Have you ever ever opened an e-mail in your telephone and the picture was low-quality, the textual content was too small, and the call-to-action button was damaged? These are all flaws of static e-mail design. Responsive emails are the reply.
On condition that more than half of U.S. residents have a look at e-mail advertising messages on their telephones, you could optimize your emails for a number of screens, together with cellular and pill.
Responsive emails use fluid photos and tables to stay versatile throughout totally different display sizes. Finally, they ship content material designed for every consumer’s optimum expertise.
Although responsive emails will be designed utilizing CSS media queries, you don’t want any coding expertise to make one. Making a responsive e-mail isn’t only a job for coders.
Right here, we’ve lined up some greatest practices and ready-to-use templates, in addition to a fast tutorial in regards to the fundamentals of responsive emails.
What’s a responsive e-mail?
A responsive e-mail is an e-mail that’s optimized for any machine, together with a telephone, desktop, or pill. They adapt to a number of display resolutions, which is especially helpful as demand for mobile-friendly content material will increase.
Responsive emails are additionally extra accessible, as they permit subscribers to learn on their most popular machine.
As an example, right here is how a promotional e-mail I acquired appeared on desktop.

This e-mail has superior imagery, shoppable icons, and is properly formatted. After I open the e-mail on cellular, that is what I am greeted with.
I nonetheless have the identical info and the identical photographs and shoppable icons. The one noticeable distinction is the e-mail format. It’s totally different to raised match the cellular expertise.
Now, think about if that very same desktop format was utilized to cellular. I’d need to zoom in on my telephone to see any of the photographs or textual content. As a substitute of doing that, I’d unsubscribe.
With responsive e-mail, consumer expertise will be enhanced, in addition to marketing campaign ROI.
Give it some thought: Subscribers glad with an optimized cellular e-mail design will discover themselves opening extra advertising messages as a result of they comprehend it’ll be accessible and look good.
So, with all this speak about responsive emails, you should be itching to create your personal. Subsequent, we’ll have a look at some responsive e-mail examples and templates.
Responsive E-mail Designs
There are numerous methods you can design responsive emails.
When you have coding information, you may code totally different e-mail templates for various display sizes. It’s also possible to use a pre-made template that works will all display sizes.
Regardless of your method, you’ll want your e-mail advertising software program. Right here, you may design an email, after which preview that e-mail on a number of gadgets. Most e-mail software program will present you the way the design will look on a number of gadgets.
The video under will stroll you thru learn how to design an e-mail with a template. Within the video, the consumer is on Klaviyo, however the ideas maintain true it doesn’t matter what software program you employ.
Coding a Responsive E-mail
In case you’re trying to make components of your e-mail responsive, you’ll have to work with media queries.
Media queries are a CSS method. It means that you can set type guidelines that solely seem if sure situations are true. For instance, you may specify what font sizes and picture sizes to make use of when a display is 600px extensive or smaller.
When working with e-mail, you should use media queries to specify what your design ought to appear to be on desktops, tablets, and cellular gadgets. To take action, you’ll have to specify the next:
- Use the selector “@media” and specify “display.” This means that the code will have an effect on gadgets with a display.
- Set your “max-width” in pixels. This specifies the display dimension the place the code will take impact.
- Specify any CSS type guides you need that particular display to comply with.
Let’s check out the code under.
@media display and (max-width: 600px) {
physique {
font-size: 30px;
}
}
When utilized to the CSS of an e-mail, physique textual content will seem at a dimension of 30px for screens which can be 600px extensive or smaller.
Whereas this method might help you make sure components of your e-mail response, we suggest utilizing a template if potential.
Except you might have complete internet design expertise, coding a number of media screens will be time-consuming and irritating.
In case you aren’t technical or need a neater methodology, attempt utilizing an e-mail advertising device with built-in responsive templates. HubSpot’s free email software, as an example, offers drag-and-drop templates which can be responsive by default.
Responsive E-mail Design Examples
It’s time to discover examples. Begin with this video, which fits over a few of the greatest e-mail advertising campaigns.
Then, you may examine a few of our favourite responsive e-mail designs.
1. TOMS Publication
In TOMS’ e-newsletter, the principle distinction between the desktop model and the cellular model is the stacking and dimension of the show adverts.
With responsive design, the cellular model doesn’t have cluttered navigation, and the picture matches the display properly. The CTAs have additionally been moved for higher visibility.
2. The Metropolitan Museum of Artwork
As seen within the TOMS e-newsletter, responsive e-mail design helps stack the content material in a means that’s visually interesting and simple to digest. This instance from the MET is not any totally different.
On cellular, the positioning of the menu modifications. Hyperlinks to totally different reward store objects fall on the backside of the web page. This retains the pictures of accessible souvenirs entrance and heart.
3. Mulberry
Once more, with a responsive e-mail design, the secret is stacking. It’s all about making the content material straightforward to learn and visually interesting, regardless of how small the machine is that somebody is viewing the content material on.
The alternating photographs and textual content make sense for desktop, whereas the constant stacking of photographs over associated textual content for cellular, together with the dividing strains, ensures the viewer gained’t be confused.
Responsive E-mail Templates
A responsive template will robotically adapt to any display dimension, so whether or not the e-mail is opened on a smartphone, pill, or pc, it is going to look nice and have full performance.
For these with much less of a coding background or these trying to spend much less time with design, my recommendation is to make use of a template. They’re a surefire means to ensure your e-mail will look skilled and be responsive.
Responsive e-mail templates prevent time in designing an e-mail that would’ve been picked out from a variety. For instance, HubSpot’s email marketing tool contains over 60 templates only for responsive emails.
Let’s check out some template choices now.
1. HubSpot
HubSpot presents a few free responsive email templates. In case you’re a HubSpot buyer or a free consumer, you may obtain and take a look at them out your self.
As an example, right here’s one of many responsive e-mail templates — discover the sidebar, the place you may preview the template on a number of gadgets.

Clicking by machine sorts and ensuring your e-mail is formatted accordingly is without doubt one of the last steps within the design course of and is the solely step within the responsive e-mail course of while you’re utilizing software program like HubSpot.
By clicking on the smartphone machine for preview, as an example, you may see in case your content material — together with font dimension and picture decision — is formatted in a means that’s pleasing for cellular.
2. CampaignMonitor
The templates offered by CampaignMonitor are just like many others, wherein responsive e-mail outcomes are proven within the preview device. For instance, here’s a CampaignMonitor template:

You may see the totally different gadgets side-by-side so you may examine design components simply. Tiny edits will be made to create the perfect expertise for all subscribers.
CampaignMonitor templates are sometimes free, so it’s a sensible choice you probably have a minimal finances.
3. Stripo
Stripo offers over 300 free HTML email templates. You may select templates by trade, season, sort, and have. As an example, right here’s a template from their enterprise trade part.

signal of a stable responsive e-mail template is the choice to see the preview in each desktop and smartphone variations, as proven in Stripo’s preview mode.
Discover how a single column format was adopted within the cellular preview to suit the specs of telephones.
Stripo is an internet site you may go to rapidly to discover a template that matches your targets. You may take into account Stripo in case you’re trying to check out responsive emails or need some design inspiration.
4. Fixed Contact
Constant Contact offers over 200 skilled e-mail templates which can be accessible after signing up. From trying on the instance under, you may see that the platform presents responsive e-mail templates.

Fixed Contact’s templates have drag-and-drop enhancing, the choice so as to add surveys, ecommerce features, and a photograph library device. These options can all assist to create the e-mail subscribers wish to see.
It’s useful to make use of a service like Fixed Contact as a result of the precise instruments let you keep consistency, like within the instance above. You may inform that the responsive nature of the e-mail doesn’t compromise any of the design components.
Now that we’ve taken a have a look at some template choices, let’s have a look at one other solution to make responsive emails work, together with greatest practices.
Responsive E-mail Greatest Practices
The precise design of your responsive e-mail will range primarily based on the targets of your marketing campaign. Nevertheless, the following tips might help you guarantee the perfect expertise to your readers.
- Ensure your responsive e-mail is scalable and versatile. Preview the e-mail on totally different gadgets to make sure your message is responsive.
- In case you’re coding your personal e-mail, bear in mind CSS media queries change fields which can be fastened to fields which can be fluid.
- Use bigger fonts that will likely be straightforward to learn on smaller screens.
- Single-column layouts are simpler to scale. If easy layouts are good to your internet pages, undoubtedly take into account them for responsive emails.
Remember to check your emails earlier than you hit “schedule.” Solely finalize the designs when you see how they appear throughout a number of display resolutions. So many individuals entry emails by cellular only for the convenience of it.
A easy solution to test the effectiveness of your e-mail is to ship it to your self or your group as a check — does it stack up towards the opposite responsive advertising emails in your inbox? In that case, you’re able to ship.
Getting Began with Responsive Emails
Responsive emails create a greater, extra accessible expertise to your clients. In case you’re simply making the transition, begin by exploring pre-made responsive e-mail templates. These will prevent time whereas supplying you with design flexibility.
Then, get a second opinion. Ask a colleague to open an e-mail on their desktop and telephone. You may get their sincere suggestions on each experiences.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to experiment. You may A/B check totally different responsive designs till you discover a format that resonates most.
Quickly, you’ll be sending out responsive emails and rising your open charges.