Imagine this: You wake up, grab your phone, and see a flood of 100 emails. What’s your first reaction? Open them all? Or maybe just mark them as spam? Usually, it takes less than three seconds to decide. If the email is from someone you know or a familiar name, you’ll probably open it based on the subject line. But what about those from unknown senders? Sometimes, curiosity gets the better of us, and we open them, albeit with a hint of skepticism about potential spam. And those emails with a whiff of marketing? Yeah, those usually get ignored!
When we’re scrolling through emails on our phones, the subject line is crucial. It’s the make-or-break factor that determines whether an email gets opened or not. That’s why our inboxes are often filled with unread promotional emails. As more people use their mobiles for everything, it’s crucial to craft emails that can stand up to scrutiny and get opened. Here are some stats to consider: 66% of all emails are now opened on mobile devices, 70% of people will delete an email if it doesn’t resonate with them, and 75% of people will delete an email that isn’t optimized for mobile.
So, how can you make your emails more engaging on mobile? It starts with a catchy subject line. But that’s just the beginning. We like emails with eye-catching images and concise content. If they tell a short story, even better. These kinds of emails are more likely to be opened, especially if they’re easy to read on a small screen. Making emails look good and interesting on a small screen is both a challenge and an opportunity. Here are some essential steps to create mobile-friendly emails that are attractive, readable, and interesting:
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Design: Pay attention to the visual appeal, text size, and "tapability" of your emails. The first thing people notice is how your email looks on their mobile screen, and they usually decide within three seconds whether to open or ignore it. Use an email template that’s 400×300 pixels with bright colors that match your brand. An image size of 20K is good enough for an HTML text banner. Use larger fonts so your readers don’t have to squint to read your content. A simple, single-column layout adds to the design’s richness. If you’re sharing multiple links, make sure they’re separated for easy tapping. Remember, mobile is all about ‘tap’ and not ‘click’, so think in terms of finger targets.
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Streamline Words: To get higher email open rates, streamline your words and create a short, scannable, and interesting story. About 20% of consumers believe that a good subject line makes them open and read the email. Try adding a pre-header below the subject line to generate a 19% higher open rate! For a pre-header, aim for different content with between 70-75 characters. Catchy and meaningful subject lines that clearly explain the topic, enhanced by bright images in the right places, are what your readers are looking for.
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Call to Action: Emails help your potential customers learn about your business and connect with you. A good call to action is important to make this happen. Here are 3 tips: A call to action should only have one objective redirecting to one location. Make your call to action bold and clear. Place the call to action on the left, with a button of a minimum 40×40 pixels in size.
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Compatibility: Readers won’t feel distracted or confused if the emails are compatible with their mobile devices. Your email provider should provide the basics: HTML supported email, Images should be on display and not blocked, Auto scaling of the width for different screen sizes, Font should not scatter or overlap, Functional for following operating systems such as iOS, Android, Windows. And don’t forget to preview the email before you send it. All email providers have this function.
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Email Marketing Best Practices: Check for the following before you send those mobile-friendly emails: No navigation bars – Navigation bars do not work well on mobile emails. They are not built for finger tap and tend to break. Contextual – If you know who will read the mail, where and how, you can work on the content that is compatible and consumable. Color palette – Use bright colors to keep your readers spirits up. Concise and Precise – It is OK to talk about your product but consider ‘less is more’ with enlarged fonts, your emails will get the respect they deserve. Analytics: You cannot track everything. Understand email analytics, identify the basic metrics and track your emails open and click rates to see which emails are really working on mobile.
Remember, crafting effective mobile-friendly emails is both an art and a science. It requires a good understanding of your audience, a knack for writing engaging content, and a keen eye for design. But with these tips, you’ll be well on your way to achieving higher email open rates on mobile.
