Three Email Newsletter Design Tips.

I sign up for email newsletters all the time.  I want to see what different companies are doing with their email newsletter best practices.

We also send email newsletters on behalf of our clients and we watch and monitor results to see what resonates with our client’s clients.

With all of this experience, I feel there are three areas where many companies go wrong with their email newsletter design.

1.  Using a template.

All of the email service providers provide pre-designed newsletter templates.  Some go so far as to create templates for different industries.

Don’t use these.

First, you run the risk of having your email look like one of your competitors.  Second, these creative two and three column newsletters don’t create better readership.  For instance, click studies have shown that clickable events or ads in the right column are almost invisible to readers.  The right column is almost a distraction.

Make your design a simple, clean, one column enewsletter that is easy to read–top to bottom.

2.  Improper use of graphics.

Don’t get me wrong…graphics are good.  But effective email newsletters aren’t about color, they are about conveying information.  Minimize or eliminate complicated headers and formats and only use a graphic that supports the main point of a story.  That means using relevant graphics to make your point.

3.  Spend enough time on the subject line.

This point is more important than any email design strategy you could follow.

Spending more time on your subject line and less time on layout will get you better results.

Don’t use this subject line:  “Your January Newsletter” or some other generic, non-descriptive text.

Try something like:  “January Newsletter:  Three Tips to Improve Your Sales.”  At least you’re giving me a better reason to open and read your e-newsletter.