You’re Doing it Wrong: 5 Killer Email Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

by Krista Scarlett | Jun 10, 2015

Get Your Head in the Game

According to Marketo, 94% of people say they get online to check email. It’s the #1 activity on mobile devices, and office workers spend nearly 2.6 hours a day reading and answering emails.

Is your company getting the best bang for your email marketing buck, or are you banging your brand’s emails against a brick wall?

Here, we share five common mistakes that can hurt your email conversions—and what you should do about it.

Mistake 1: Skimping on Images

We process images 60,000 times faster than text, so leading your email with strong images is vital. Use photos strategically to drive the eye down toward your content and call-to-action.

Remember to include images of people, too. Our brains are wired to connect with other people, especially their eyes. We gauge their expressions. A photo of a happy person will ignite a happy view of your brand.

Mistake 2: Unclear Call to Action

If you’re going to have a call to action—and you should!—then have a single call to action. Too many offers and directions to click here or click there are confusing.

Instead, consider using a single call-to-action button that’s prominently displayed on the page. Buttons break up your content, perform stronger than text links, and give your recipient a clear direction of what they should do next.

Mistake 3: Questionable Color Choices

Did you know that 90% of all product assessments have to do with color? Color affects our attitudes and emotions, and you should use it to your advantage in your email design.

For example, blue instills a sense of trust or calming. It cultivates trust, peace, and order. Yellow is a color of warning, and white space creates a sense of freedom, spaciousness, and breathability. Consider color psychology before designing your email.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Responsive Design

Sixty-five percent of all emails are opened first on a mobile device—good news for marketers, bad news if you skipped on responsive design. Your emails should be mobile-first, designed to be concise, digestible, and easily viewed on smaller screens.

Responsive web design allows the email to change in layout and content based on screen size. It’s a simple technique that results in awesome click-through rates.

Mistake 5: Poor Deliverability

Even the best email will fail if your message doesn’t reach your recipient. Inadequate permissions, spammy content, legal violations, and unappealing or irrelevant content give your email a one-way ticket to the spam folder.

Break through the noise by proofing your content beforehand, avoiding spam trigger words like “free” and “offer”, and sending solicited, meaningful content that your recipients want to read.