Content and Design Best Practices

Creating well-crafted email content is crucial for engagement, deliverability, and inbox placement. Poorly designed or overly promotional emails may trigger spam filters, reducing their chances of reaching recipients. This section covers best practices for content creation, design, personalization, and avoiding spam traps.

Creating Engaging and Relevant Content

• Focus on Value: Ensure your content is useful, informative, or entertaining to the recipient.

• Keep It Concise: Most recipients skim emails, so use short paragraphs, bullet points, and clear headlines.

• Use a Strong Call-to-Action (CTA): Guide recipients on what to do next (e.g., "Download Now," "Sign Up Today").

• Be Conversational: Write as if speaking to a real person—avoid overly formal or robotic language.

• Match Expectations: Ensure your emails align with what subscribers signed up for to prevent complaints.

🚫 Avoid:

• Overloading emails with too much text (makes them hard to read).

• Sending generic, irrelevant content (lowers engagement and increases unsubscribes).

• Using clickbait subject lines (can damage trust and increase spam complaints).

Designing for Deliverability

A well-designed email enhances readability and ensures that it renders correctly across devices and email clients.

Mobile Optimization

• Over 50% of emails are opened on mobile devices—your emails must be mobile-friendly.

• Use a single-column layout for better readability.

• Keep font sizes legible (at least 14px) and use buttons instead of small links for CTAs.

• Ensure images resize properly and load quickly.

Email Formatting

• Keep the email width under 600px for best display across devices.

• Use alt text for images in case they don’t load.

• Avoid using only images—always include text content so that spam filters and users can understand your message.

• Maintain a balanced text-to-image ratio (aim for at least 60% text, 40% images).

🚫 Avoid:

• Embedding videos directly (some email clients don’t support them—use a thumbnail with a link instead).

• Excessive use of large images or heavy attachments (can trigger spam filters or slow load times).

Personalisation and Dynamic Content

Personalized emails are more engaging and less likely to be marked as spam.

Basic Personalisation:

• Use the recipient’s first name in subject lines or greetings.

• Segment emails based on past interactions (e.g., previous purchases, interests).

Advanced Personalisation:

• Use dynamic content to show different offers, images, or messages based on recipient behavior.

• Send behavior-triggered emails (e.g., abandoned cart reminders, birthday offers).

🚫 Avoid:

• Personalization errors (e.g., “Hi [FirstName]”)—test before sending!

• Generic “Dear Customer” greetings—feels impersonal.

Avoiding Spam Triggers in Content

Spam filters analyze email content to determine if it looks suspicious or overly promotional.

Words and Phrases to Avoid

Overuse of words like:

• “Free,” “Act Now,” “Congratulations,” “Winner,” “100% Guarantee”

• Excessive use of all caps (e.g., “LIMITED TIME OFFER!”)

• Too many exclamation marks (e.g., “Hurry!!! Buy Now!!!”)

Formatting Issues That Can Trigger Spam Filters

Red Flags for Spam Filters:

• Overuse of bold, coloured, or very large fonts

• Excessive links or shortened URLs (can look like phishing)

• Too many images with little text (can hide spammy content)

Best Practices:

• Use natural language—write as if you’re talking to a friend.

• Keep formatting simple and professional.

• Balance text and images to appear legitimate.

Testing Email Content (A/B Testing, Previews)

Testing helps improve engagement rates and avoid spam issues.

A/B Testing:

• Test subject lines (e.g., “Reminder: Your Offer Ends Soon” vs. “Exclusive Discount for You”).

• Compare different CTA buttons (e.g., “Learn More” vs. “Get Started”).

• Test email length—shorter vs. longer versions.

Previews & Deliverability Testing:

• Use tools like Litmus, Email on Acid, or your ESP’s preview tool to check how emails look across devices.

• Send test emails to different email clients (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, Apple Mail).

• Check spam scores using tools like Mail Tester or SpamAssassin.

🚫 Avoid:

• Sending without testing—errors or formatting issues may hurt engagement.

• Ignoring mobile previews—if it doesn’t look good on mobile, many users won’t read it.