Email Layout Tips to Improve Your Email Design

There are plenty of ways you can use emails to help you increase your conversion rate.

For example, you might want to craft emails that target each stage of the customer journey. Or, you might want to include images and videos in the email body. Good emails have an email layout that has been thoroughly tested and found to meet the needs of the target market.

If you want to create the best email designs, what are a few of the most important points that you should keep in mind? Take a look at a few key points below to help you craft the best email layout.

Why email layout and design are important

Your email layout affects more than just your bottom line. The way you design your emails shapes how people perceive your brand and whether they'll engage with your content. Here are the key reasons why email design matters:

Brand identity

You need to ensure that your emails are a good fit with your brand identity. If you do not have a strong brand identity, a customer or potential new subscriber will have a hard time relating to your company.

Your email design should match the look and feel of your website, social media, and other marketing materials. This means using the same colors, fonts, and visual style across all your channels.

When a subscriber opens your email, they should immediately recognize it's from you –– even before reading the sender name.

Audience engagement

You also need to use strong emails that can help you improve your audience engagement. You need your target market to engage with your emails if you want to increase your conversion rate. If you increase your audience engagement, you can boost your conversion rate.

A well-designed email makes it easy for people to take action. If your layout is confusing or cluttered, readers will hit delete without a second thought.

But when your design guides them naturally through the content –– with clear headings, readable text, and obvious buttons –– they're much more likely to click through.

Deliver lasting impressions

You want your audience to remember you once they are done reading the email. A strong email design and layout will make a good impression on your target market. That way, they will think of your brand in the future, and they will come back for future purchases.

The average person gets dozens of emails every day, so yours needs to be memorable. A professional, polished design signals that you're a legitimate business worth paying attention to.

On the flip side, a poorly designed email can make people question your credibility –– even if your products or services are top-notch.

Develop a personal connection

You need to develop a strong personal connection with your audience. By using carefully created emails, your audience should have an easier time relating to your business. This could help you boost your conversion rate and position your company to be successful.

Email is one of the most personal marketing channels you have. People invite you into their inbox, which is a more intimate space than social media or your website. A thoughtful email layout that speaks directly to your reader's needs and interests can build trust and loyalty over time.

Stand out from the crowd

Think about all of the emails you get on a single day. Which ones do you remember the most? Why do you remember those emails?

If you want your company to be memorable, you need to use a strong email design to help you. A solid email layout with a brief but punchy email body can make it easier for your brand to stand out.

Most promotional emails follow the same tired templates and formulas. When you put effort into creating a unique, well-designed email layout that reflects your brand personality, you immediately differentiate yourself from competitors.

This doesn't mean you need fancy graphics or complex layouts –– sometimes a clean, simple design with a strong voice is what makes people stop scrolling.

Different types of marketing emails

There are lots of different types of marketing emails you might use. A few of the most common examples include:

• Welcome emails: The welcome email introduces your business to your subscribers and sets expectations for what they can expect from you.
• Newsletters: This is a periodic email that you might send to update your customers and clients on everything going on with the company. You might use it to announce new products and services.
• Promotional emails: If you have a deal or sale going on, you need to use this email to grab the attention of your customers and convince them to take advantage of the deal.
• Holiday or seasonal emails: You might send holiday or seasonal emails to your customers to let them know about special services or products you might be releasing.
• Informational emails: Informational emails can be used to send general emails to your customers, informing them or updating them about things that might be happening with the company.
• Transactional emails: These might be automatically generated emails that you can send to your customers to let them know that their purchase has gone through or that their package is on the way.
• Re-engagement emails: If it has been a long time since you've heard from a customer, you might send them a re-engagement email. This is a personalized email that could remind them to take advantage of the products and services provided by the company.
• Lead nurturing emails: If you are moving your customers down the sales funnel, you might use a lead nurturing email that has been customized to their specific location in the sales funnel.

You might use some or all of these emails as a part of your marketing campaign. You need to make sure that you customize the layout of your emails to match their goals. The layout you use for a transactional email is probably not going to be the same for a re-engagement email.

Key elements of email layouts and designs

An email is more than just the text in the body of it. There are several features that you need to include and customize in your email layout and design if you want your messages to be effective.

Understanding these elements early in your email creation process will help you build more effective campaigns from the start:

Email snippet

The snippet is what will show up on the phone or computer when the customer is notified that they have an email.

You need the snippet to be strong enough to get them to open the email and read the message. You might even want to create and A/B test different snippets to see which ones are most effective for your business.

The snippet typically pulls from the first line of your email, so don't waste this valuable space with "View this email in your browser" or other filler text. Instead, use it to tease the main benefits or offer inside the email.

Header

The header usually shows up in bold when the notification goes through. This is another critical element that you need to create and use to grab the attention of your customers. If you want them to interact with the email, the header needs to hook them.

Some brands use their header to display multiple pieces of information, like navigation links or a promotional banner, while others keep it simple with just their brand logo and a single headline.

Subject line

The subject line is where you can be creative. This will also show up on the push notification when you send an email, so it is another opportunity for a small business to grab the attention of more customers.

Do you want to use an emoji in the subject line? Do you want to use all caps? How long do you want the subject line to be? The answers to these questions depend on the type of email you send.

For a marketing email, you might test shorter subject lines (under 50 characters) since they tend to perform better on mobile devices. You can also use personalization, like including the recipient's name or location, to increase open rates.

Logos and images

Remember that a picture is worth a thousand words. Therefore, you might want to use images and logos in the email as well.

If there is a lot of information that a business needs to communicate to its target market, then you might want to consolidate it into a picture. It could make it easier for your customers to interpret the information you want to share.

Don't forget that you also need to use logos to make it easier for your customers to tie the email to your company. Your brand logo should appear at the top of the email so readers immediately know who the message is from.

When it comes to other images, focus on quality over quantity –– one visually appealing image often works better than a cluttered collage. Also, make sure your images have alt text in case they don't load properly.

Body

The body is the meat of the email. You need to think carefully about email copywriting. There are some cases where you might want to include a lot of information in the body of the email.

Then, there are other cases where you might want to limit the amount of information you include to just new features or upcoming events to make them stand out.

Remember that if the email copy is too long, your customers might decide that they don't want to read it. You do not want to intimidate your customers, so think about how you want to communicate the information.

You might even want to use bullet points to make the email more readable. Play around with a few options when you start creating your emails, and find the best email designs for your needs.

You can also customize how you lay out the email copy. Maybe you do it all in a single column, or you can split it up into multiple columns.

Keep paragraphs short –– two or three sentences at most –– and use plenty of white space to make your content easier to scan.

Call to action

At the end of the email, you need to include a call to action. This is where you tell the customer what you want them to do next.

What do you want your customer to do? Do you want them to sign up for a list? Do you want them to become new subscribers? Do you want them to go to your website to buy something to make their life easier, or maybe test drive a new car?

Make sure that you include a call to action in your email to lead your customer to where you want them to go, from landing pages to product pages.

Your CTA button should stand out with a contrasting color and clear, action-oriented text like "Shop Now" or "Get Started." While some emails include multiple calls to action, it's usually better to focus on one primary action to avoid confusing your readers.

Footer

There might also be a footer associated with your email layout. The footer is where you might include your signature, contact information, or business name.

For a small business, this is another way to connect with new subscribers or customers on a more personal level.

This might be standardized across your emails, but you should play around with this to see what information you might want to include. There are plenty of options, but make sure the information is helpful.

This is a brief overview of the different parts that you might want to include in your email layout. The right layout for one email might not be the right layout for another. Consider working with a professional who can help you find the right layout for your needs.

Responsive design considerations

Your email needs to look good on screens of all sizes. A responsive design automatically adjusts to fit whatever device your reader is using, whether that's a smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer.

Single-column layouts work best for mobile screens because they stack content vertically and eliminate the cramped, hard-to-read experience that happens when multiple columns get squeezed onto a small display.

Call-to-action buttons need to be at least 44x44 pixels with adequate spacing around them to prevent accidental clicks on touchscreens.

Font size matters, too. Body text should be at least 14px and headlines at least 22px to remain readable without zooming. Testing emails on actual devices can show you issues that preview tools often miss, showing exactly how the layout performs on real iPhones, Android phones, and tablets.

Accessibility best practices

Accessible emails are essential for reaching your entire audience. Many subscribers rely on assistive technologies like screen readers to access email content, and accessible design benefits everyone by making content clearer and easier to navigate.

Alt text lets screen readers describe images to users who can't see them, so descriptive alt text for every image is critical for accessibility.

Semantic HTML with proper heading tags helps screen reader users navigate content effectively, while simple bold text without heading tags creates barriers for assistive technology.

You also need to pay attention to color contrast ratios. Body text needs at least 4.5:1 contrast, and larger text needs 3:1 minimum, which is why light gray text on white backgrounds creates readability issues.

However, color shouldn't be the only way to convey meaning, since colorblind readers won't perceive the difference between red urgent messages and standard ones without additional text or icons.

At the same time, clear, straightforward language with short sentences and broken-up paragraphs improves comprehension for people with cognitive disabilities and makes emails easier for everyone to understand.

Choosing the best email layout and design for your business

The right email layout depends on your goals, your audience, and the type of content you're sharing.

Some businesses thrive with simple, single-column email layouts, while others need more complex designs to showcase products or tell a story. Understanding what works for your specific situation helps you create email campaigns that actually get results.

Factors to consider based on audience behavior are:

• Device preferences: If most of your subscribers open emails on mobile devices, a single-column email layout works better than multiple-column email layouts that get cramped on small screens. Check your email analytics to see where your audience reads their emails.
• Reading patterns: People tend to scan emails rather than read every word, which is why many marketers use an inverted pyramid layout that puts the most important information at the top. This layout guides readers from the headline to key details to the call-to-action in a natural flow.
• Content complexity: A zig-zag email layout with multiple blocks arranged in alternating patterns works well for showcasing multiple products or features, while a hybrid email layout combines structured sections with more flexible content areas. Your email provider's analytics can show you which layouts get the most clicks.
• Technical considerations: Some email clients strip out advanced formatting, which is why plain text emails sometimes outperform HTML emails for certain audiences. Always test how your design renders across different email clients before sending to your full list.

Once you know what your audience responds to, the next step is finding tools that make the design process easier. Email design doesn't have to start from scratch every time — the right templates and tools can speed up your workflow while maintaining quality. You might use:

• Pre-built templates: Most email marketing platforms offer templates for common layouts like inverted pyramid email layouts, single-column header designs, and more. These templates handle the technical details like responsive design and email client compatibility.
• Drag-and-drop builders: Visual editors let you add images, text blocks, buttons, and social media links without writing code. They automatically generate HTML emails that work across different devices and email providers.
• Design systems: Creating a library of reusable components — like branded headers, footers, and call-to-action buttons — keeps your emails consistent and cuts down on design time. Dynamic design elements can automatically pull in personalized content for each subscriber.
• Testing tools: Preview your emails across multiple email clients and devices before sending. These tools catch rendering issues that could make your carefully designed layout look broken to subscribers.

How to optimize your email layout for readability

Readable emails make content easy to consume. Readers should be able to scan your email in seconds and understand the main message without working for it. The layout, typography, and visual balance all work together to create an experience that keeps people reading instead of hitting delete.

Visual hierarchy and scannability principles

Visual hierarchy directs attention to the most important elements first. Headlines should be the most prominent text on the page, followed by subheadings, body copy, and finally supporting details. Using different font sizes creates this hierarchy naturally.

For instance, a larger headline immediately signals importance, while smaller body text recedes into the background. Strategic use of white space around key elements makes them stand out even more.

Scannable emails use short paragraphs, bullet points, and clear section breaks to help readers find information quickly. Most people won't read every word, so structure your content so the main points jump out at first glance.

Alt text on images also contributes to scannability since it provides context when images don't load or for users relying on screen readers.

Best practices for spacing, alignment, and typography

Spacing determines how comfortable an email is to read. Cramped layouts with text squeezed together feel overwhelming, while generous padding between sections gives readers room to breathe. Consistent alignment creates a clean, organized look that guides the eye through the content.

Typography choices affect readability more than most people realize. Stick to one or two font types throughout the email, and use font size strategically to establish hierarchy.

Additionally, body text needs enough size to be readable on mobile devices, while headlines can be larger to draw attention. Line height matters, too — text that's too tightly spaced becomes hard to follow, especially in longer paragraphs.

Balancing visuals and text for clarity

Images can communicate complex ideas quickly, but too many visuals clutter the layout and distract from your message.

You must find the right ratio for your content. A product showcase email might lean heavily on images, while a newsletter balances text and visuals more evenly. Every image should serve a purpose, whether that's illustrating a concept, showcasing a product, or breaking up long sections of text.

Text provides the context and detail that images can't convey on their own. Even in visually-driven emails, clear headlines and concise copy guide readers through the content and tell them what action to take next.

The best layouts use images and text together strategically, with each element supporting the other to create a cohesive message.

Choosing the best email layout and design for your business

If you want your business to be successful, you need to choose the best possible email layout and design. There are plenty of choices available, so you might want to use Mailchimp to help you find the right one.

For example, a small business might want to use a subject line helper that can help you find the right subject line for the topic.

Or, you might want to use A/B testing for email marketing campaigns, which can make it easier for you to find what is working well for your business. Keep in mind that this is not something that you need to go through on your own.

There are also plenty of things to consider when you create your email's layout, too. For example, how will your email show up on mobile devices? Will it look right on mobile screens?

You can reach out to an expert who can help you get the most out of your email marketing campaign. Or find professional email templates from Mailchimp to help you reach your target audience.