Email Newsletter Design Best Practices
Imagine unraveling the secrets to captivating your audience, transforming every email you send into a treasure trove of engagement. You’re not just beaming messages into the void. You’re crafting a digital pulse, one that keeps the heart of your audience beating with anticipation for your next update.
We’re diving deep into the world of email newsletter best practices, where every subject line is a handshake, and every click-through is a conversation. It’s about building that golden bridge between content and clicks, ensuring your audience doesn’t just open your emails, but devours them.
As we roll up our sleeves, get ready to uncover email marketing strategy gems that turn ‘unsubscribe’ nightmares into a forgotten tale. You’ll walk away with actionable insights—from newsletter design layout mastery to email campaign optimization—that’ll have subscribers clinging to your every word, awaiting your next move.
And I promise, by the end of this read, you’ll be the trusted architect of emails that not only look stunning on every device but resonate on a personal level. Buckle up, it’s go-time.
Email design best practices and examples of newsletters can help us cope with the growing importance of branding in the corporate environment.
The core of this process is in fact very simple – the best newsletter design is the one that communicates a clear message potential customers can understand, it is placed in a strong and memorable framework, and attracts attention with a striking appearance.
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Why is email template design so important?
Image source: Florian Casanova
It is because recipients are by far more likely to open a beautiful message than the rest of them in their cluttered inbox.
When reaching out to new audiences, great newsletter ideas help you leave a positive first impression, and motivate viewers to become buyers and subscribers.
How does the perfect email design look?
Just as it is usually in the design world, there is no magical formula to apply and let the miracle happen. Nevertheless, there are few critical factors you should consider to distinguish solid newsletter examples from average ones:
- Less is more, so keep things simple
- Make sure you’ve included a direct call to action
- Nothing but absolute responsiveness is accepted
- Tons of baclinks to your website won’t help, and neither will decorative bells and whistles
- Images play a huge role, and you must choose such that would render automatically when displayed on mobile devices
- Make the correlation between the email’s design and your brand’s style visible
- Keep important information over the scroll
- The content should be up to point, ideally short and exciting
- Format text in a single column, such as the one of websites
- Test what you’ve produced on several devices to ensure it works well
Responsive email newsletter design is becoming more and more popular, and the reasons are pretty obvious: Almost 50% of all emails are opened using mobile devices, while for certain prominent brands the percentage goes up to 70%.
This makes it essential for an online business to have a responsive email so that can make their subscribers’ experience easy and enjoyable, and secure in such way the engagement they need.
Tip: Always use an SPF Record. It is an Anti-Spam Tool for Email Security.
Image source: Thrive Market
The first question you must answer is: What kind of emails are you about to design?
- Are those personal messages?
- Are those branded marketing emails?
- Or are you going to focus solely on newsletters?
Defining the layout in advance will help you implement the best newsletters design:
For personal messages: Use plain layouts and simple colors, and keep branding minimal in order not to distract users from the content.
Branded marketing emails: Attach extra pieced of branded contents (images, videos, etc.). Make sure that the color scheme matches the branding style. Logos and other essential branding principles must be included, so that the content is credible and professional.
Newsletters: Generally, newsletters tolerate more content pieces than regular branded email, so feel free to add images, videos, or articles neatly placed in a sidebar from where users can access them. Keep in mind that it is exactly newsletters that convince users you care about them, so put them in the focus of your campaign.
Tips for becoming a great email designer
Image source: Lonely Planet
As long as you have the idea of how your email is going to look, you can make it happen easily by rearranging snippets.
Give our tips some time, as they will for sure add value to your marketing campaigns.
How does a successful email template look like? Most of the time, it is uncluttered and easy to read, and shares just the right message your customers need to see. What emails like these do for you is to give our brand confidence and credibility, and save you the time invested in several campaigns at once.
- Put the message in the focus: For best results, share a single message, and save the rest for other emails.
- Keep attachments easy and tractable – the more snippets you add, the easier it will be for your customers to navigate and maneuver content.
- Stay concise – Simplify as much as you can, especially in terms of length.
- Remember to include interesting images in each paragraph or article snippet. Several smaller images per paragraph are also a good idea.
- Make hierarchy visible – The most important information comes first, so that even people on the rush can read what you wanted to tell them.
- Once again: simplicity means everything to email design!
As tempted as you feel to write long and novelist messages in your emails, remember that this is not what users expect you to do.
The strategy did well a decade ago, but people of today have no time to navigate through lengthy emails. Instead, make your point crispy clear, and include a link to a relevant post for those who wish to read more.
The best email design templates
Image source: Walid Benoihi
Start with the basics.
Choose a simple template that resembles the layout you imagined, and work with the drag-and-drop editor to add your content, or change styles and colors.
Once done, save the template and apply it each time you send a similar email, and keep the editing option activated just in case.
The need to test your designs
Image source: Lingo
The reason why you’re reading this post now is that you weren’t really blown off your shoes with previous campaigns, and we bet this wouldn’t have happened if there was someone to warn you of your mistakes.
The way things are today, you can test all of the segments displayed on the email templates to ensure you get the best response marketing.
Again, there is no unified approach to determine what works and what doesn’t, so just check the template through a customer’s prism.
Labeling & Branding
Image source: Andreea
Label your emails.
Ensure that customers know it was you who sent it, by adding the logo and the name of your company on top of it.
Attach links
Image source: Craft by Invision
Links may seem obtrusive while you’re adding them, but the truth is they are very practical.
Refer the email’s content to your website more than once, so that people can easily take action.
Do the same with images, as they are large and appealing, and customers will very likely click on them.
Use the right colors
Image source: Martin Kalabek
Pick the palette in advance.
Ideally, use two colors, because the fewer shades there are the cleaner the email will look, and recipients won’t get distracted from reading your main message.
Obviously, those should be the colors recognizable for your brand. Next, clearly divide the header and the footer, and use color to separate them visually from the part of the email.
The 80/20 rule, and why you should follow it
The 80/20 rule is probably the most famous rule of thumb which also applies to email design.
In the case, it tells you should limit text to 80%, and imagery to 20%, or at least roughly estimate how to divide content in a smart way.
Use the right fonts
Image source: Claudiu Cioba
Legibility is imperative, and the ideal measures are 14px body text size for longer emails, and 16px for shorter ones (a couple of sentences).
Then, use some basic marketing psychology to choose a font that corresponds to your message.
Serifs, for instance, unites small lines font with extended letter strokes, and looks more professional and sophisticated, unlike sans serif that may appear too casual for your needs. Mixing is allowed if you know how to do it, but use no more than three fonts per email.
Add short blocks of copy
Image source: Classy
Instead of dividing content in large and unreadable paragraphs, structure it in short ones with plenty of bullet points.
In case you have to use long content sections, highlight the words that are essential, so that the reader can scan quickly and decide whether he wants to take action or not.
Email design inspiration
Image source: The Washington Post
Image source: Homepolish
Image source: Behance
Image source: Flock – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Plated – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Keep – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Local Guides – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Gap – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Flock – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Misfit – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Sephora – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Away – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Taco Bell – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Oru Kayak – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: TWYLA – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Apple – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Pandora – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Wework – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Campaign Monitor – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Litmus – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Litmus – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: MCM – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: TWYLA – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Framebridge – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Lingo – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Outfittery – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Apple – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Penguin Random House – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Canopy – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Starry – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: IFTTT – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Headspace – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Campaign Monitor – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Legacybox – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Chairish – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: NewsCred – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Premiumbeat – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Stumbleupon – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Uber – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Happysocks – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: GQ – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Readdle – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: TaskRabbit – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Reelgood – Sourced from Really Good Emails
Image source: Trouva – Sourced from Really Good Emails
FAQ on newsletter design best practices
How do I increase my email newsletter open rates?
Think like a spy crafting a disguise—your subject line is key. Get personal, pique curiosity. Remember, A/B testing is your best friend here. Test various subject line effectiveness tactics. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point. Tempt them with a sneak peek of what’s inside.
What’s the secret to designing an engaging email newsletter layout?
Balance is essential. White space is your ally. Use compelling images and an easy-on-the-eyes font. A well-placed CTA can make all the difference. Remember, responsive design isn’t optional—it’s a must. Your newsletter design layout should shine across devices.
Can you carve a path to nail it with email personalization?
Absolutely. It starts with names; use them. Dive into email segmentation best practices to tailor content. Your readers aren’t a monolith; their emails shouldn’t be either. Birthdays, anniversaries—these little touches forge connections that turn opens into engagements.
How often should I send out my newsletter to avoid being spammy?
Less is more but don’t ghost them either. Consistency beats frequency. Monthly or bi-weekly—stick to what you can maintain. Quality trumps quantity. Keep them wanting more, not hitting ‘unsubscribe’. Let user engagement guide your cadence decisions.
A/B testing for newsletters—how does that work?
Imagine two paths in the woods; you split up to find the best one. Same with emails. Tweak one element—could be the CTA, subject line, layout—and test. Send version A to half your list, B to the rest. See which path leads to subscriber gold.
Which metrics are most vital for email campaign performance?
Opens and clicks are the tip of the iceberg. Dive deeper. Look at conversion rate optimization metrics like bounce rates and conversions. Segmentation can show which parts of your list are most engaged. Email analytics and metrics—that’s where the truth lies.
Any tips on growing my email list without being pushy?
Incentives attract. Offer wisdom, discounts, exclusives. Ensure your lead magnet resonates with your audience’s desires. Flaunt value on your signup form. Plaster it across your site, socials, and signature. Growing takes time—nurture patiently.
Is there a way to cater to mobile users effectively?
You bet. Think small screen, big impact. Responsive Web Design means your emails look good and function well, no matter the device size. Test on various screens. Quick loads, easy clicks, frictionless experience—that’s your target.
How do I make sure my newsletter doesn’t trigger spam filters?
Play by the rules. Avoid jargony sales language. Keep those spam filters and email marketing besties by maintaining a clean list. Permission-based lists with clear opt-ins, regular list hygiene, and authentic content keep you in the clear.
What trends in email marketing should I watch out for?
AI’s the buzzword, but it’s all about balance. Harness tech to personalize at scale but don’t lose the human touch. Authenticity is trending, so is blending email marketing software solutions with multi-channel marketing. Always be learning, because the ground underneath emails never stops shifting.
Conclusion
Alright, let’s wrap this up with a neat bow. We’ve navigated the maze of email newsletter best practices with the precision of a master watchmaker.
You’re now clued up on how to:
- Craft lines that hook, like a pro angler.
- Balance your visuals and text.
- Personalize like you’re the reader’s new best friend.
Just know this:
The world of email campaigns is ever-shifting, like desert sands under a blazing sun. Stay sharp. Keep testing with A/B testing for newsletters. Drink in those analytics like it’s your morning coffee.
Stay genuine, friends. Your voice in those emails? It should sound like you. Because when that open rate climbs and those click-throughs soar, it’s not just wins on a dashboard. It’s real people, vibing with what you’ve got to say. So let’s keep our eyes on the prize, maximizing that subscriber engagement, and always remember we’re in this to connect, to share, and to grow. And hey, isn’t that the point of it all?
Bogdan Sandu, a seasoned designer with 15 years of diverse experience, has been designing websites since 2008.
Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients.
His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8.
Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients.
His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8.
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