by 
Campaign Monitor and Really Good Emails teamed up to create this email design checklist to help you design a great looking email campaign that also converts.
This handy infographic checklist contains useful advice to get every part of an email just right, in an easy to read format. To get you started creating great emails we’re taking a deeper look at the different elements of your email campaign in this post, with the free checklist at the end.
Subject Line
The first thing you’re going to need is to get your readers to open your email, and a good start is by keeping your subject line personal and engaging. Subject lines may not be considered a design feature, but as one of the most important pieces of an email, they’re important to understand. The length of your subject line can impact the opens for your email. You want to convey your message, but you don’t want it too long or too short. Ideally, the subject should be around 65 characters to help get your email read.
Personalization
Using data you’ve probably already collected about your subscribers you can personalize your emails for better engagement. Personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to get an email opened. Sure, you can use the first name in the subject line, but what about personalizing the content based on your subscriber’s past purchases or interests? Adding specific details about your subscribers to not only the subject line but the content can help keep your readers engaged with an email tailored to them.
Images
Images add a lot to an email, not only are they interesting they also continue to visually tell the story of the email. You want them to be relevant to your content such as a product or a service that you offer and still be eye-catching. They’re also important to help balance out the text of your email.
Without images, your email would be only text and your readers might lose interest. The images help break up the text and keep your subscribers interested and moving through the content to your call to action.
If you don’t have a lot of images or need more options, you can use stock images. Just be sure to keep your images on brand and pertinent to the email content. They can sometimes overwhelm or distract from the message of your email if they’re not on brand.
Links
Adding links to an email is important because your readers need a way to get to your website, Facebook page, sign up for an event, or download a guide. Links are also part of the statistics that you’ll want to track from your email.
Your email service provider (ESP) will tell you what links are being clicked the most and who’s clicking on them. It’s important to know what your readers are interested in so you can tailor your content to those interests to garner the most engagement. It’s also an easy way to drive traffic to your website or sell products or services. Every email you send should include links, but you need to check each link to ensure they work correctly before you send out your email. Things to look for are does the link go where you want it to, does it have UTM tracking, and is it clear in the email that it’s a clickable link?
Mobile optimization
Mobile devices are everywhere, and here to stay. When you think about someone reading your email, don’t just picture them sitting at a computer. Email opens on mobiles keep going up year after year. In fact, over 68% of email opens occur on mobile. Making your emails mobile-friendly is so important but is also easier than ever by keeping a few things in mind. One of simplest things you can do is use a mobile-friendly template to keep your email looking great no matter what device is used to view it. Your mobile readers have less space to read an email from, so keep your copy short, but be sure to include the important information they need. Image size is important for mobile readers too if your images are small or have a lot of details, these subscribers won’t be able to see much on their small screens.
Spelling/Grammar
It may seem unusual to include this in the list, but spending a little bit of time double checking your work can help prevent embarrassment once the email has been sent. Too often, an email shows up in an inbox with a missing subject line, misspelling or accidental bad grammar that could’ve been avoided. A simple trick to avoid mistakes is to always send a test of your email to at least two other people who can check your email top to bottom, or you can use this handy email preflight checklist.
A/B Testing
After you have a couple of emails sent under your belt, you’ll want to get more information about what your readers like and don’t like in your emails. That’s where testing comes in. From the words in your subject line to the length that works best, A/B split tests will show you what works and what doesn’t. You’ll need to split your list in order to test different components, and the one you decide is the most successful is the one to send.
Most ESPs make this super simple and include it as part of their system.
Wrap up
There are even more helpful tips Really Good Email Design Checklist. Beginning with the subject line of your email, through the images, content, and fonts all the way to the footer, this convenient checklist will help you create the most impressive and effective email ever.
Use this checklist for all your emails and discover just how awesome your email campaigns can be.
Source: The Really Good Email Design Checklist by Campaign Monitor
