Many email marketers take a one-size-fits-all approach to email template design. They forget that the mobile experience should be the foundation of email design strategy.
Don’t be that person.
That can become a huge hurdle for your email engagement, especially considering that 71.5 % of consumers primarily check their emails on mobile devices.
While responsive design may seem like an obvious solution here, most marketers are challenged by it as their top email design and development issue.
The root of this responsive design challenge could lie in the traditional approach: designing for desktops first and then adapting for mobile screens. This workflow, though common, might not always result in mobile-friendly emails.
That’s why mobile-first email design is a good bet.
But what exactly is the mobile-first approach to email design, and how can you implement it to create perfectly responsive, mobile-friendly email templates? Let’s uncover answers to these questions in this blog.
A responsive email template adapts its size across different screen sizes so subscribers have a great user experience, no matter the device or email client.
Responsive email templates optimized for mobile email viewing are an effective way to ensure your campaigns are easy to read and navigate on mobile devices.
Responsive email design solves a serious problem email marketers face with fixed-width emails. When such an email is opened on a device other than a desktop, say mobile, tablet, or wearable, users can only read the entire content by swiping left and right endlessly.
However, with email responsiveness, the images and copy fit the screen size without distorting the viewing experience.
Glossier’s Valentine's Day email is a good example of mobile responsiveness in action. Like every send, this one also follows the principles of mobile-friendly design. Here’s what it looks like on desktop and mobile.
Notice that the spacious two-column layout in the desktop version converts into a single-column format on mobile devices without hesitation. The email's visual appeal remains untouched while eliminating horizontal scrolling on mobile.
Also, the content restructures well keeping each step's components clear and accessible. Whether viewed on a desktop monitor or mobile screen, images scale appropriately, text remains readable, and buttons stay touch-friendly.
All in all, this is a great example to take inspiration from if you are serious about creating responsive, mobile-friendly email templates to deliver a consistent experience across all devices.
Did we just confuse you with the phrase “responsive, mobile-friendly email templates”? Was that just redundant phrasing?
Not at all. The use of both responsive and mobile-friendly was intentional because they are two distinct concepts in email design—though many marketers tend to use them interchangeably.
Let’s clarify the difference between mobile-friendly and responsive email designs.
Responsive design ensures that the email is responsive on different screens and sizes and always starts and prioritizes the size of the desktop screen.
Responsive design adapts your email to display effectively across multiple screen sizes. It starts with the desktop design and then ensures responsiveness for other devices.
Mobile-friendly design, on the other hand, focuses on mobile optimization only. It is built with mobile users in mind but may not scale as fluidly on larger screens.
Said another way: whereas a responsive email design inherently includes mobile-friendly features, a mobile-friendly email is not automatically responsive. Or you design an email for desktop and still not achieve a compelling user experience on mobile.
This creates an interesting challenge: an email could technically adjust to different screen sizes (responsive) yet still provide a poor mobile experience (not mobile-friendly). To deliver optimal results, your email design needs both—the adaptability of responsive design and the optimization of mobile-friendly design.
This is precisely why a mobile-first email design approach becomes vital. Designing for mobile screens first and then scaling up creates a consistent and user-friendly experience across all devices.
In mobile-first email design, instead of designing for desktop first, you design your email template for a mobile version first.
Megan Boshuyzen, Sr. Email Developer, Sinch Mailjet, encourages designers to think about both small and large screens from the outset rather than simply adapting a desktop layout to fit mobile. She spells it out like this:
“Try rethinking your email templates with the beginning and the end in mind. In other words, how should an email template be displayed on the smallest and largest screens? Instead of thinking about how elements of a desktop layout will stack on mobile, consider how a responsive email could unstack or expand on larger screens.”
The logic is sound: if a design turns out well on a desktop screen size but not on a mobile device, it spoils the user experience for most recipients who access their emails on smartphones. The mobile-first design focuses on the most important version of your email template, i.e., mobile.
Plus, when we switch to a default desktop-first coding strategy, we mostly develop emails for larger screens first. Such emails may need extensive re-coding to fit mobile devices properly. That’s when developers face major challenges. You see, it’s always easier to add elements than eliminate them. And the more adjustments required, the higher the risk of coding errors.
Conversely, starting with a simple mobile layout and then expanding it for desktop use creates a more efficient workflow and reduces development issues. If desktop users encounter a mobile layout, they will still find it functional and engaging.
Here’s what to do while designing an email template with a mobile-first approach.
Have a look at the following table for the maximum subject line length specifics for different devices.
Image Source: Email Tooltester
A visually stunning email template means nothing if it’s not user-friendly and easy to navigate. It will soon be forgotten if subscribers struggle to read or interact with your email. That’s why mobile-first email design.
It ensures your message looks great on the devices people use most, fetching you higher click-through and conversion rates. Plus, with mobile usage continuing to rise, your emails will be future-proof, ready to adapt to whatever new device comes next.