Make the most of your email designs, incorporating

1. Text
Haydn Sweterlitsch
VP, Executive Creative Director
Hacker Group, Seattle
LIES,
DAMNED LIES
+ EMAIL DESIGN

2. behold, the majestic email
61% of people read at least some email on a mobile device
like a cockroach, email
+is 354 million years old

3. behold, the majestic email
30% of people read email exclusively on a mobile device
like a cockroach, email
+is 354 million years old
+is sometimes seen as a pest

4. behold, the majestic email
like a cockroach, email
+is 354 million years old
+is sometimes seen as a pest
+is adaptable, mobile, everywhere
wireless market penetration in the US surpassed 104% in 2012

5. behold, the majestic email
More users (~78%) read email on smartphones than make calls
like a cockroach, email
+is 354 million years old
+is sometimes seen as a pest
+is adaptable, mobile, everywhere
+will survive nuclear war

6. email is the goat
Email is the most popular smartphone activity (~78% of users)

7. email is the goat
internet time on mobile devices outpaced PC in may, 2013
481 billion minutes vs. 477 billion
+email is a machine

8. email is the goat
The only mobile purchase influencer greater than emails is friends/family
+email is a machine
+design yours exquisitely
in structure
in style
in form
in function

9. +culture of zero
forces aligned against the email
As of 2013, there are 3.6 billion email accounts

10. +culture of zero
+swipe/delete UIs
forces aligned against the email
By 2016, there will be 4.3 billion email accounts

11. +culture of zero
+swipe/delete UIs
+tabs
forces aligned against the email
82% of users open emails they receive from brands/companies

12. +culture of zero
+swipe/delete UIs
+tabs
+canned meat
forces aligned against the email
This year, about 84% of all email traffic will be spam

13. +culture of zero
+swipe/delete UIs
+tabs
+canned meat
+OS, client anarchy
forces aligned against the email
~66% of mobile traffic is on iOS

14. design starts in the inbox
33% of email recipients open email based on subject line alone
+clear subject lines are compelling ones

15. design starts in the inbox
64% of people say they open an email because of the subject line
+clear subject lines are compelling ones
+agencies sometimes ignore preheader
+users never ignore preheader

16. design starts in the inbox
+clear subject lines are compelling ones
+agencies sometimes ignore preheader
+users never ignore preheader
+the thunder+lightning of the inbox
Subject lines with fewer than 10 characters get an open rate of 58%

17. symbols: what the $@!#?
Subject lines with unicode have a higher open rate in 56% of brands surveyed
+if a symbol is in a subject line and
users don’t see it, does it really exist?

18. symbols: what the $@!#?
the sun symbol increases open rates 14.9%
+if a symbol is in a subject line and
users don’t see it, does it really exist?
+no best practices

19. symbols: what the $@!#?
Airplanes (✈) show a 10.7% lift in open rate, umbrellas (☂) generate 50% lift
+if a symbol is in a subject line and
users don’t see it, does it really exist?
+no best practices
+no patterns

20. symbols: what the $@!#?
Unicode: 60% of the time, it works every time
+if a symbol is in a subject line and
users don’t see it, does it really exist?
+no best practices
+no patterns
+go for it

21. +adaptive
+responsive
+fluid
get responsive or gtfo
24% of brands don’t optimize email creative for mobile in any way

22. +adaptive
+responsive
+fluid
get responsive or gtfo
39% of marketers have no strategy for mobile email
image: @stammy
Paul Stamatiou, 2013

23. +adaptive
+responsive
+fluid
+optimize or die
get responsive or gtfo
87% of online retailers optimize mobile email (or plan to) in 2013

24. +adaptive
+responsive
+fluid
+optimize or die
+always see #rwd
+why not #red
get responsive or gtfo
45% of 2012 holiday season emails were opened on a mobile device

25. get responsive or gtfo
97 unique screen resolutions in 2010. 232 in 2013
12 million monthly touch email program
+average 25% open rate
+50%-60% opened on mobile devices
+3% click-through rate
+click-through up ~400% since
introducing adaptive design

26. flat is so hot right now

27. flat is so hot right now
+flat UI feels better to the touch/mobile (or is that just me?)
71% of mobile purchase decisions are “most influenced” by brand emails

28. flat is so hot right now
+flat UI feels better to the touch/mobile (or is that just me?)
+lends itself to responsive design (or is it just timing?)
17% of Americans create a new email address every 6 months

29. flat is so hot right now
+flat UI feels better to the touch/mobile (or is that just me?)
+lends itself to responsive design (or is it just timing?)
+lack of depth forces true hierarchy
Subscribers below age 25 prefer SMS to email

30. flat is so hot right now
+flat UI feels better to the touch/mobile (or is that just me?)
+lends itself to responsive design (or is it just timing?)
+lack of depth forces true hierarchy
+simple ≠ basic
Monday delivery drives the highest revenue per email

31. form + functionality follow function
43% of mobile email users check email four or more times per day
+progressive disclosure

32. form + functionality follow function
72% of B2B buyers are most likely to share useful content via email
+progressive disclosure
+persistent buttons

33. form + functionality follow function
social sharing buttons increase email click-through rates 158%
+progressive disclosure
+persistent buttons
+horizontal scrolling

34. form + functionality follow function
44% of users made at least one purchase last year based on a brand email
+enewsletter: 10 million touches/month

35. form + functionality follow function
Personalized subject lines are 22.2% more likely to be opened
+enewsletter: 10 million touches/month
+28% open rate
+62% opens on mobile (48% on iOS)
+1.5% click-through
+5.48% click to open rate

36. form + functionality follow function

37. five lies agencies tell (and believe)
+emails don’t drive ____, they drive _____.
+the most effective emails are _______.
+the single most important factor in email design is _______.
+_______ has largely replaced emails in importance.
+we have emails figured out.

38. thanks for your time
+haydn sweterlitsch
+executive creative director, hacker group, seattle
+hackergroup.com
+@haydn_s