Sending email is considered an effective way to communicate with your customers and to get them to engage with you and your business. Creating and sending email is one of the oldest forms of digital marketing, yet many still get it wrong. The following tweaks can improve compatibility, open rates, and the chances of your links being clicked on. Don’t take these tweaks for granted, they are proven to pay off big and win customers.
Compatibility
The first step in improving the quality of your emails is to make sure they are compatible across as many email clients as possible. This is important because you want to make sure your emails are displaying properly for someone who uses Microsoft Outlook versus someone who is using Gmail. Furthermore, we now have access to email on more platforms than ever. Email can be viewed on mobile devices, tablets, TVs, game consoles and the traditional desktop computer.
If you’re using an Email Service Provider (ESP), they usually have their own built in compatibility tests. Some require additional payment to take advantage of the feature. If you are sending emails yourself it may be a good idea to invest in a service that tests your email across multiple platforms like litmus. If you’re in a position where you can’t test for compatibility thoroughly, at the very least, send a few test emails to yourself, your friends, or family whom you know use different email clients.
One last thing to consider to make sure your emails are compatible is to refrain from using heavy stylized templates. Not all styles and formats display properly on different devices and in different email programs, so what looks great on your computer may be a jumbled mess on your recipient’s.
Key Takeaway: Use simple templates and test your email across multiple email clients.
Open Rates
Email is no good if it is not opened and read by the recipient. One simple way to improve open rates is to simply craft an enticing subject line. The perfect subject line is more art than science. Take every email you send as an opportunity to test and measure.
People generally open emails if the subject seems valuable and relevant to them. Consider asking questions in the subject line to generate curiosity. If you’re sending out time sensitive information, create subject lines with a sense of urgency such as “Last Offer.” Avoid using symbols like exclamation marks, dollar signs, all caps, or technical jargon that your recipients might not understand.
Key Takeaway: Create and experiment subject lines and avoid verbiage that might be considered spam.
Click Through Rates
Generally speaking, the goal of sending email is to get the reader to do something. The best way to make sure the person clicks on a hyperlink or offer is to position it at the very top of your email. Strive to write emails that are concise, short, and to the point. Stick with including no more than three different hyperlinks in your emails. If you must include long text content in your emails, try to break up the flow with pictures that are also hyperlinked.
Key Takeaway: Write short emails and place actionable hyperlinked items at the top.
To learn more about email marketing don’t miss these awesome tips.
