#1 Keep it short

Your subscribers already get tons of emails, if they are anything like our company that can be more than a hundred a day. Show them that you can give relevant info quickly. The object is to get them to “open” your email because they know its valuable. If you need to give more info, add a link to a blog, landing page or actual information page on the website.

#2 Add White Space

Many people try to cram so much text and graphics into an email that it is too hard to read.

Leave white space between graphics, between paragraphs and don’t try and close the line spacing too tight. we regularly use 1.25 or 1.5 line spacing so that the text is very easy to read and doesn’t all run together.

Once you have decided on a spacing – consistently use it throughout the email so the “design” looks good and not some jumbled html code malfunction

#3 Create a GOOD CTA

One of the mistakes people make when sending emails that require action is that they think the CTA (call to action) has to be at the very end of the document.

Use buttons for actions like “Click Here”, “Learn More”, or “Buy Now”, instead of text. Emphasize the action and make it easy to understand. From studies this has proven to have a greater impact on click rates, than highlighted text with “Click to learn more now”.

Also don’t wait to add the CTA until the end of the document. People who are looking for. what you are marketing may already have made a decision to buy within the first paragraph, so add the CTA button after the first paragraph, so that the instant decision makers can go and complete the CTA. Then add a further CTA towards the end of the email for those who need all the info to make a decision.

#4 Test on multiple devices

All of the main email programs, Constant Contact, MailChimp, etc., all have an email test button. Once you are satisfied with the content of the email send it to yourself to review on mobile, cell phones, desktops, to make sure that the layout doesn’t look odd as the screens are affected by responsive layouts, etc.

#5 Bonus strategy – Subject line

Spend time thinking what your subject matter and what the context is going to be.

This is vitally important in getting people to open your email and read it in the first place. I have seen many great emails end up in the trash because the subject line did not look interesting.