Email marketing design can vary greatly, from plain text to complex designs filled with graphics and interactive elements. The ultimate goal, though, is always the same: create an effective email layout so users engage with your email and ultimately convert, clicking where you want them to.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about email design and draw inspiration from compelling email design examples.
Why Email Template Design Matters
Email template design is a crucial factor in the success of your marketing campaign for one major reason: designing every email individually is hard and time-consuming, while having a few to a few dozen neat templates for every type of email is quite convenient.
Creative email ideas might come and go, so it’s reasonable to bring them to life by designing templates you can use if the inspiration stream runs dry.
Here are some major advantages of having a library of email templates:
| First Impression | Users only take 3 to 10 seconds to decide whether to pass by or read an email. Email design shapes the first impression and influences brand perception, especially in cold emails. |
| Brand Consistency | Even if you customize your previously designed templates, they will ensure graphic consistency, an important factor in brand perception. Likewise, templates might help you structure all your emails similarly so subscribers can get used to the layout. |
| Engagement and conversions | If your emails do not evoke positive emotions, they may end up in the spam folder. On the other hand, creative design can catch the eye, fostering engagement and conversions. |
Email Template Design Examples
We have selected 17 email format examples for you and categorized them into the three most popular types:
- Promotional emails
- Newsletters
- Welcome emails
The email designs you will see below have proven effective in marketing campaigns.
Group 1: Promotional emails
GrubHub
Source: MyEmma
GrubHub emails exemplify an appealing layout, fonts, color contrast, and a strong CTA, showing how the best email design practices can be united in a single email. You can definitely draw inspiration from GrubHub and spark your creativity.
Handy
Source: Reply
Handy uses a hybrid layout, an effective way to diversify your email sequences with messages that highlight your brand’s benefits. The value of the design is in presenting the business to its audience in a concise, single-page format.
Gwynnie bee
Source: Pinterest
This marketing email design combines interactive elements with vibrant graphics and informative content. You can use similar ideas to promote bonuses and events that take place on your brand’s website.
Superside
Source: Superside
The logical combination of email marketing graphics in the header with clean text emphasizes the information well, attracting users’ attention. Such emails can be a more attractive alternative to purely graphic email sequences.
Venmo
Source: Really Good Emails
From this Venmo email, you can adopt a re-engagement technique to bring back users to your website while boosting engagement among new users. Likewise, this template allows for the inclusion of usernames, their history, and more.
Group 2: Newsletters
Domino
Source: Really Good Emails
Newsletters are best for headlines, catalog updates, technical upgrades, and other campaigns that increase audience engagement and drive sales.
reMarkable
Source: Really Good Emails
The example below combines informativeness with the limited nature of the offer. By evoking FOMO, such emails are among the most effective at converting subscribers and maximizing their lifetime value.
Absolut
Source: Really Good Emails
This braided email presents the offer’s value in a concise format and immediately highlights the benefits, including the promotion featured in the email.
Harry’s
Source: Beautiful Email Newsletters
This example also shows impactful combination of graphics and text. Harry’s demonstrates class and surely increases the order value with an email like this.
Shwood x Stanley
Source: Pixelunion
This email showcases the store’s assortment and concisely explains why the consumer should purchase the product here and now. The creative email design combines a brief, informative section with vibrant visuals to attract the reader’s attention.
Group 3: Welcome emails
The CUT
Source: Really Good Emails
The Cut knows how to present information in a humorous style. This modern email template design aims to welcome the audience in a fun way, and it really works.
Casper
Source: Really Good Emails
Casper is an example of a thematic email that welcomes the subscriber and promotes an offer right away. This two-in-one approach can speed up the customer journey and increase sales.
Email Formats
There are three types of email formats:
- Plain text
- Rich HTML
- Interactive emails
Each of these is aesthetically pleasing and effective in its own way.
Plain Text
For email marketing inspiration, you can even use a simple text format. Email templates of this type are the most cost-effective, allowing you to run email campaigns almost without investing in email design.
Source: Really Good Emails
Rich HTML
The hybrid email format combines text with graphics to attract user attention. Such email templates are extensively used by all types of businesses.
Source: Really Good Emails
AMP
AMP emails include interactive elements and animations that update subscribers about the offer in real time, allowing them to make a purchase right from the email.
Source: Really Good Emails
Important Aspects of Email Design
| Layout | A good layout means the email looks coherent and reveals the value of the offer before the user gets distracted and closes it. |
| Visual Hierarchy | A proper visual hierarchy must ensure users understand where the most important elements of the email are. E-commerce emails, for example, should immediately showcase the product’s benefits. |
| Imagery and Graphics | Nothing holds attention as well as relevant, high-quality images and videos. Embedded videos can become a decisive advantage in converting users. |
| Typography | Modern email design means that all components of the email are organically combined, including fonts. Make sure the fonts are readable and match the rest of the email |
| Call-to-Action | Email campaign designs should include calls to action, regardless of the email type. It shouldn’t always be “Buy Now,” but it is important to trigger action, be it feedback, subscription, or transition to your website. |
Eye-Catching Email Designs: Dos and Don’ts
Simple email designs can also be eye-catching, just like emails with complex structures. For example, designs with clear focus points work better, even if they contain only text but are well-formatted.
This one will definitely attract attention:
Source: Really Good Emails
And this one may not cut it:
Source: Really Good Emails
Email Design Ideas for Your Brand
For designing email templates, use trendy themes and content. A creative email should look organic and logical so that users immediately see the offer’s value. Likewise, remember to personalize the emails for your audience.
Must-Have Email Design Features
| Interactive Elements | Interactive components allow you to create engaging emails that catch the recipient’s attention and drive them to a conversion. For example, AMP technology enables real-time updates and conversions within the email; users can make purchases instantly without navigating to your website. |
| Personalization | Personalized emails are much more effective for engaging and converting subscribers. This goes beyond using the subscriber’s name – include as many personal details as possible, creating the most advantageous offer for this very recipient. |
| Mobile Compatibility | All your emails should look equally good across devices, operating systems, and the light and dark (day and night) modes. |
Last but not least, a good email design is not necessarily a complex one. You can create beautiful emails with both simple and complex templates as long as you use quality typography, a well-thought-out email structure, and the right CTAs.
To kick things off with email template design, you can try tools like Unlayer or Mailmodo, both of which allow you to build eye-catching emails intuitively and quickly.
Email Marketing Extravaganza at MailCon in New York
MailCon is back with a one-day email performance and deliverability conference on July 28th in New York City.
Every attendee will get:
- Productive email marketing sessions reinforced with panels and workshops addressing the most pressing topics for mailers
- Speaking and exhibition opportunities
- Connecting with renowned email marketing professionals and experts
And here’s why MailCon is the coolest email marketing event you can attend:
Here are some of the topics that will be covered on July 28th:
- Brand Safety & Better Subscriptions: What You Need to Know, by Ebenezer Anjorin, Lead Product Manager at Google Workspace
- Email Deliverability Starts Where Best Practices Fall Short, by Adrian W. from Email Angels
- The Importance of Securing Your Email Infrastructure and How to Do It, by Kevin A. McGrail, CEO of Peregrine Computer Consultants Corporation, and LB Blair, Head of Deliverability at Email Industries.
- Future-Proof Your Brand Like Beyoncé: Integrating Email & Social Media for Iconic Digital Presence, by Carlos Gil from GetResponse
- Insights from the expertise of renowned email deliverability consultants like Trey Bennett, Keith Kouzmanoff, Jakub Olexa, and more
- Expert panel on navigating the complexities of consumer privacy and compliance regulations, by Eric J. Troutman, Puja J. Amin, and Brittany Andres
- Marketing Crossfire session hosted by Channel Automation™ and featuring industry thought leaders
And so much more!
Get your tickets now before they sell out!
For those new, here’s everything you need to know about MailCon in just 90 seconds:
