Best Email Design Trends for Digital Marketing Success

Emails are still an incredibly powerful way to engage and convert prospects for your business. Ever evolving, there are new and exciting design trends that are emerging that are not only innovative but are revolutionising the world of email as we know it.

In order to appreciate the new design trends that the rest of 2017 will see, lets first take a look at what made a splash in 2016 which is now fuelling new insights and options for designing successful email marketing strategies.

What Created a Stir in the Email Industry in 2016?

Improved Apple Updates - With Apple introducing iOS 10 and its new features, emails designed for Apple devices leaped forward, especially with the new support for embedded email videos. Another breakthrough in 2016 was the Apple unsubscribe tab for subscription-based emails. At first, it was a hotly debated subject but led way to some creative visual content that helped reduce the threat of unsubscription.

Gmail Media Query - When Gmail began supporting responsive emails in 2016, it ended a drab era of elements and animations being sacrificed for layout sake. Media query allowed designers to shift their focus to awesome interactive emails that would be perfectly displayed on either desktop or mobile devices.

What the Rest of 2017 will Hold for Email Design Trends

Flat Design - Helps to maintain continuity and user experience for both Android and iOS platforms.

Lightweight GIF - 2017 is exploding with this trend that is not heavy in file size but can still pack the same punch as videos with carefully crafted animation.

Minimalistic Design - Is being embraced for brand logos, websites and email design in 2017. The reduced elements paired with relevant content are driving positive user experiences.

Master Templates - Digital marketing campaigns are becoming easier than ever with some powerhouse templates that can automate the processes to give your brand a consistent look and feel.

How to Maximize Engagement with 2017 Email Design Trends

The rest of 2017 will all be about creating a truly engaging and thrilling customer experience via email. Here are the top tips for how to rock your email design by incorporating live backgrounds, interactive elements, and dynamic content.

Use Keyframe Animation - Known as CSS3, this is a huge step forward in terms of email animation. Keyframes are smoother and are supported by Apple devices and in Gmail and Android.

Live Backgrounds - Filled with looped videos or changing backgrounds based on time set, live backgrounds when done correctly, drive a very engaging user experience.

Dynamic Content - A great way to cater to large audiences, dynamic content can be customized by a number of preferences such as purchase history, device, age, gender, and location.

Interactive Elements - Menus, accordions, integrated forms and countdown features are all enticing and encourage the user to open your content and interact with your brand. Watch you CTA email conversion soar!

Email Search - Boost your click through rates and ROI by allowing users to search directly from their inbox. Email search merges the tasks of opening an email and then having to go to a web page to find products in a simple streamlined process.

We all know that the only constant in the digital marketing world is change and email is no exception. 2017 is unfolding into an interactive world that provides a much grander user experience that is driving brand loyalty, conversions and higher email subscription rates. Make sure to start incorporating these email design trends right away.

Author Bio:

Jamie FitzHenry is the founder of Grizzly, a Bristol based digital agency.