Despite the fact that inbound marketing is hot and that we live in social media times, e-mail marketing is still crucial. In fact, in a world where the cross-channel customer rules, it should be integrated with social media and other channels, to interact with consumers the way they want.

Inbound or outbound: it doesn't really matter, as long as it's relevant, cross-channel and customer-centric.

In fact, I do not see e-mail marketing as being outbound marketing, permission is still required and the outgoing messages are not more important than the incoming streams and data.

In this post I would like to talk about e-mail template design. Probably not an important issue for many marketers who are looking - and they should - at topics such as content, personalization, measurement, deliverability, integration, conversion etc.

Yet, the design of an e-mail template is very important. And it also has to do with relevance and customer-centricity.

It’s a representation of your brand and plays an important role in getting your e-mails in the inbox. Despite the increasing and very justified focus on the recipient and the relevance of the content in e-mail marketing, one should not forget the basics. And one of them is indeed the design of your mails, whether they are promotional or automated in the case of lead nurturing scenarios.

E-mail marketing and the good old KISS principle

In e-mail marketing, simple is often better. The KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle rules when it comes down to the design of e-mail templates.

Of course the design of an e-mail is important, from a usability, efficiency and branding viewpoint but in the end design is not the main component in conversion. If you respect the real basics (don’t put your call-to-action in an image, take care of the pre-header, respect the width, check how the e-mail looks in the preview pane or use a tool like Litmus, adapt for mobile devices if you allow your recipients to get mobile emails, make sure there is a strong visual link between e-mail and landing page etc.) it all boils down to the title of Steve Krug his lovely, simple and great book: “Don’t make me think”. Design is function of conversion and conversion is function of user experience, both from a content and usability viewpoint.

Let’s look at some more design tips (and, as always, please comment and add yours) that you might want to keep in mind when designing an email template.

Be original in your e-mail design but remember the basics

Is there a business that doesn’t use e-mail marketing? There is a good chance that your recipients are on various others e-mail lists too.

Distance yourself from others by being original and different. As marketing expert Seth Godin would say, be a 'Purple Cow'. Stand out and you will be rewarded with increased attention. Of course, this does not mean you should forget the basics.

Grab attention the proper way

The purpose of your e-mail template design is not to impress people, but to grab their attention. Once you have caught their eye, it is the job of your content to do the rest. Do not let design indulgences make their way into your template: stick to simple, effective design and make sure your content is visible.

Copy sells, design does too, but not if it's over the top. Unfortunately for designers, there is a reason why some people still prefer clear text to flashy and impressive page design.

When forced to decide between one or the other, choose visible and effective copy over slick and polished design.

Have a clear call to action

Scan over your e-mails to see conversion killers, and ensure that they are removed from the final product. Reduce your page to its most basic elements and see if your call to action is still there.

If it is not, invest in a new template design and do not send anything without a clear visual purpose. The call to action must be several times in the e-mail but (and this is a basic) it absolutely should be visible in the preview pane of the inbox!

E-mail marketing is part of a process

Opt-in submissions are not the goal, and nor is a 100% read e-mail. The goal is conversion, interaction and value. If that means sacrificing a design element that you enjoy, then so be it.

Effective marketing requires being occasionally ruthless; if you see a page element that you enjoy, a design trait that you appreciate, or an on-page detail that you think looks cool which adds nothing to conversions or the value of your e-mail for the recipient, remove it.