17 Email Design Best Practices for Ecommerce in 2026

Studying Time: 11 minutes

Once we consider e-mail design, we frequently consider stunning colours, putting photographs, and classy fonts. Many entrepreneurs assume that simply having stunning emails will add to the gross sales, however what if the reader can’t perceive the e-mail’s message within the first place? It’s easy — they received’t stick round.

One model that understands this completely is Pasignia. This rising ecommerce model improved conversions and income by refining its e-mail design. Jean Pascal places it completely: “Good design is extra than simply wanting fairly. With it, you need to inform the model’s story whereas driving motion.” 

E mail design greatest practices require construction, readability, readability, and intent. Nice e-mail design guides your reader’s eye, helps them perceive the message, and tells them what to do subsequent. The concept is to permit subscribers transition easily from the topic line to the CTA. 

After years of designing, reviewing, and serving to manufacturers craft higher ecommerce emails, I’ve realized what truly works. On this information, I’ll stroll you thru confirmed e-mail design greatest practices I depend on. With the following pointers, you may craft layouts that drive clicks, gross sales, and long-term income.

Why e-mail design issues greater than ever

Visible storytelling is likely one of the best methods to seize consideration on-line. It’s quickly overtaking text-heavy content material, particularly amongst Millennials and Gen Z, who worth aesthetics and visible excellence.

The most effective methods to current your model and ship your message visually is thru e-mail advertising and marketing. Actually, a current report discovered that seven in 10 customers favor speaking with manufacturers through e-mail:

Nonetheless, your subscribers’ inboxes are flooded with emails from competing manufacturers. To face out, you’ll want glorious e-mail design. 

As Rens Robroek, founding father of La Machine Biking Membership, places it:

“You’ve bought to maintain your emails stunning — design actually issues. When a marketing campaign appears to be like nice, folks belief it extra, they usually’re extra prone to click on.”

La Machine, a premium biking model, proves this level completely. Reasonably than including plain product images to its e-mail, the model despatched its product assortment to a photographer in Barcelona to seize golden-hour photographs. 

Its staff then designed an e-mail across the feelings behind that imagery. The outcome was a novel, standout design that resonated with its viewers. 

As Rens says, “Each bike owner goals of driving underneath the Spanish solar. Our imagery faucets into that emotion.”

See how the precise e-mail enhances La Machine’s images with a clear structure, heat colour tones, and a transparent CTA:

Now that we’ve coated why it’s essential to learn to design emails, let’s take a look at the particular e-mail design greatest practices you may observe to construct profitable campaigns. 

17 important e-mail design greatest practices

I’ve seen compelling presents fail merely due to small design selections. A cluttered structure or misplaced button can negatively have an effect on your marketing campaign’s efficiency. One of the best ways to create layouts that improve engagement and conversions is to observe the e-mail design greatest practices under.

1. Construct an e-mail design system

I not design emails from scratch, and neither do you have to. Creating reusable e-mail blocks saves you time, retains your emails constant, and builds model recognition. With a little bit of tweaking, you may repurpose these components to suit every e-mail marketing campaign.

Listed below are some important components to incorporate in your e-mail design structure:

• Header blocks with emblem 
• Hero blocks for headlines or presents
• Product blocks with picture, worth, and CTA
• Textual content blocks for brief explanations
• Evaluate or testimonial blocks for social proof

It can save you layouts and content material blocks with Omnisend’s intuitive drag-and-drop editor. Right here’s a fast take a look at how Omnisend’s e-mail builder works:

Should you’d fairly see how a design system comes collectively, this walkthrough exhibits methods to construct reusable e-mail blocks, preserve layouts constant, and make fast edits with out ranging from scratch. It’s a sensible demo you may observe alongside the ideas on this information:

2. Make your emails mobile-first

In line with a recent study, 41% of consumers open emails on their telephones. If the emails are onerous to learn or load slowly, they’ll ignore and even delete them. 

The most effective e-mail design practices to keep away from that is to create mobile-first layouts. This implies designing emails that don’t simply look good but in addition load shortly on smaller screens.

A mobile-friendly e-mail design often consists of:

• Single-column layouts 
• Massive, tappable buttons 
• Gentle email images that load quick 
• Brief topic traces and replica

This e-mail from Nguyen Espresso Provide is a superb instance of a mobile-first design:

Cell-first isn’t only a nice-to-have — it’s the distinction between an e-mail that will get learn and one which will get deleted. This quick video exhibits the quickest cellular checks to run earlier than you ship, so your structure, textual content, and CTAs keep friction-free on smaller screens:

3. Use one clear CTA

I see many manufacturers cluttering their emails with a number of CTA buttons. Once you give prospects 5 totally different selections, they find yourself selecting none as a result of they really feel confused. 

To drive clicks and conversions, you need to use a single CTA that tells your prospects precisely what step to take. Use a big, shiny, and visual button with clear copy, reminiscent of “Get Early Entry” or “Store the Drop.”

This e-mail from Rael does exactly that. I really like the way it provides readers one clear path to observe with a single, distinguished “Enroll Now” CTA:

4. Construct each e-mail round one main aim

Earlier than designing something, I ask myself: “What do I need my readers to do after studying this e-mail?” The reply turns into the aim of my design.

When your e-mail has a single clear aim, your design turns into extra centered and extra prone to convert. 

Listed below are some e-mail design tricks to construct goal-driven campaigns:

• Write compelling copy that aligns along with your goal
• Help your aim with clear visuals
• Take away something that distracts from the principle message

5. Maintain your e-mail header easy

Your email header units the tone for your complete design. If it’s outsized or cluttered, it would distract your prospects from the principle message.

In my expertise, easy headers work greatest, and this method is in keeping with all e-mail design greatest practices I’ve encountered. You need your header to seize consideration and set expectations with out overwhelming the reader.

An incredible instance is that this header from Cheeky Bonsai. It solely consists of the model’s emblem and a easy heading:

6. Use white area to information consideration

Once you overcrowd your e-mail design, it turns into troublesome for readers to scan your e-mail or perceive your message.

One of many e-mail design greatest practices I observe to keep away from that is utilizing white area strategically. White area attracts your buyer’s consideration to the principle message, making it simpler to learn, particularly on small screens.

The Sunday Collective makes use of white area successfully in its e-mail. It guides the reader’s eye and achieves a clear, polished structure:

7. Create a transparent visible hierarchy

When a buyer opens your e-mail, they need to know the place to look first with out having to look. That’s why constructing a transparent visible hierarchy is likely one of the best e-mail design greatest practices you need to observe. 

A transparent hierarchy guides the reader’s eye by means of the e-mail and helps them perceive your message. The secret’s to make use of dimension, colour, and placement to differentiate headlines, physique textual content, and buttons.

I really like how this e-mail from Verb makes use of daring typography, contrasting colours, and a logical circulate to information its readers:

8. Optimize for Darkish Mode

Darkish Mode flips white backgrounds to black to scale back eye pressure. Should you don’t design for it, your visuals and textual content might turn out to be troublesome to see or learn on a darkish background. 

Optimizing for Darkish Mode is likely one of the most vital e-mail design greatest practices you need to keep in mind. This entails utilizing clear logos and pictures, checking textual content for distinction, and avoiding purely black backgrounds. 

You should utilize Omnisend’s e-mail builder to preview and optimize your emails for Darkish Mode earlier than sending:

9. At all times preserve accessibility in thoughts

Accessibility is likely one of the e-mail design greatest practices I by no means skip as a result of it helps drive conversions and engagement. Everybody, together with folks with visible or motor challenges, ought to be capable to learn your e-mail simply. 

Listed below are a few of the greatest e-mail design practices for enhancing accessibility:

• Use clear, readable email fonts 
• Leverage intense, contrasting colours
• Write quick sentences and paragraphs 
• Add alt textual content to pictures
• Use clear, descriptive hyperlinks and buttons

10. Incorporate user-generated content material

Nothing builds confidence faster than genuine evaluations, images, and quotes from actual prospects who’ve tried your product. That is a type of e-mail design greatest practices that helps scale back purchaser hesitation, improve belief, and maximize conversions with proof. 

For the most effective outcomes, place user-generated content material strategically so it stands out. Tie it to what the reader ought to do subsequent, reminiscent of claiming a proposal or studying extra.

I like this e-mail instance from Onsen as a result of it doesn’t oversell. It lets genuine buyer voices do the speaking. It additionally features a clear CTA:

11. Personalize the place doable

The most effective e-mail design practices that persistently improves efficiency is email personalization. Once you communicate on to your prospects’ wants, they really feel valued and concentrate.

Even small private touches, reminiscent of utilizing prospects’ names in topic traces or e-mail copy, can go away a superb impression. To go additional, you may tailor content material to your subscribers’ conduct, reminiscent of previous purchases or searching historical past.

Bowy Made makes use of Omnisend to run common A/B assessments on topic traces, reductions, and timing. The outcomes show that personalization is efficient. As Dallas from Bowy Made shared, a topic line like “Jessica, you left one thing behind” transformed 5-10% higher than a generic one. 

Right here’s an instance of a customized welcome e-mail I bought from Bowy, despatched instantly after signing up:

12. Design for skimming

Most prospects received’t learn your emails phrase for phrase. That’s why making a skimmable e-mail is among the many essential e-mail design greatest practices I by no means skip. 

It helps readers scan for key phrases, daring headlines, photographs, and buttons to know your message shortly. This leads to extra clicks, conversions, and email marketing ROI. 

I really like how this e-mail from Brez makes use of clear headlines, high-quality visuals, and bullet factors to enhance scannability: 

13. Use web-safe fonts

You might be tempted to make use of fashionable customized fonts, but when your buyer’s e-mail app doesn’t assist them, your design will break. In case your emails are troublesome to learn, prospects will ignore them, leading to decrease engagement and conversions. 

That’s why I follow email-safe fonts that load quick, show accurately throughout units and e-mail apps, and enhance readability. Examples of email-safe fonts embody: 

• Arial
• Helvetica
• Georgia
• Verdana
• Occasions New Roman
• Trebuchet MS
• Courier New
• Tahoma

14. Add motion with GIFs 

A little bit of movement can seize consideration faster than a static picture. For this reason I embody GIFs in my e-mail design greatest practices.

When used proper, GIFs information the attention, spotlight key components, and add character to your design with out overwhelming the reader.

Right here’s methods to add GIFs to your emails accurately:

• Maintain them quick and easy
• Guarantee they assist your key message
• Use small file sizes to make sure quick loading

I really like how this Nice Jones e-mail makes use of a easy GIF to spotlight the product with out distracting prospects from the message:

15. Be daring along with your visuals

In my expertise, delicate design doesn’t at all times seize consideration in crowded inboxes. To cease prospects from scrolling, you want daring visuals that stand out immediately.

This helps you create an expertise that goes past phrases. You should utilize daring visuals for product launches or particular bulletins to evoke a selected emotion. 

See how Bored Cow makes use of a vibrant, attractive picture to speak its product’s style even earlier than you learn a single phrase:

16. Don’t overlook your footer

Including an email footer is a crucial a part of e-mail design greatest practices as a result of it enhances belief and guides your readers’ subsequent steps. I consider it as the ultimate place to catch a reader’s curiosity earlier than they shut my e-mail. 

When including a footer, listed here are some greatest practices for e-mail design to observe:

• Add clear navigation hyperlinks and social media icons
• Embody model particulars and make contact with choices
• At all times add an unsubscribe hyperlink and your privateness coverage

This e-mail footer from Verb consists of the important data above. Nonetheless, what I really like most is the clear buttons that urge the reader to discover the model extra: 

17. A/B check for greatest outcomes

I’ve realized that even probably the most stunning designs can fail for those who’re writing emails based mostly solely on guesswork. A/B testing is likely one of the strongest e-mail advertising and marketing greatest practices to disclose your readers’ preferences.

You simply despatched out two variations of an e-mail design to a small group. Then, see which one will get extra opens, clicks, and conversions. Some design components you may check embody: 

• Topic traces
• CTAs
• Layouts
• Photographs

An incredible instance of profitable A/B testing is from CA Design. The model continually assessments and refines messaging types to extend open and click-through charges. 

“We continually tweak our messaging based mostly on open charges, click-through charges, and unsubscribe charges. If one thing works, we double down on it,” Harry explains.

By testing, the staff found that textual content hyperlinks drove over 5 % clicks, in comparison with 1.5% from button-heavy emails.

Why the most effective e-mail design feels easy 

One of the best e-mail design must be simple to learn and perceive. This places the reader in a greater place to make choices. Every thing out of your message and visuals to your CTA guides the client’s consideration and helps them take motion simply.

By following the confirmed e-mail design greatest practices above, you make it simple for readers to see your model’s worth. Furthermore, the important thing to raised engagement, clicks, and conversions is to check and refine your designs persistently.

Begin by making use of as many greatest practices as doable and watch your outcomes enhance!

And only a small addendum in your comfort, when creating your distinctive emails, don’t overlook to save custom email design templates as properly. You by no means know, once you come to wish them.

If you need a deeper, step-by-step watch during, this webinar pulls the important thing rules collectively — structure, hierarchy, CTAs, and testing — and exhibits methods to apply them in actual ecommerce e-mail design workflows. It’s an incredible companion for those who’re constructing a repeatable design course of for campaigns and automations.

E mail design greatest practices FAQ