Reggie's articles appearing in Target Marketing Magazine

Time for a tuneup - Breathe some new life into your e-mail templates

April 2010

Is your email design working hard enough for you?  There are many elements that to go into any email template: the pre-header, the header, setting the appropriate width, deciding on the number of columns, calls-to-action, and more.  All of these need to fit together harmoniously to provide your readers with a good experience that motivates them to click through for more.

Here are some ideas you can put to use to help you tune up your template … or templates. 

The pre-header

This element is at the very top of your email, which is usually above the logo.  The text included here is generally smaller than the font size used for the body of the email.  Any recipient who has the preview pane enabled will first see whatever information you have here. 

Consumer marketers should consider including a snippet or short statement highlighting the main message.  Often, the snippet is a variation of the subject line, although it could also consist of a table of contents if ythe email features multiple stories.  Below that, the marketer could include additional administrative messaging such as “view online version,” “add us to your safe list,” and even “forward to a friend.”

B-to-B marketers may have on-the-go professionals viewing emails on a mobile device.  If so, there can be display or rendering issues with the balance of the message.   The first item this audience should see is some variation of “view mobile version.”  If the recipient clicks on this, take them to a text or HTML-lite version of the content with no images for ease of viewing.

Header and navigation

This area contains your logo along with other elements such as the name of the email program, a positioning statement, and the date.  Roughly, 30 percent to 40 percent of promotional emails and informational newsletters include site navigation tabs to major online departments.  If you use this technique, cull down the number of tabs to include only your major areas.

The height of the header should be compact.  Those who do view emails in their preview pane should be able to see some of your content or offer.  A large header takes up a lot of room and cuts down on your effectiveness and readability.  

Email width

Today, conventional wisdom says that your email should be between 600 and 700 pixels wide.  This width gives you the best chance of having it display in the variety of email readers used by your recipients.

Width standards are likely to change over the next year as more people use smart phones and other mobile devices to view their emails.  Keep a pulse on your audience, and when the time is right, you may want to reduce the width to 500 or 550 pixels.

Columns

Should a marketer use one column, two columns or more?  There is no pat answer to this question.  For example, promotional emails that highlight a sale or special offer are often a single pane.  Personally, I have a bias toward using a 2-column design, whether for a content-driven newsletter, promotion of one or more products or services, an alert or a seminar invite.

The beauty of a 2-column design is that it expands your options and enhances the readability of your email.  It is difficult for the eye to track across the full width of the email, and much easier if the span is shorter.

The ClubSymantec newsletter focuses on those who use Norton pc security products.  The company follows best practices in the header – notice how compact it is, although the newsletter date takes up a fair amount of room and pushes the actual content down.

The pleasing 2-column design allows Symantec to pack in a lot of information.  The smaller left column has a Table of Contents, a graphic that depicts the treat level for viruses and spyware, and a sidebar with monthly tips. 

In the feature column, Symantec uses a few graphics to add visual interest to its email.  The main story has a larger headline, a short text introduction and a large “Read More” button in orange, an attention-grabbing color.