Ux (user experience) in email marketing
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2024 8:59 am
Before defining the user experience we want to achieve with our email, we must have clearly defined the objectives of the email campaign. Do we want to increase sales? Get traffic? Get the user to register? Introduce a product? Our UX design for email is based on this starting point. We recommend simplifying when choosing objectives for our email. This is a channel in which if we do not capture the user in a few seconds, we have lost them. Therefore, having scattered objectives, or expecting several actions from the user can reduce the effectiveness of the message. The ideal is to look for a single action from the user and direct all our design efforts towards it. Even so, it is common, and also advisable in many cases, to add other paths to the email in case the user does not carry out the desired action, for example, links to social networks, to sections of the brand's website, etc. So what are we referring to? What is really important is that the main action is clearly defined. We are then talking about HIERARCHY.
In the case of newsletters , this hierarchy is less obvious, as we usually find a multitude of links to different news items. The hierarchy is usually found in the order of the news items, the space they occupy and how their CTAs stand out. In the case of the newsletter, it is common to find CTAs that are similar to each other, since it is common to link different contents that are sent in an aggregated form periodically. This happens, for example, with our own newsletter: In other cases, we can identify a main objective and direct the at&t email list user's action to a single path, and in the case of enabling secondary paths, use a visual hierarchy that allows us to reach these options only after having discarded the main path. This happens in many commercial emails that directly seek to increase sales. The main offer is highlighted by the preferred location at the top of the email, taking up more space and with a CTA that stands out above the rest of the content. This is how we can see it in this Birchbox email: The visual hierarchy is a way of directing the user through the content of our email, but there are other elements that can help us. The use of contrasting colours, densities and even visual elements that indicate direction can help us guide the reader's gaze and interaction. Let's see, for example, how the use of 'ghost buttons' attracts less than a button filled and contrasted with the background. In recent months, the use of ghost buttons has become a trend in web design and in fact it is frequently used to locate a secondary path in contrast to the option desired by the sender. Also, sometimes, if our objective is very clear and we launch a specific action to achieve it, we can choose to eliminate any alternative path . And even adapt the design of the email to the visual elements related to the specific action to increase consistency and fix the idea in the mind of the recipient. This is what we see in this case of Spoongraphics in which they invite us to see their tutorial and do without other links to their website, social networks, etc. Leaving only the obligatory links for unsubscribing. But it is not just about design when it comes to user experience (we should not confuse UX and UI or interface design). User experience encompasses design because through it we guide their interaction and smooth the way, but the experience can be negative even if the visual design is impeccable. User experience also refers to what happens before and after opening the email. And here are some key elements:
cta-email
ghost-button-email
ux-email
Subject : Don't promise something you won't deliver. It's often a mistake to use a subject that generates openings by appealing to the user's impulse or curiosity. But be careful! If the subject creates a misleading idea of what is inside the email, we will disappoint the user and create a negative impression. We need a subject that can be creative, but it must also be truthful and consistent with the content we send.
Usability : the email must be legible, the links easy to click, without endless scrolls or white space to let the email breathe. Likewise, the email must be responsive and adapt to the different devices from which users read it. This is a point where most companies still fail. And it brings us to the next point:
Adaptability (not just in email): we said that email should be responsive, but NOT JUST EMAIL. We often come across companies that have heard that mobile openings exceed 50% of emails and they rush to send responsive emails… but they forget about the landing pages. A user who correctly views the email and when clicking on it finds an e-commerce site that is not optimized for mobile will have a negative experience and will most likely not complete the purchase process. (The same goes for capturing registrations or other objectives).
In short, for the user to have a satisfactory experience through our emails, we must be truthful, guide the user through our interface thanks to a design developed based on our objectives, facilitate their interaction from any device and optimize their experience even after they have abandoned the email.
In the case of newsletters , this hierarchy is less obvious, as we usually find a multitude of links to different news items. The hierarchy is usually found in the order of the news items, the space they occupy and how their CTAs stand out. In the case of the newsletter, it is common to find CTAs that are similar to each other, since it is common to link different contents that are sent in an aggregated form periodically. This happens, for example, with our own newsletter: In other cases, we can identify a main objective and direct the at&t email list user's action to a single path, and in the case of enabling secondary paths, use a visual hierarchy that allows us to reach these options only after having discarded the main path. This happens in many commercial emails that directly seek to increase sales. The main offer is highlighted by the preferred location at the top of the email, taking up more space and with a CTA that stands out above the rest of the content. This is how we can see it in this Birchbox email: The visual hierarchy is a way of directing the user through the content of our email, but there are other elements that can help us. The use of contrasting colours, densities and even visual elements that indicate direction can help us guide the reader's gaze and interaction. Let's see, for example, how the use of 'ghost buttons' attracts less than a button filled and contrasted with the background. In recent months, the use of ghost buttons has become a trend in web design and in fact it is frequently used to locate a secondary path in contrast to the option desired by the sender. Also, sometimes, if our objective is very clear and we launch a specific action to achieve it, we can choose to eliminate any alternative path . And even adapt the design of the email to the visual elements related to the specific action to increase consistency and fix the idea in the mind of the recipient. This is what we see in this case of Spoongraphics in which they invite us to see their tutorial and do without other links to their website, social networks, etc. Leaving only the obligatory links for unsubscribing. But it is not just about design when it comes to user experience (we should not confuse UX and UI or interface design). User experience encompasses design because through it we guide their interaction and smooth the way, but the experience can be negative even if the visual design is impeccable. User experience also refers to what happens before and after opening the email. And here are some key elements:
cta-email
ghost-button-email
ux-email
Subject : Don't promise something you won't deliver. It's often a mistake to use a subject that generates openings by appealing to the user's impulse or curiosity. But be careful! If the subject creates a misleading idea of what is inside the email, we will disappoint the user and create a negative impression. We need a subject that can be creative, but it must also be truthful and consistent with the content we send.
Usability : the email must be legible, the links easy to click, without endless scrolls or white space to let the email breathe. Likewise, the email must be responsive and adapt to the different devices from which users read it. This is a point where most companies still fail. And it brings us to the next point:
Adaptability (not just in email): we said that email should be responsive, but NOT JUST EMAIL. We often come across companies that have heard that mobile openings exceed 50% of emails and they rush to send responsive emails… but they forget about the landing pages. A user who correctly views the email and when clicking on it finds an e-commerce site that is not optimized for mobile will have a negative experience and will most likely not complete the purchase process. (The same goes for capturing registrations or other objectives).
In short, for the user to have a satisfactory experience through our emails, we must be truthful, guide the user through our interface thanks to a design developed based on our objectives, facilitate their interaction from any device and optimize their experience even after they have abandoned the email.