Responsive design is becoming more and more important in the field of email marketing. With over 50% of emails being opened on mobile devices, it's time to focus your newsletter's design on the smaller screen.
Here are four tips to get you started.
1. Start with mobile.
A responsive email will adapt to a smaller screen and become a 1 column layout. Start by designing this 1 column layout to look great on a mobile device and adjust that to a 2 column desktop version.
Mobile device screens range from 320px (Iphone) to 480px. Plan for these varying widths. Allow your columns to shrink or expand and for your images to be either a fixed value or 100% of the screen. We know you want your marketing piece to render correctly on all devices, but that you don't want to sacrafice quality. For a healthy balance between desktop and mobile, we recommend a 600px template width.
2. Keep it simple.
Remember from above, a responsive email will adapt to a smaller screen and become a 1 column layout. If you have too much content, your recipients will be scrolling for days trying to read every article. Put your call to action and the most important, relevant info at the top. We’re all busy (which is why we’re checking emails on our phones) so give your recipients what they want and let them move on with their day
3. Pick your battles.
Gmail doesn't support responsive techniques. Make sure there are not major formatting issues but if it doesn't look like your responsive design, don't lose your mind. By building a responsive email, you're now providing up to 50% more of your recipients with an optimized viewing experience.
4. Follow up with your responsive emails.
It may be a good idea to reach out to some of your key mobile recipients to see what they thought of your new responsive emails. There is a sweet spot you'll need to find between too much and not enough content for mobile emails. Track the feedback and make sure you are giving the people what they want.
