E-mail Template Best Practice Cheatsheet

Creating professional email templates can be challenging, but following best practices will ensure that your emails are responsive, accessible, and effective. Whether you’re working with platforms like Mailchimp, SendGrid, or ActiveCampaign, or coding from scratch, this cheatsheet will guide you through the essentials.

Responsive Design

Ensuring your email is mobile-friendly is crucial. With more than 50% of emails being opened on mobile devices in 2024, responsiveness isn’t optional—it’s mandatory.

• Use tables: Stick with table-based layouts for consistency across email clients.
• Set widths in percentages: Use percentage-based widths (e.g., <table width="100%">) to allow elements to adapt to various screen sizes.
• Media queries: Leverage CSS media queries to adjust font sizes, padding, and layout elements for mobile devices.
• Test across devices: Test your template on a variety of screen sizes and email clients to ensure the design adapts properly.

Example:

@media only screen and (max-width: 600px) {
  .container {
    width: 100% !important;
    padding: 20px;
  }
}

Accessibility

Make your emails accessible to everyone, including individuals using screen readers or those with visual impairments.

• Alt text for images: Ensure all images have meaningful alt attributes to describe the content.
• Readable fonts: Use clear, legible fonts like Arial, Verdana, or sans-serif at a minimum of 14px.
• High contrast: Make sure text contrasts well against the background for better readability (e.g., dark text on a light background).
• Use semantic HTML: Leverage proper heading tags (<h1>, <h2>, etc.) and lists (<ul>, <ol>, <li>) to improve readability for screen readers.

Accessibility Checklist:

• Alt text on all images.
• Font sizes and contrasts tested.
• Logical tab order for interactive elements.

Email HTML & CSS Guidelines

Unlike websites, email clients don’t fully support modern web standards. Stick to these guidelines to ensure your emails render properly across all major clients:

• Inline CSS: Avoid external stylesheets and use inline CSS for styling.
• Avoid JavaScript: JavaScript isn’t supported in most email clients, so never rely on it for functionality.
• Use <table> for layout: Email clients still prefer table-based layouts over div and grid systems.
• Set a fallback font: Always specify a web-safe fallback font (e.g., font-family: Arial, sans-serif;).

Example:

<table role="presentation" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
  <tr>
    <td style="padding: 20px;">
      <h1 style="font-size: 24px;">Welcome to Our Newsletter</h1>
      <p style="font-size: 16px;">Thanks for signing up!</p>
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>

Image Optimization

Images play a huge role in email design, but if not optimized correctly, they can slow down loading times or appear broken.

• Optimize file size: Compress your images before using them to keep your email lightweight. Aim for images under 1MB.
• Use the right format: Stick to formats like JPEG for photos, PNG for logos, and GIFs for animations.
• Set alt text: Always include alt text as a fallback when images don’t load.

Image Best Practices Checklist:

• Compress images for quick loading.
• Ensure images scale responsively with your template.
• Include meaningful alt text.

Call-to-Action (CTA)

Your CTA is one of the most critical components of your email. Make it clear, concise, and prominent.

• Button design: Use bulletproof buttons (buttons built with HTML and CSS instead of relying on images) for reliable rendering.
• Use contrasting colors: Ensure your CTA button stands out with a contrasting color from the rest of the email.
• Placement: Place the CTA in a visible spot, preferably near the top of your email, but don’t hesitate to repeat it further down.

Example:

<table role="presentation" width="100%">
  <tr>
    <td style="text-align: center; padding: 20px;">
      <a href="https://example.com" style="background-color: #f39c12; color: white; padding: 15px 25px; text-decoration: none; font-size: 18px; border-radius: 5px;">
        Start Now
      </a>
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>

Testing & Debugging

Once your email is designed, it’s essential to test and debug across different email clients and devices.

• Use testing tools: Tools like Litmus and Email on Acid provide previews of how your email will render across different platforms.
• Check spam filters: Test your email content against common spam filters to ensure your email doesn’t land in the junk folder.
• Test for load time: Make sure your email loads quickly, especially on mobile devices.

Conclusion

Mastering email template best practices can make your marketing campaigns more effective and ensure they reach your audience effectively. By following these tips, you’ll create emails that are responsive, accessible, and optimized for conversions.

Have more questions or tips to share? Contact me and I’ll get them added!