout the day, helping to keep on top of all their incoming messages.
For consumers, email is a non-invasive way of getting direct news or updates from a company. By sending marketing materials or updates to someone’s email account, they can look through them on their own time, creating a direct way of reaching someone that doesn’t actually bother them or invade their personal space.
What Are the Most Important Elements of Email Design
While there are numerous benefits to using emails as your core method of communication, they are only effective if the recipient actually opens what you send them. To guarantee that they spend more than a second sweeping their eyes over your email, businesses need to focus on creating impactful and captivating emails.
There are several core elements to effective email design:
- Subject and Header
- Spacing
- Call to Action
- Email Signature
Let’s break these down further.
Subject and Header
Before we delve into the intricacies of email design, one important element of emails is your subject line. This isn’t technically a part of the email itself but is what users will see when it lands in their inbox.
Due to this, you should always include an element of personalization in your email subjects. This will help to capture the attention of the reader and will then boost the chances that they actually open your email. While only a small part of email design, this is vital for success.
Spacing
Spacing is one of the most impactful elements of email design, but one that is often only an afterthought. No matter how well-written or compelling your written content is within an email, if it is poorly spaced within your email, your users will fail to connect with the writing.
Spacing is vital when it comes to online reading experiences. Open any blog post on the internet, even this one you’re reading now, and you’ll notice lots of small paragraphs throughout. This spacing opens up the page and allows readers to scan more easily, boosting their engagement and likelihood of continuing to read the content.
Emails are no different and rely entirely on effective spacing throughout.
Call to Action
A Call to Action (CTA) is a short phrase included toward the end of your email that inspires the user to take a specific action. Most of the time, in emails, this will involve something like:
- Read on
- Discover more
- Browse the collection
Or any other short and commanding phrase that will then direct the user to a new site or page. CTAs will remind people to interact with an email after reading it, boosting the chance that they then take further actions with your company.
By including a CTA in the design of your emails, you’ll be able to increase engagement and subconsciously coax your users into following the path that you’ve set out for them.
Email Signature
Email signature design is often completely left out of emails or overlooked as unimportant. Email signatures are the last part of an email, often coming right at the end and including core information about the sender, like their name, title, and alternative contact details. Instead of using this space as an information dump, you can construct a powerful conclusion to your emails.
Think of your email signature as another chance to extend the content of your email. By changing the design of your email signature to match the content and style of the rest of your email, you’ll be able to include vital additional elements that normally wouldn’t fit into the context of the email.
After a short CTA, your email signature is a wonderful opportunity to include contact information or final details that will persuade your customer or client to continue engaging with your emails. Links to your website, social media accounts, or marketing materials all work wonderfully in this space.
Final Thoughts
Email design is an often overlooked aspect of communication that is vital for success in this sphere. Without a comprehensive understanding of how to structure emails, how to enhance design elements, and how to ensure your messaging is delivered as clearly as possible, your emails may lack a factor of intrigue for clients and customers.
By using the elements of email design that we have outlined in this article, you’ll be able to take your emails to the next level. When you deliver emails that are well-balanced, carefully constructed, and conducive to a positive reading experience, your users will have a higher chance of engaging and interacting with your email.
With how vital emails are in the modern workspace, it is imperative that you focus on honing this skill.