Change is Good!

Redesigning an email template is something that every email marketer has had to consider at one point or another. Very few websites out there have the same design they did 2 years ago, and the same goes for email communications.

Your email communications are a reflection of who you are as an organization - and the design of your campaign templates will influence the perceptions, click-through rates and response rates of your subscribers. If your template could be better aligned with your brand, or if your design could be optimized to increase results, it may be time to consider a template redesign.

When it comes to redesigning email communications templates, there are two approaches a marketer can take:

1) Offer your readers a series of small changes over time, tweaking the look and feel so that it always looks familiar, but is slowly evolving over time. Sort of like wearing a new shirt every day - your friends will recognize you, but will notice something "fresh" every day.

2) Offer a radical makeover. Sometimes a couple tweaks won't cut it - especially if your email template is out of synch with the rest of your brand, or if you really want to make people sit up and take notice. This approach is more like getting an extreme makeover - your friends will know it's you, but you are projecting a different image of who you are.

Either way, an email campaign redesign can only benefit you as an email marketer. A study by MarketingSherpa showed that click-through rates can skyrocket when an intelligent design and functionality are applied to an email template. The study proved that strategically placed clickable links, stylized buttons and a clear layout all contributed to dramatically increased campaign results. See our industry statistics section below to learn more.

If you're thinking of redesigning your template, here are some great tips to keep in mind:

• Width
  Keep the width of your email template within 500 to 700 pixels. No reader likes to scroll side-to-side just to read your message.
• Color
  Always try and match your email campaign's color scheme to that of your brand and/or website. Not only does this create a visual link between them, but it helps your reader associate those colors with your brand, and therefore products/services.
• Content
  Try to keep the content as short and as to-the-point as possible. Outlook's preview pane can play the decisive role in your reader either skipping your email message altogether or making that crucial click-through to your site and possible a sale. Also, try to keep all the important material like your brand, the gist of your message, and a call to action at the top. Remember the preview pane in programs like Outlook can make or break your hard work.
• Text
  Studies suggest dark text on a white background offers the best visibility of your content, on any screen, and any resolution. Also, keep CAPS to a minimum to help avoid spam filters, avoid coming off like YOU'RE YELLING, and improve readability.
• Overall layout
  How you present your content is almost as important as the content itself. The human eye is naturally drawn to things that are pleasing to the visual senses, and a good layout makes it easier to read.

Cleanliness
Try to keep your email campaign design as clean as possible. Offer ample space around images, match the background of your images to the background of your email to offer a more seamless look, and if using HTML, use a table structure to insure alignments and spacing.

• Text Version
  Not to be ignored - text versions of email campaigns can be made to look good too! Instead of simply copying and pasting your HTML version's text, make an effort to present the text version of your email campaign in a clear and readable way. Add dividing lines and extra spaces between paragraphs to help break up the content into digestible chunks.
• Research
  Finally, check out other email campaigns - subscribe to competitors' newsletters and decide what it is you like and/or don't like in their campaigns. Find what inspires you them to generate new ideas. Identifying the elements that make an email campaign look great to you is crucial in designing your own.

If you're considering a redesign and you're not an HTML wizard, not to worry - email marketing solutions like Campaigner offers easy-to-use templates that allow you to make great looking email campaigns with little or no HTML experience!

Quick Tips & Tricks

The Art of Email Marketing
Spacing. Layout. Design. Email campaign layout makes a difference to your readers. Presentation of graphics and copy is as important as what is actually written on the page.
Things to remember:

• Ensure that graphics and text have enough 'breathing room' around them.
• Be selective when deciding on certain words to bold or italicize - don't overdo it, and consider using colors for emphasis.
• Carefully chosen and well-placed graphics can enhance your marketing materials and overall layout.

Industry Statistics
Can an email redesign really affect your campaign results? A study by suggests that results can be dramatically impacted by a template redesign. Three separate newsletters were examined:

• One marketer doubled their click-through rates simply by reducing the size of the header, which allowed clickable links to be displayed 'above the fold', even in preview mode.
• Another saw click-through rates triple by switching the format from one feature article to several 'teasers' that linked to online content. By increasing the number of links, and providing a wider range of content, they succeeded in engaging a wider cross-section of their subscriber base.
• One marketer hadn't updated their template in years, and it showed. Subscribers had lost interest, and click-through rates were at an all-time low. A new template with oversized click buttons has turned this around - response rates are reported to have quadrupled with the new design!

About Campaigner
Campaigner™ offers Customer Relationship Marketing technology that allows organizations to move beyond traditional product-centric marketing to create relevant communications with customers, resulting in long term, profitable relationships.

About the Author:
Luc Vezina is Head of Campaigner Marketing. He monitors industry trends closely and has been instrumental in helping shape email marketing best practices for thousands of Campaigner's clients. Campaigner is a founding member of the Email Service Provider Coalition.
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