designing for-results

© Exclusive Concepts 2006 – NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION

Newsletter Best PracticesDesigning for Results

Herb Osher/ COO

© Exclusive Concepts 2006 – not for distribution


What you will learn

Data Driven Best Practices for:• Layout• Design• Content

We’ll start with some background…


Why use Email Marketing?

It is effectivePermission based email motivates consumers to purchase;78% of online shoppers have purchased as the result of clicking on an email link.54% of small businesses surveyed rated email as the top online promotion to drive visitors and customers to their web sites and storefronts.

It’s real-time (85% of responses in the first 48 hrs)

It’s measurableAnd it is affordable!


2006 Benchmark Data

• Open rates: down 8%– Banking: 31%– Retail 26%– Real Estate 26%– Computer/Internet 14%

• Clicks: down 8%– Banking 9%– Computer/Internet 6%– Retail 6%– Real Estate 3.4%

• Issues: – Competition– Spam

Source: 2006 Email Marketing Metrics Report – MailerMailer LLC


Layout Best Practices

• To get the best results:– Provide your

brand/company name in the subject line

– Place your logo in the top left

– B2C: mostly images– B2B: Mostly text

Source: Silverpop 2006 study: 612 emails sent by 430 companies to 100 or more recipients


Click Rates by Styles



Formats

• Click Rates: HTML vs. Text– 3.31% vs. 2.71%– HTML is 22% more

productive• Image Links for B2C• Text Links for B2B



Offers

• Type of offer can significantly affect results

• Put your offer above the fold



Layout Best Practices

Messages that included the company name or brand in the subject line had significantly higher open rates – as much as a 12 percentage point increase.

Placing the call-to-action above the fold is critical for B to B marketers, lifting average click rates by 3.5 percentage points.

Include both text and image links to attract attention and boost click rates.

Lifestyle photography attracts consumers and can yield higher click rates.

There is such a thing as too many options. Past a certain point, the greater the number of links in a message, the lower the click rate.

If you’re using the same format over and over again, consider making a switch.


Design for images “off”

Source: Email Design Guidelines for 2006 - David Greiner


Minimize the damage



Design for the preview pane

75% of people who use preview panes go for the horizontal version, while the remaining 25% prefer the vertical version.

•Review your click-tracking reports to identify what content most of your recipients are clicking on. •Ensure this content is at the top (and preferably to the left) of your design. •Make sure this content is text-based and can always be read.



Get added to the Address Book

•AOL and Yahoo! allow recipients to filter emails from unknown senders.

•Images are displayed by default if you're in the address book for all AOL and Hotmail recipients as well as anyone using Outlook or Outlook Express.

•Ask your subscribers to add your From address to their address book.

•On the landing page after someone subscribes. •If you send a confirmation email, mention it in there as well. •In every email you send out•Make sure you use the same From address



Design Best Practices

Don’t use images for headlines, links and any calls to action.

Use alt text for all images. This is important for readers like Gmail.

Add the height and width to the image to make sure that any placeholder image doesn't affect the design.

Add a text-based link to a web version of your design at the top of your email.

Ensure your most compelling content is at the top (and preferably to the left).

Test your design in a preview pane, full screen and with images turned on and off before you send it.

Ask your subscriber to add your “From address” to their address book at every opportunity.

Removing admin messaging from the very top. When viewed in an inbox, they are too high of a percentage of real estate. So move that information further down.

Tack a "boring" Table of Contents at the top

If you run newsletter ads put them in the left column.


Content

Focus on advice and helpful tips

Create an "ask the expert" column with a very tactical answer to one specific and common question

Article summaries should be carefully written to show immediate value by giving a useful tidbit of information up front.

Articles should be loaded with the word "you“

Summaries should start with a question (example: "Would you like to close more listing appointments?") that resonates with the reader.

Content should be described as "Advice," "Ideas," "Tips," "Answers," "Steps," etc.

Adopt this philosophy: “No long and boring articles.” Busy readers don't want theory. They want tools.

Post back issues


Thank you for joining us today.

Exclusive Concepts offers custom newsletter designs and Net Atlantic provides a best-in-class Email Newsletter Hosting and List Management.

To learn more please call Net Atlantic Sales at

978-744-6885

[email protected]

www.netatlantic.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.netatlantic.com/

designing for-results

Documents

recipients exclusive

background exclusive

email design guidelines

text source

address source

email link

rated email

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