In the mobile age, your sales emails are your digital storefront. Make sure it's a storefront that impresses!
A mobile-friendly email can significantly enhance user experience, improve open rates, and increase conversions. But how do you ensure your emails are mobile-optimized? Here are some best practices to help you create sales emails that shine on mobile screens.
1. Keep Your Subject Lines Short and Sweet
The subject line is the first thing a recipient sees in their inbox. On mobile devices, however, screen space is limited, which means you only have a few words to grab their attention. Ideally, subject lines should be 30-40 characters long to ensure they’re fully visible. This small but significant tweak ensures your message doesn’t get cut off, making it more likely to be opened.
Pro Tip: Make the subject line compelling by using curiosity, urgency, or a clear value proposition. For example: “Boost Your Sales Today” or “Exclusive Offer Inside!”
2. Use a Responsive Design
Responsive email design automatically adjusts the layout of your email based on the size of the screen it’s being viewed on. This ensures that your email looks great whether viewed on a mobile, tablet, or desktop.
Optimize images: Resize images to ensure they load quickly and fit within the layout.
Adjust font sizes: On mobile, smaller fonts can be difficult to read. Use a minimum font size of 14px for body text and at least 22px for headings.
By using a responsive email template, you ensure that your content is presented clearly, no matter what device your recipient is using.
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3. Prioritize the Preheader Text
The preheader text is the snippet that follows the subject line in an email inbox. This text is just as important as the subject line, and on mobile devices, it often gets more prominence than the subject line itself.
Make sure the preheader text is informative and supportive of your subject line. Avoid repeating the subject line word-for-word, and instead, use this space to provide more context or spark curiosity.
Example:
Subject line: “Unlock 20% Off Your Next Purchase”
Preheader text: “Limited-time offer on all products – Don’t miss out!”
4. Simplify the Email Structure
When it comes to mobile-friendly sales emails, simplicity is key. Mobile screens are small, and lengthy emails with too much text can overwhelm recipients. Break down your content into digestible sections with clear headings and short paragraphs.
Use bullet points or numbered lists to make the content easier to scan. In fact, readers on mobile devices tend to skim emails, so keeping the message brief and to the point is crucial.
Example of a simple layout:
Introduction: 2-3 sentences introducing your offer.
Features or Benefits: 3-4 bullet points that highlight key points.
Call-to-Action (CTA): A prominent button or link for easy navigation.
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5. Make Your CTA Button Big and Bold
Your call-to-action (CTA) is the most critical part of your sales email. On mobile devices, people tend to click on things quickly, but small CTA buttons are difficult to press accurately, especially on smaller screens.
To avoid this, make sure your CTA button is large, easy to read, and clickable. It should also stand out visually, using contrasting colors that are in harmony with your email’s overall design.
Pro Tip: Make the CTA button text action-oriented, such as “Shop Now,” “Get Started,” or “Claim Your Offer.”
6. Test for Mobile Load Speed
Slow-loading emails are a surefire way to lose potential customers. Mobile users expect fast, seamless experiences, and a slow-loading email can lead to frustration and a higher bounce rate.
To avoid this, make sure your images are properly optimized. Compress image files without sacrificing quality, and use the appropriate image file formats (JPEG, PNG) for faster loading.
Test your email on different mobile devices before sending it out to ensure it loads quickly and looks great on all screens.
7. Avoid Long, Cluttered Text
On a mobile device, long paragraphs can be overwhelming and difficult to read. Keep your text short and concise. Aim for 2-3 sentences per paragraph, and leave plenty of white space around each section.
Use a scannable format: short, punchy sentences, subheadings, and well-placed CTAs make your email easier to read and more likely to be acted upon.
8. Leverage Personalization
Mobile users are more likely to engage with content that feels relevant to them. Personalization helps to make the experience feel more direct and engaging.
Include dynamic content like the recipient's name or past purchase behavior within your email to create a sense of relevance. For example:
“Hi [First Name], we’ve got a special offer just for you!”
Personalized emails often lead to higher open and click-through rates, making this a crucial part of your mobile email strategy.
9. Use Minimalist and Clean Design
The simpler, the better. Mobile devices require an email design that is easy to read, easy to navigate, and doesn’t distract the recipient from the main message.
Stick to a simple color scheme: Too many colors can be overwhelming on small screens.
Limit the use of fonts: Too many fonts can make your email look cluttered. Use 2-3 fonts at most.
Avoid complex layouts: Mobile screens have limited space, so complex grids or multi-column layouts may break and appear messy.
A clean and minimalist design enhances the overall mobile experience and increases the likelihood of your email getting the attention it deserves.
10. Ensure Easy-to-Click Links
On mobile devices, links are often clicked using fingers, which means they need to be large enough to tap without making mistakes. Avoid placing links too close to each other, as this could result in accidental clicks.
Space out links so they’re easy to tap.
Use descriptive anchor text instead of generic phrases like “Click here.”
This ensures that recipients can easily navigate to the next step, whether it’s making a purchase, visiting your website, or downloading a resource.
11. Test Across Devices and Platforms
Email clients vary across devices, so testing your email design on multiple platforms is essential. Ensure your email looks good across various email clients, including Gmail, Apple Mail, and Outlook, as well as on different devices like Android and iOS.
Use email testing tools to preview how your email will appear on different devices and browsers. This helps you identify any potential issues before hitting send.
12. Don’t Forget Alt Text for Images
Images are often blocked by default in many email clients, so adding alt text is essential for users who might not see your images immediately. Alt text also plays a role in accessibility for users with visual impairments.
Be descriptive with your alt text and ensure it provides context to the images in your email. For example:
Alt text: “Our best-selling product on sale now!”
13. Keep the Unsubscribe Option Visible
While you want to ensure your email gets opened and acted upon, it’s also important to make it easy for recipients to opt out if they wish. A visible unsubscribe link is crucial for maintaining a healthy sender reputation and staying compliant with regulations like GDPR.
Place the unsubscribe link at the bottom of your email but ensure it’s easy to find for those who may want to unsubscribe.
14. Be Consistent with Branding
Consistency in branding across all your communication is key. Ensure your sales emails reflect your brand’s tone, style, and values. A recognizable email style will make it easier for your audience to identify and engage with your messages.
Use your brand’s colors, fonts, and logo in the email design to make your message instantly recognizable. This consistency helps build trust and recognition over time.
15. Utilize Clear and Relevant Visuals
Visuals can make a huge difference in mobile emails, but they must be relevant and enhance the message. Avoid overloading your emails with too many images, as this can lead to slow load times and distract from the main message. Instead, use high-quality visuals that are directly related to your content and offer value to the recipient.
For example, instead of generic stock images, use product photos, infographics, or charts that reinforce your offer or demonstrate the value of your services. This not only makes your email more engaging but also increases the likelihood of the recipient taking action.
16. Implement A/B Testing for Mobile Emails
Just like with desktop email campaigns, A/B testing is an important tool to ensure your mobile sales emails are performing at their best. Test different elements such as subject lines, CTAs, image placement, or even different layouts to see what works best for your mobile audience.
Run tests with small segments of your audience, measure the results, and optimize accordingly. This data-driven approach helps you refine your email strategy and ensures you're delivering the best possible experience to mobile users.
17. Include Social Sharing Buttons
Social sharing buttons allow recipients to easily share your email with their network, increasing the reach and potential impact of your email campaign. On mobile devices, ensure these buttons are large enough to be tapped without difficulty and are placed where they won’t interfere with the main message.
Ensuring that your sales emails are optimized for mobile devices is crucial for engaging your audience and driving conversions. By following these best practices, you can ensure your emails look great, are easy to read, and have a higher chance of achieving the desired results.