The document provides tips for email marketing design to improve subscriber experience and increase return on investment. It emphasizes the importance of design considering how emails are displayed across devices and inbox views. Comprehensive testing of design elements is essential to ensure content is properly rendered and functional for subscribers. Case studies show different designs can perform best depending on the audience, so testing variants is required to identify the most effective design.

1. DESIGN FOR YOUR SUBSCRIBERSTips and Tricks to Increase Email Marketing ROI

2. LET’S TALK ABOUT…Subscriber ExperiencePerformance-Driven DesignCode MattersThe Mobile InboxLanding PagesTest, test, TEST!Resources

3. WHY DOES DESIGN MATTER?Design is the visualization of a business plan. More than a pretty picture, great design requires an actionable plan and measureable goals. Design should acknowledge the subscriber experience.Put yourself in your subscriber’s shoes and understand how they will interact with your communications.Design and technology are seamlessly integrated.Emails should be designed and coded to display properly in the various ways a subscriber will view it. A comprehensive testing strategy is essential to ensure success.

4. SUBSCRIBER EXPERIENCEConsider the entire subscriber experience – from first impression to final click.Each individual phase influences the decision to open and engage with your email.Your email design is experienced in stages – not as a static page.FROM NAMESUBJECT LINEPREVIEW PANEABOVE THE FOLDCOMPLETE EMAILCLICK THROUGH

5. It all begins with theFrom Name – 73% of subscribers click “Report Spam” or “Report Junk” based on this field.*Email Sender and Provider CoalitionFROM NAMEIS YOUR FROM NAME EASILY RECOGNIZABLE?

6. SUBJECT LINE69% of subscribers click “Report Spam” or “Report Junk” based on this line.*IS YOUR SUBJECT LINE RELEVANT AND INTERESTING?*Email Sender and Provider Coalition

7. SUBJECT LINE69% of subscribers click “Report Spam” or “Report Junk” based on this line.*IS YOUR SUBJECT LINE RELEVANT AND INTERESTING?

8. Images are disabled by default more than 50% of the time.Isyourkey message visible, relevant and enticing in this space?PREVIEW PANE: IMAGES OFFWHAT IS YOUR EMAIL SAYING WITH IMAGES OFF?

9. PREVIEW PANE: IMAGES ONWhat’s your open rate? Only subscribers that turn images on trigger an open.Are you giving them a reason to keep reading? AVERAGE PREVIEWPANE DIMENSIONS:300px by 300px

10. PREVIEW PANE & IMAGE BLOCKINGHotmail - Images OffHotmail – Images On

11. PREVIEW PANE & IMAGE BLOCKINGHotmail - Images OffHotmail – Images On

12. ABOVE THE FOLDDoes your content above the fold provide motivation to respond? Are you persuading subscribers to scroll?DON’T CRAMEVERYTHINGABOVE THE FOLD…INTRODUCE CONTENTABOVE THE FOLD

13. COMPLETE EMAILSeconds – not minutes – to view an entire emailOnly 11%* of those who open will scroll below the fold!EVEN IN THIS VIEWTHE ENTIRE EMAIL IS NOT ONSCREEN AT ONCE*The Nielsen Norman Group

14. Subscriber experience doesn’t end with the inboxCLICK THROUGHDon’t ignore the transition to your website, landing page, or other marketing collateral. Ensure the products in your email are available on your site - better yet, map the individual products from the email to a product page.“…A well-designed email means nothing if the landing pages don’t work well.” – Chad White

15. CONSIDER THE SUBSCRIBER EXPERIENCEIs this the message you want to convey?

16. Brand Synergy • Content Hierarchy•Visual Hierarchy Engagement Techniques • Rendering Results •Tested QualityPERFORMANCE DRIVEN DESIGN

17. WebsiteEmailVisual recognition of the brand across all media channels creates a seamless brand experience, creating trust to engage and transact.BRAND SYNERGY

18. WireframePreview PaneAbove the FoldCreate a content hierarchy, arranging each content element (text and/or image) and associated call to action with appropriate weight.CONTENT HIERARCHY

19. Headlines utilizing size and color hierarchySecondary calls-to-actionPrimary call-to-actionMaximize response by creating a visual hierarchy, using design techniques to guide the subscriber's eye through your email based on the content hierarchy.VISUAL HIERARCHY“Quick Bites” or summaries

20. Preheader Teaser Text Forward to a ColleagueIn This IssueRead More LinkSubscriber Q&ALifestyle ImageryUse of Background ColorLink to External VideoRecovery ModuleUse design techniques to engage the subscriber through a mix of emotive and rational imagery and content. Smart use of images, borders, buttons, links, charts, colored backgrounds, etc.should be applied and tested.ENGAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

21. Optimized DesignNon-optimized DesignMain call-to-action in prime placement HTML text in web safe fonts If an email is created primarily with images,it will not display effectively when images are blocked.Designed with image-blocking and preview pane viewing in mind.Ensure your design efforts are viewed as intended once they hit the inbox. Emails that are created with the subscriber experience in mind will have a greater chance of success.RENDERING RESULTS

22. *Fingerprint from Litmus, February 2010Only comprehensive testing will validate successful rendering of design and ensure functional performance prior to sending to the subscriber inbox.TESTED QUALITY*ExactTarget via Fingerprint from Litmus, Feb. 2010

23. NEWSLETTER DESIGN CONSIDERATIONSInclude a Table of Contents or In This Issue Section

24. Include a 3-4 sentence teaser for articles with a “Read More” link instead of including the full article

25. Introduce your main call-to-action within the preview pane and other important content above the fold

26. Develop a visual hierarchy for headings, subheading, and body copy for easy scan-ability

27. Use images selectively to eye track to engagement areasPOSTCARD DESIGN CONSIDERATIONSYour message should have a singular focus; don’t let your postcard become a newsletter

28. Make that message the Hero in your design

29. Introduce your main call-to-action within the preview pane and other important content above the fold

30. Consider the placement and inclusion of secondary messaging that supports your main focusTRANSACTIONAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONSPosition content front and center; keep it simple

31. Don’t include too much cross-sell information (follow the 70/30 rule)

32. Use a higher text to image ratio

33. Use font colors and sizes to create a visual hierarchy

34. Send a branded HTML email instead of Plain TextCODE MATTERS!HTML for email is different than HTML for the webModern web design utilizes CSS (cascading style sheets) for layout. However, due to inconsistent CSS support, HTML tables must be used for email layout. CODE LIKE IT’S 1999!No standards exist for displaying HTML in email.Proper syntax still counts – use a validator to check for general errors.Beware of:Forms, surveys, search barsJavascriptVideo/flashAnimated .gifsBackground images

35. THE MOBILE INBOXSmartphone users use mobile email primarily for triage

36. There are no standards in place for displaying emails on smartphones

37. Most mobile devices display a “stripped down” version of the HTML portion of an email, NOT the plain-text version

38. Optimizing your emails with HTML text in web-safe fonts will benefit smartphone users as well

39. Consider including a link in your email to view a mobile friendly version of your email

40. One-column designs hold up best on mobile devicesLANDING PAGE TIPSLeverage web analytics to design for your audienceMonitor Resolution, Browser, User behavior

41. LANDING PAGE TIPSContinuity – graphics, offers, headlines, imagery, dataSet expectations, and follow through accordinglyKeep forms simpleHonest, clear, concise copy – use bullets!Avoid extra elements (navigation, sidebars, images…)Don’t be afraid to re-state valueUse seals!Same rules of email apply to landing pages

42. EXTREME MAKEOVER:EMAIL DESIGN EDITION

43. PIER 1 IMPORTS

44. DESIGN “A”

45. DESIGN “B”

46. DESIGN “C”

47. DESIGN “C”DESIGN “A”DESIGN “B”WHICH DESIGN PERFORMED THE BEST?

48. PIER 1 RESULTSMEASURES: CTR of Delivered Emails Unsubscribe Rate Sales Generated by SubscribersWINNER: Generated 86% More Clicks Than Other Competitors Generated 25% More Sales Than Nearest Competitor

49. WINNER: DESIGN “A”BUT…

50. AAA OHIO

51. DESIGN “A”

52. DESIGN “B”

53. DESIGN “C”

54. DESIGN “B”DESIGN “A”DESIGN “C”WHICH DESIGN PERFORMED THE BEST?

55. AAA OHIO RESULTSMEASURES: CTR of Delivered Emails Projected Renewal RevenueWINNER: Outperformed Control CTR by 26% Outperformed ProjectedRevenue of 2nd Place by 4%

56. WINNER: DESIGN “C”

57. MARKETING EXPERIMENTS

58. DESIGN “A”

59. DESIGN “B”

60. DESIGN “C”

61. DESIGN “C”DESIGN “A”DESIGN “B”WHICH DESIGN PERFORMED THE BEST?

62. MARKETINGEXPERIMENTS RESULTSMEASURES: CTR of Delivered Emails Unsubscribe RateWINNER: Outperformed 2nd Place by < 2% Outperformed Control CTR by 26% Outperformed ControlUnsubscribe Rate by 15.9%

63. WINNER: DESIGN “B”

64. LANDING PAGE TESTSControl:HorizontalVertical

65. 5 THINGS WHITEPAPERTotal Leads Generated: 88Total Leads Generated: 102LIFT: 34% Total Leads Generated:76

66. DESIGN ELEMENTS TESTButtonsvsText> 230 characters< 130 charactersvsImageryvs

67. WINNING COMBINATIAONDESIGN ELEMENTS TESTButtonsvsText> 230 characters< 130 charactersvsImageryvs

68. AS A RESULT

69. Subject LinesSender LinesPersonalizationList SegmentationGreeting Text—ContentGreeting Text—StyleBody Text—ContentBody Text—Style Closing Text—Content Closing Text—Style 11. Images12. Offer / Promotions13. Response Buttons14. Day / Time Sent15. Color 16. Coupons17. Pricing 18. Free Trial 19 HTML vs. Text-Only20. Unsubscribe21. Taglines22. Creative23. Press mentions 24. Store Locations25. Phone Numbers26. Animations 27. Charts28. Strikeouts 29. Signatures30. Testimonials31. Celebrities32. Polls / Surveys33. Call to Action34. Sound35. Numbering36. Themes37. Discounts38. Refer a Friend39. Click to Talk40. Email Sign-up 100s of Potential “Success Factors”TEST, TEST, TEST!Insights gained from testing may be applied to ALL Marketing Channels (TV, Radio, Print, Tradeshows, Web, Email & Search)

70. EXACTTARGET RESOURCES

71. EXACTTARGET DESIGN RESOURCESDesign Tipsfor Outlook 2007Email MarketingDesign & Rendering: The New EssentialsEmail Design ChecklistEmail Designfor Lotus NotesCareerBuilder.comCase Study

72. EXACTTARGET DESIGN RESOURCESDesign Team BlogNew posts weekly!blog.exacttarget.comMarketingExperimentsMaximize Agency ROIthrough testingDesign Team Tweets@ETDesigntwitter.com/etdesign

73. THANKS!QUESTIONS?