Email has a bad rap: it’s been declared dead, called spam, and been sidelined by marketers and creatives alike. But email is one of the highest performing digital marketing channels, requiring its own unique set of content, marketing, and design considerations. In this session, you’ll learn how using performance-driven email design can drive email strategy, best practices and principles for getting users to take action, and simple strategies and A/B tests to maximize conversions.
Text of Email Strategy, Design and User Experience
EMAIL STRATEGY, DESIGN AND USER EXPERIENCE Justine Jordan,
Litmus
AGENDA Introductions Laying a great foundation The subscriber
experience Increasing performance through A/B tests Email review /
group exercise ! YES! You can download the slides:
litmus.com/lp/generalassembly
Content, education, community at Litmus Previously at
ExactTarget Midwest born and bred I email IM JUSTINE. HELLO!
@meladorri @litmusapp
HELLO! Your name Where you work / your company What you do
there What email-related challenges are you facing? What are you
hoping to learn tonight? GETTING TO KNOW YOU
HAVE YOU HEARD? EMAIL IS DEAD. EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER
EXPERIENCE OR NOT.
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE Effective yields more
ROI than any other channel Inexpensive sending one email < $0.01
Immediate no complicated set-up Measurable opens, clicks,
conversions roll in right away Easy software makes it so! ! It
worksand customers prefer it. EMAIL 101
Its all about permission Not implied Not purchased Expires
after a certain period of time ! Respect the users inbox EMAIL SPAM
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE
Emails are not weapons of mass destruction. EMAIL STRATEGY /
DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE
Physical mailing address A way to unsubscribe Dont make the
user jump through hoops Process request within 10 days Opt-in /
permission required in some countries Prior business relationship
usually OK ! Know the law in the countries you send to CAN-SPAM,
CASL AND OTHER ACRONYMS EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER
EXPERIENCE
you recently created a Litmus account. you recently downloaded
our templates. you recently ran a test. you signed up for our
newsletter. EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE You got this
email because
EVERY EMAIL SHOULD HAVE A PURPOSE. EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN /
USER EXPERIENCE
EMAIL IS: A unique medium with unique considerations EMAIL
STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE EMAIL IS NOT: A JPG A
print ad A banner ad A one-page web site
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE WHO are you sending
to? WHAT do you want them to do? WHEN is it appropriate to send the
message? WHERE will the recipient read it? WHY are you sending this
message? HOW are you going to measure success? ASK THE FIVE WS
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE Internal vs. external
B2B vs. B2C Demographics Know your audience! WHO Register for a
webinar Read an article Buy something WHAT Triggered vs. mass Drip
or automation Behavioral-based Day and time WHEN Mobile / tablet
Web browser / webmail Desktop / at work WHERE Brand awareness
Content marketing Influence behavior Drive purchases WHY Opens
Clicks Conversions HOW
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE NO PLAN? NO PURPOSE?
NO EMAIL.
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE WHERE HAS BECOME A
COMPLICATED QUESTION.
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE 25% 27% 48% Mobile
Desktop Webmail Smartphones (iPhone, Android) and tablets !
Installed email programs (Outlook, Apple Mail) ! Email accessed
through a web browser (Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo!) MOBILE DESKTOP
WEBMAIL
MOBILE EMAIL: +400% since 2011
TYPES OF EMAIL YOU SHOULD SEND EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER
EXPERIENCE
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE Lead nurturing Drip
campaigns Product updates/announcements Actions (and inactions)
Brand awareness Events and webinars Follow-ups MORE EMAIL
OPPORTUNITIES
FROM NAME SUBJECT LINE PREHEADER OPEN TAP/CLICK PAGE/SITE
SUBSCRIBER EXPERIENCE
FROM NAME SUBJECT LINE PREHEADER OPEN TAP/CLICK PAGE/SITE What
is recognizable, trustworthy and relevant? Does the subscriber have
a relationship with a person or the brand?
FROM NAME SUBJECT LINE PREHEADER OPEN TAP/CLICK PAGE/SITE
FROM NAME SUBJECT LINE PREHEADER OPEN TAP/CLICK PAGE/SITE
FROM NAME SUBJECT LINE PREHEADER OPEN TAP/CLICK PAGE/SITE +
open rates gimmick ~ value SYMBOLS IN SUBJECT LINES
Source:
https://litmus.com/blog/how-to-write-the-perfect-subject-line-infographic
THE PERFECT SUBJECT LINE? 1. Free is okay! 2. Shorter = better? 3.
Relevance 4. Specific 5. Useful 6. Test! FROM NAME SUBJECT LINE
PREHEADER
FROM NAME SUBJECT LINE PREHEADER OPEN TAP/CLICK PAGE/SITE
FROM NAME SUBJECT LINE PREHEADER OPEN TAP/CLICK PAGE/SITE
FROM NAME SUBJECT LINE PREHEADER OPEN TAP/CLICK PAGE/SITE
Support your subject line Call to action Reminder Special message
Make it measurable BE CREATIVE, USEFUL, HELPFUL, FUNNY OR
ENGAGING
FROM NAME SUBJECT LINE PREHEADER OPEN TAP/CLICK PAGE/SITE
FROM NAME SUBJECT LINE PREHEADER OPEN TAP/CLICK PAGE/SITE ~25
characters 25% of the inbox ! ! ~35 characters 25% of the inbox ! !
~85 characters 50% of the inbox FROM NAME SUBJECT LINE
PREHEADER
FROM NAME SUBJECT LINE PREHEADER OPEN TAP/CLICK PAGE/SITE
FROM NAME SUBJECT LINE PREHEADER OPEN TAP/CLICK PAGE/SITE
Prioritize and prune Use color, weight & size for emphasis
Bullets are your friends Use rational & emotional appeals Link
images and text Use a variety of media (charts, buttons, graphics,
images, videos) for visual interest and to communicate ENGAGE THE
USER
FROM NAME SUBJECT LINE PREHEADER OPEN TAP/CLICK PAGE/SITE
FROM NAME SUBJECT LINE PREHEADER OPEN TAP/CLICK PAGE/SITE Does
your iPhone fold? Mine doesnt
FROM NAME SUBJECT LINE PREHEADER OPEN TAP/CLICK PAGE/SITE
Scrolling is easier than clicking.
FROM NAME SUBJECT LINE PREHEADER OPEN TAP/CLICK PAGE/SITE
Minimize friction Be clear and concise Test buttons vs. text Use
active language Consider size, placement, color, and context CREATE
A GREAT CTA
FROM NAME SUBJECT LINE PREHEADER OPEN TAP/CLICK PAGE/SITE
FROM NAME SUBJECT LINE PREHEADER OPEN TAP/CLICK PAGE/SITE
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE Create hierarchy with
symbols Avoid hard breaks Put links on a new line Tabs, spacing and
CAPs to organize Convey imagery with text DONT FORGET THE TEXT
VERSION
REVIEW: WHY ARE THESE ON THE BAD EXAMPLES SLIDE?
EMAIL: UNDER THE HOOD EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER
EXPERIENCE
HTML for email is not HTML for the web Code like its 1999; use
HTML tables for layout Think in modules: images and text should be
in their own table cell Avoid CSS for positioning or layout Rely on
progressive enhancement / graceful degradation
No JavaScript, Flash, forms Web standards dont apply; support
for HTML and CSS is wonky Use inline CSS(Gmail strips out the
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE Many different email
apps and programs Varying support for HTML/CSS Screen sizes
Individual preferences PREVIEW / TEST! OUTLOOK, GMAIL, IPHONE
THE MOBILE FACTOR EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER
EXPERIENCE
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE 25% 27% 48% Mobile
Desktop Webmail Smartphones (iPhone, Android) and tablets !
Installed email programs (Outlook, Apple Mail) ! Email accessed
through a web browser (Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo!) MOBILE DESKTOP
WEBMAIL
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE 70%+ open on mobile
>15% open on mobile
80.3% 30.2% 13.5% 3.8% 6.3% If you get an email on your phone
that doesnt look good, what do you do? Source: BlueHornet Study:
Consumer Views of Email Marketing, 2012 and 2013 EMAIL STRATEGY /
DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE Delete it Unsubscribe View on computer
Don't know Read anyway 0 25 50 75 100 +68% +15%
The finger is the new mouse EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER
EXPERIENCE
BIGGER IS BETTER EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE Body
copy: 16px+ Headlines: 22px+ Buttons: 44px by 44px Space: 10px+
Tappable touch targets
iOS will resize fonts under 13px -webkit-text-size-adjust:
none; EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE iOS tries to help
Make phone calls Track packages Find addresses Create events
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE Bright screen = dead
battery
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE email mobile version
web site Kill mobile versions
Large text EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE More than a line of
code Set of conditional statement that enables specific styles If
the screen size is x, then display y If the screen size is x, then
increase headline size to y If screen size is x, then show image at
100% Detects screen size, not device type Not supported in every
mobile email app WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RESPONSIVE EMAIL
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE Email is an
application and occasionally a mobile browser
Rendering is inconsistent across devices and operating
systems
WHICH TEST WON? EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE Email
is the ideal environment for fast, easy, and cheap testing. !
BUTwhat works for one email wont always work for another.
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE Time of day Day of
week Subject lines Creative look/feel Imagery Call to action CREATE
A HYPOTHESIS SO YOUR TEST IS REPEATABLE. Preheader Navigation
Content layout Length of content Personalization Segmentation
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE Subject lines
Specific vs vague Buzzy vs straightforward ! Call to action Product
vs content Click opportunities ! Video thumbnails Person vs product
! Button color Green vs blue SOME TESTS WEVE RUN AT LITMUS
Version A: Green button Version B: Blue button
Version A: Green button Version B: Blue button NO CHANGE
Version A: Start testing Version B: Read our overview
Version A: Start testing Version B: Read our overview 2X
CLICKS
Subject line A: Dont forward this ! Subject line B: The best
way to share emails SUBJECT LINES
Subject line A: Dont forward this ! Subject line B: The best
way to share emails SUBJECT LINES 54% MORE CLICKS
Separate sections vs All links together DIGEST EMAIL
Separate sections vs All links together DIGEST EMAIL 30% MORE
CLICKS
MEASURING SUCCESS EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER
EXPERIENCE
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE
Twitter mentions Unsolicited comments Endorsements Web visits
Blog comments Anecdotal evidence BEYOND THE OBVIOUS EMAIL STRATEGY
/ DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE @litmusapp mentions
GREAT RESOURCES ! ! litmus.com/lp/generalassembly EMAIL
STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE
Q&A EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE
PLAN YOUR NEXT GREAT EMAIL EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER
EXPERIENCE
EMAIL STRATEGY / DESIGN / USER EXPERIENCE Who What When Where
Why How FIVE WS Audience Objective Goal BRIEF Subject line From
name From address Preheader text Headline Subhead Copy Call to
action Graphics / images PLAN Sketch a wireframe of your email and
identify key components. Elements Your hypothesis Success criteria
TEST
THANKS! Body Level One Body Level Two Body Level Three Body
Level Four Body Level Five JUSTINE JORDAN Body Level One Body Level
Two Body Level Three Body Level Four Body Level Five
[email protected] litmus.com @meladorri @litmusapp !
litmus.com/lp/generalassembly
