Time for Dynamic Design
You’ve heard of dynamic content, but what about dynamic design? In a way, talking about dynamic content requires dynamic design. The design provides the framework that enables personalized content. If you’re considering a refresh or redesign of your email template, you should consider going dynamic.
First off, what’s a sign that it’s time to redesign your email template? You should probably be looking at your template with fresh eyes if:
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Your demographic is aging |
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Your demographic is shifting to a younger audience |
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You see an increased unsubscribe rate |
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Or a decreased conversion rate |
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You haven’t changed it in at least two years |
Dynamic content is content determined by the email recipient. You can deliver one message to one segment of your audience, and a different message to another. Or a different offer or call to action. Taken even further, beyond targeting one segment, you can target one individual, for true one-to-one email marketing. Dynamic content is personalized content, making it—potentially—far more relevant to your subscribers. And more relevant means more likely to be opened and acted upon.
Your goal is to build a single template that’s relevant for everyone. Email design elements that make that possible include:
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Identifying your different audiences so you know how to segment |
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Using same size content areas |
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Using a width that allows for the expansion or contraction of content |
As your new email design takes shape, consider which sections can be personalized in the design: images, colors, fonts, content, footers, calls to action, offers, and time and day the email is sent. As you make changes, don’t do everything at once. Instead, start slow and measure the effectiveness as you change one element at a time.
While redesigning, remember to check rendering in a variety of email clients using a tool like Pivotal Veracity. And make sure you have designed your email template with the Preview Pane and image suppression in mind. Once you’ve done that, here’s a quick test you can run, no fancy software required: Turn off you Internet connection and then look at your “beautiful” email. Still beautiful? It should be if you have done it right. And the core message should be clear as day. Is it? If so, great work! If not, back to the drawing board.
But while you’re designing for dynamic, don’t overlook the basics if you didn’t address them before in your existing email template, basics like:
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Preheader text |
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Header treatment |
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Image blocking |
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Use of alt and title tags |
Make sure you’re adhering to best practices in every facet of your email template design. But the best practice of all for 2010? Daring to be dynamic.
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