In today’s digital landscape, effective communication remains a cornerstone of success. Although it is the most ignored, emails are one of the most powerful communication tools. Unfortunately, emails are often overlooked as they seem outdated. However, it is not the case. Through well-crafted emails, online store owners can realise a noticeable increase in engagement and sales.
The emphasis here is on ‘well-crafted’. What constitutes a well-crafted email? Is it the design, main body text, or use of infographics? This is precisely what we plan to discuss in this article. We will share the best practices for creating engaging eCommerce email templates. Of course, there are other ways to scale your eCommerce business’s performance, including defining your target audience.
Before we talk about the steps and best practices for creating compelling email templates, we need to understand what eCommerce email templates are. It ensures that everyone understands what they are and how they can help store owners achieve their objectives.
Understanding eCommerce Email Templates
The simplest way to understand email templates is that they are pre-designed structures which help store owners send a consistent and professional email to the audience. Since they are pre-designed, it saves the store owner considerable time and resources. Of course, store owners can customise the templates to suit their unique requirements.
You may be wondering where to get these templates from, right? Well, you can find them on marketplaces. For example, if you are looking for an email template for your Magento store, you can find them on Adobe Commerce Marketplace. Alternatively, you can ask a Magento development company to create one for you. Likewise, there’s a dedicated marketplace for WordPress, Shopify, and other platforms.
Types of eCommerce Email Templates
- Welcome Templates
This is the first email that your users will receive after signing up with your store. We would like to bring your attention to the old saying, ‘first impression is the last impression’ to highlight the welcome email’s importance. Therefore, it is imperative that your welcome email be as engaging as possible.
After all, it will determine how the customer moves forward. Depending on your eCommerce platform, you can find countless solutions online. For example, Magento store owners can search for welcome templates on the marketplace or have a Magento development company design one for them.
- Cart Abandonment Templates
The global cart abandonment rate is more than 70% as you can see below.
Source: Statista
A cart abandonment email’s purpose is to convince the user to complete the purchase. This can be done through various ways, including incentivising them. For example, you can offer them a discount or loyalty points. Alternatively, the email can just be a simple reminder for the user to go through with the purchase.
- Transaction Templates
These emails are sent to the customer after triggering a specific action. For example, a user has completed a purchase. Afterward, they will receive a transaction email detailing the products bought, price, delivery date, time, and other details. Other examples include hitting the password reset button or forgot username.
- Customer Feedback
Competition in the eCommerce world is at an all-time high. Given the growing trend of online shopping, this competition will not reduce any time soon. One way to stay ahead of the competition is by exceeding user expectations. Store owners can achieve it by obtaining customer feedback regarding the products, customer service, and other aspects of the store. A customer feedback template can be sent automatically after a user triggers a specific action such as completing a purchase, engaging the customer service department, or abandoning the cart.
Designing the Perfect Email Template
Of course, every email template type requires a different approach. Nevertheless, there are certain common points for each. This is what we’ll focus on in detail.
- Responsive Design
Your target audience will be viewing the emails on different devices e.g. mobile, tablets, or a desktop. Therefore, the first recommendation is to ensure the email has a responsive design. If users cannot read your emails properly on mobile devices, imagine the disappointment. On top of it, you’ll be wasting resources without getting anything meaningful in return. Hence, test your email template across different devices before finalising it.
- Use Common Text Fonts
Unfortunately, to stand out, marketers use stylish fonts. The problem is that these fonts are quite hard to read. This impacts the user experience. From the store owner’s perspective, they won’t be able to get their message across. Therefore, it is best to stick to tried and tested fonts such as Arial or Times New Roman. Google offers the following fonts.
Source: Gmail
- Image Optimisation
If you wish to include images in the template, don’t forget to optimise them. All of us have experienced images that are too large or small to view properly. When adding images, don’t forget to add the alt text. For the best experience, include images in the next-gen format.
- Solid Colour Background
Based on our experience, we don’t recommend a picture background unless there’s no other option to get the message across. We always recommend solid colour backgrounds because it helps the user read the email without any hassle.
- Stick to HTML 4 and CSS 2
Yes, we know that these are not the latest formats. But what you need to realise is that most email clients do not yet support HTML 5 and CSS 3. Thus, if your template is based on the latest versions, they won’t load correctly on older clients. This can affect the user experience and even impact your store’s reputation.
- Consider Using Gifs
To stand out from the competition, consider using Gifs. They can be a great way to grab the user attention. For example, if you are offering a sale or a discount, make sure to include this information in the Gif. The reason is that whenever a user opens an email, the Gif is the first element their eyes will focus on.
- Design for Accessibility
Designing for accessibility is not just a moral responsibility but a great way to boost your store’s sales. Apart from that, it can enhance your brand’s image. When it comes to accessibility, keep various points in mind, including:
- Add Alt Text to Images
- Don’t Include the Most Important Information in the Images
- Use Headings to Separate the Sections
- Use Descriptive URLs
Of course, there’s a lot more which can be done to improve the template’s accessibility. These points will point you in the right direction and you can improve on them as per your requirements/resources.
- Don’t Include JavaScript
Email clients do not support JavaScript due to a variety of reasons. The primary reason is the security. Cybercriminals can execute malicious code by hiding it in the JavaScript. Similarly, user privacy can be compromised as tracking codes can be implemented in the JavaScript. This gives an idea when, where, and how a user interacts with the email. Therefore, don’t use JavaScript in the email at all!
Refer to ‘5 Types of Cybercrimes and How to Prevent Them’ for enhanced security.
- Design for Dark and Light Modes
Users have different preferences regarding how they use their devices. For instance, some prefer to turn on the dark mode, while others opt for the light mode. Instead of focusing on which is better, eCommerce store owners must cater to the requirements of both. In other words, the email must be viewable and interactive on both modes for enhanced user experience.
- Use Padding
Just like HTML 5 and CSS 3, older email clients are ineffective in handling CSS properties. For example, if you add margins to the email template, older email clients won’t be able to load them correctly. It will lead to out of place elements, meaning the email is incomprehensible. To avoid such a situation, it is best to use padding. This helps create the necessary space between the elements, allowing for easier reading.
Final Thoughts on eCommerce Email Templates
This concludes our article on the steps and best practices for creating the perfect eCommerce email template. While this article points you in the right direction, you need to make concentrated efforts for greater effectiveness. Engage your target audience and conduct competitor research to determine what works best for you.
