How to Create a Mobile-Friendly Newsletter to Engage Customers

Email communication has come a long way since 1971 when the first email was sent. Since then, people have been using email to communicate over distances, for marketing and advertising purposes, for requesting information, applying for jobs, etc.  Today, we interact with hundreds of emails every day, and with the increase in mobile usage, almost 85% of users use their phones to access emails.

This is why your newsletter must be optimized for mobile devices. Consumers do not have much time and will instantly delete an email if it takes too long to load or display properly.

So adhering to customer demands, it is essential to optimize your newsletter for mobile so subscribers can easily view and display all content.

Think About Mobile-First Design

Now that most customers open their emails on their mobile phones, marketers are approaching the creation of mobile-optimized emails differently. Instead of creating a desktop version first and optimizing it for mobiles, many email marketers directly create a mobile-first design. This means building just one design that is going to fit mobile screens. This way, you won’t have to rework some aspects in your email to fit for a mobile view.

A mobile-first design also enables a better user experience overall for desktop users. Often email marketers have to sacrifice some elements that would look on the desktop view to make the email more suitable for mobile use. So use newsletter software that allows you to build a mobile-first responsive design.

Go Easy On Photos

Images can indeed make a newsletter attractive and engage customers in a better way. However, one thing to remember is that photos can take a long time to download. If your newsletter features multiple images, it will not load, causing visitors to exit it. Additionally, if your email has a bunch of pictures, the chances are that they may be displayed as chunks of white space in your Android phones.

Also, remember that many customers may use a 3G or a 4G connection that is relatively slower than a WiFi connection, and hence large images may take longer to load.

One solution is to use small images or shrink your large images by 50%. You can also try compressing them to conserve your visitor’s bandwidth.

Provide A Distinct CTA Button

It goes without saying that all your emails should have a clear CTA display on either the top or bottom of the email to prompt an action. However, your CTA should be bigger and bold when optimizing your email or newsletter for mobile devices. Remember, it is harder to click on it with fingers than a mouse if you have a smaller font or a smaller CTA. Therefore, a 40 x 40 pixel for a CTA seems fine.

This is why using a different color or a symbol makes your CTA button stand out. Also, using a creative prompt like “do not miss out on this” or “learn more about this service” will encourage people to click.

Secondly, avoid using too many CTA’s. It is unnecessary, and customers are likely to abandon the act if they see too many CTA’s on one page.

Use Large Fonts

Font size can significantly impact the readability of your email newsletters. For example, an 11-pixel font may be fine for desktop users; however, it is displayed much smaller on mobile devices. Unfortunately, this means that your customers must zoom in on the content to read it. It not only strains their eyes, but they might trash it or, worse, unsubscribe from your newsletter.

There are certain things to keep in mind when you’re deciding the font size and type for your newsletter:

• Choose a font that is relevant to your target audience. (A Sans typeface is usually preferred for more formal businesses)
• Avoid mixing up two types of fonts on the same page
• Leave paragraph breaks to avoid large chunks of text

Choose A Background That’s Easy To Read

A suitable background color is very important for your email to make it easy for your readers to read on mobile. For example, using a white background or any other light background with black text is easy for people to read than a bright or dark background.

The bright color competes with the dark text, putting unusual strain on the eyes, while a white background gives off a clean and simple vibe.

To Conclude

If done right, email newsletters can be the most effective tool in your marketing kit. However, you cannot expect to engage with subscribers if their user experience isn’t optimized. Understand your customers and their needs. If they’re using mobile devices to open your newsletter, it is essential to leave a lasting impression on them and deliver high-quality, responsive designs to them.