The Ultimate Guide to Designing Emails That Convert in 2024

Email marketing has come a long way since the first promotional message was sent in 1978. What started as a novelty has evolved into one of the most effective and profitable marketing channels, generating an average ROI of $36 for every $1 spent in 2024 [Source: Litmus].

But in the crowded, competitive landscape of 2024, it‘s not enough to just send emails. To stand out and drive results, you need a strategic, data-driven approach to email design and delivery.

In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll share everything you need to know to create email campaigns that engage, delight, and convert your audience. From crafting irresistible subject lines to leveraging AI for personalization, you‘ll discover the latest tips, trends, and best practices for email success.

Why Email Marketing Still Matters in 2024

You might hear some marketing pundits proclaim that email is dead. But the data tells a different story:

There were over 4.3 billion email users worldwide in 2024, and that number is projected to grow to 4.6 billion by 2025 [Source: Statista]
The global e-mail marketing market was valued at $7.5 billion in 2020 and is projected to increase to $17.9 billion by 2027 [Source: Statista]
78% of marketers have seen an increase in email engagement over the last 12 months [Source: Not Another State of Marketing Report, HubSpot]
31% of B2B marketers say email newsletters are the best way to nurture leads [Source: Content Marketing Institute]

Email‘s power lies in its ability to reach your audience directly in their inbox, with personalized, relevant messages that drive action. As Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs, puts it:

"Email has an ability many channels don‘t: creating valuable, personal touches – at scale."

But to harness that power, you need to understand how to create emails that resonate with your unique audience. Which brings us to step one…

1. Know Your Audience Inside and Out

The foundation of any successful email campaign is a deep, data-driven understanding of your target audience. Only by knowing their needs, preferences, and behavior can you craft messages that speak to them on an individual level.

Some key questions to answer about your email subscribers:

Demographics: What is their age, gender, location, job title, income level, etc.?
Psychographics: What are their values, interests, attitudes, and beliefs?
Challenges: What pain points and obstacles do they face in relation to your product or service?
Goals: What do they want to achieve, both personally and professionally?
Objections: What hesitations or concerns might prevent them from converting?
Motivations: What inspiring them to take action? What gets them excited?

To gather these insights, you can:

Survey your existing email subscribers and customers
Conduct user research and interviews
Collect data from website, social media, and email analytics
Create detailed buyer personas to represent your ideal customer segments

For instance, let‘s say you‘re an e-commerce brand that sells sustainable fashion. You might have two primary buyer personas:

Eco-Conscious Millennials: Age 25-40, urban, values sustainability and ethical production, willing to pay more for eco-friendly products, active on Instagram and TikTok.
Bargain-Hunting Boomers: Age 55+, suburban, prioritizes deals and discounts, skeptical of "green" claims, prefers email and Facebook.

Armed with these persona insights, you can segment your email list and tailor your design, messaging, and offers to resonate with each group. Which leads us to…

2. Segment Your Email List for Personalization at Scale

One of the biggest email marketing mistakes is treating your subscribers like a homogenous mass. Just because someone joined your list doesn‘t mean they have the same needs, interests, or buying stage as everyone else.

That‘s where email list segmentation comes in. By dividing your list into smaller groups based on specific criteria, you can send more targeted, relevant campaigns that drive engagement and conversions.

Some popular ways to segment your list include:

Demographics: Age, gender, location, job title, etc.
Interests: Specific product categories, blog topics, email preferences, etc.
Behavior: Email opens, clicks, website activity, purchase history, etc.
Customer journey stage: New subscribers, engaged, at-risk, inactive, etc.
Acquisition source: Opt-in form, social media, paid ads, in-store signups, etc.

You can also combine criteria for more precise targeting, like "Female subscribers aged 25-34 who clicked on a link in the last 30 days."

According to eMarketer, 39% of email marketers that practice list segmentation see better open rates, and 28% see lower unsubscribe rates. And Mailchimp reports that segmented campaigns have a 14.4% higher open rate and a 62.8% higher click rate than non-segmented campaigns.

But segmentation is just the start. To really stand out in the inbox, you need to go beyond basic personalization tokens like name and location. Use dynamic content blocks that change based on the subscriber‘s preferences, behavior, or attributes.

For example:

Show different product recommendations based on past purchase history
Highlight blog posts or resources related to their indicated interests
Display a special offer or discount based on their loyalty program tier
Include a local event or store information based on their location
Feature user-generated content or testimonials that match their demographic

By making your emails feel like a 1:1 conversation rather than a mass blast, you‘ll build stronger connections and drive more conversions.

3. Design Emails for Scanners and Skimmers

In the attention economy of 2024, you‘re not just competing with other emails in the inbox. You‘re competing with social media notifications, news alerts, TikTok videos, and a million other distractions.

Most people scan emails in a matter of seconds to decide if it‘s worth reading further. In fact, the average email attention span is just 13.4 seconds, according to Litmus.

So how do you design emails that hook readers and convey your message at a glance? Here are some tips:

Make Your Subject Line and Preview Text Pop

Your subject line is like the headline of your email – it needs to immediately grab attention and compel opens. Some subject line best practices:

Keep it short: Aim for 50 characters or less, or about 5-8 words
Be clear and specific about your message or offer
Evoke curiosity, but avoid clickbait
Include personalization, emojis, or localized references
Align subject line and preview text with the email content
Avoid spam trigger words

Some examples of strong subject lines:

"BOGO Alert: Your Perfect Summer Sandals"
"5 Productivity Hacks for WFH"
"It‘s official: You‘re invited!"

Structure Your Email Hierarchy

Use clear headings, subheadings, and bullet points to make your email skimmable at a glance. Most people read in an F-pattern, scanning from left to right and top to bottom.

Put your main message or offer high up in the email, followed by supporting details and CTAs. Use visual hierarchy principles like size, color, and placement to guide the reader‘s eye through the content.

Optimize for Mobile

Over 40% of email is now opened on mobile devices. Your email needs to look great on any screen size. Use responsive design techniques like:

Single-column layouts
Large, easy-to-tap buttons and links
Readable fonts (at least 14px for body copy)
Compressed images that load quickly
Concise, focused content

Keep Copy Concise

No one wants to read a novel in their inbox. Edit your email copy ruthlessly to focus on the key points. Some tips:

Put the main message in the first paragraph
Limit paragraphs to 2-3 sentences
Use active voice and second-person ("you")
Cut unnecessary buzzwords and jargon
Include plenty of white space

Take this email from Trello announcing a new feature. The copy is short and snappy, with skimmable sections and a clear CTA:

[Insert Trello email example image]

4. Nail the Inbox View

When someone gets your email in their inbox, you have about 3 seconds to earn that open. Your from name, subject line, and preview text need to work together to create a compelling inbox view.

From Name

Your from name should be recognizable and trustworthy. In most cases, this will be your brand name. But you can also use a person‘s name (like the CEO or a customer service rep) to add a personal touch.

For example: "Jane from Acme Co" or "John at Widgets Ltd."

Just make sure it matches the email content and isn‘t misleading.

Subject Line + Preview Text

Think of your subject line and preview text as a one-two punch. The subject line hooks attention, while the preview text gives a sneak peek at the email content and should compel the open.

Some ideas for preview text:

Summarize the main message or offer
Highlight a key benefit or pain point
Tease a surprise or mystery (just make sure the email delivers!)
Include a call-to-action
Add personalization or localization

Take this email from skincare brand Glossier. The subject line creates intrigue with a mysterious "Glossier You," while the preview text hints that it‘s a personalized product recommendation:

[Insert Glossier email example]

5. Have One Clear Call-to-Action

Your email should have one primary goal – whether it‘s driving traffic to a landing page, encouraging a purchase, or gathering feedback. Make that goal crystal clear with a prominent, focused call-to-action (CTA).

Your CTA should be:

Specific and action-oriented (e.g. "Shop now," "Download the report," "Book a call")
Visually distinct from the rest of the email (e.g. a button in a contrasting color)
Repeated 1-3 times in the email for visibility
Linked to a relevant, personalized landing page

Place your main CTA in a logical spot based on your email layout – it might be a large button at the end of your message, or a clickable image or text link higher up.

In this email from home goods brand Parachute, the bold "Shop Now" CTA is set off by plenty of white space and repeated twice:

[Insert Parachute email example]

6. Leverage the Power of Social Proof

Social proof is a psychological principle that says we are more likely to take an action if we see that others like us have done the same. In email marketing, social proof can take many forms:

Customer reviews and testimonials
User-generated content like photos or videos
Social media posts or mentions from real customers
Endorsements or partnerships with trusted influencers or brands
Media logos showing where you‘ve been featured
Customer or subscriber count (e.g. "Join 50,000 happy customers!")

Social proof helps build trust and credibility with potential customers by showing that others have had positive experiences with your brand.

In this email from plant delivery service The Sill, a glowing customer review is featured alongside a product photo and CTA:

[Insert The Sill email example]

Just be sure to use authentic, specific social proof from real people. Vague or fake-sounding testimonials can actually hurt your credibility.

7. Automate and Personalize with Email Flows

Automated email workflows, or flows, are series of emails triggered by a subscriber‘s actions or profile. They allow you to send the right message to the right person at the right time, without having to manually create and send each email.

Some common email automation flows include:

Welcome series for new subscribers
Onboarding or getting started guide
Abandoned cart reminders
Post-purchase thank you and review request
Re-engagement for inactive subscribers

By setting up these flows, you can nurture leads and customers at scale while still providing a personalized experience.

For example, let‘s say a new subscriber signs up for your email list. Your welcome flow might look like:

Email 1 (immediate): Welcome to the community, set expectations for what‘s to come
Email 2 (1 day later): Introduce your brand story and unique value proposition
Email 3 (3 days later): Highlight your best content or products, with personalized recommendations based on their signup source or preferences
Email 4 (7 days later): Invite them to connect on social media and share feedback

You can also use automation to trigger personalized emails based on milestones like birthdays, anniversaries, or loyalty program tiers.

The key is to balance automation with a human touch. Use dynamic content and personalization tokens to make each email feel custom-made for the recipient.

8. Test, Measure, and Iterate

Finally, commit to a culture of continuous testing and optimization. No matter how great your emails look, there‘s always room for improvement.

Some elements to A/B test:

Subject lines
Preview text
Sender name
Email layouts and length
Images and videos
Calls-to-action
Personalization and segmentation criteria
Send time and frequency

Start with a hypothesis (e.g. "Including a customer testimonial will increase click-through rates"), then split your list into two groups and send each a variation. Measure results over time, then implement the winning variation.

But don‘t just focus on the open and click-through rates. Also track metrics like:

Conversion rate (e.g. purchases, signups, downloads)
Bounce rate and unsubscribes
Forward/share rate
Engagement over time

For example, you might find that adding an emoji to your subject line increases open rates, but using more than one decreases click-throughs. Or that sending on Thursdays gets more opens, but Tuesdays get more conversions.

Use these insights to continuously fine-tune your email strategy and remember that what works for one audience might not work for another. The key is to always be testing and adapting to your unique subscribers.

The Future of Email Marketing

As technology and consumer behavior continue to evolve, so will email marketing. Here are some trends and predictions to watch for in 2024 and beyond:

AI and machine learning: Artificial intelligence will help automate and optimize email campaigns, from subject line generation to send time optimization. Tools like Phrasee and Persado use natural language processing to craft high-converting subject lines, while Adobe‘s AI can predict the best send times for each subscriber based on their past behavior.
Interactivity: Email will become more engaging with interactive elements like quizzes, polls, games, and embedded videos. Kinetic emails that mimic the functionality of a website will blur the lines between email and web.
Personalization: Email will move beyond basic mail merge tokens to truly tailored experiences powered by subscriber data. Think hyper-targeted product recommendations, content based on browsing behavior, and offers triggered by life events.
Cross-channel integration: Email will be integrated with other channels like SMS, push notifications, and social media for a seamless, omnichannel customer experience. Subscribers might get an email promoting a new product, then see a retargeted ad on Instagram, then get a push notification when it‘s back in stock.
Privacy and security: With data privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA, email marketers will need to be even more transparent about data collection and usage. Expect to see more emphasis on double opt-ins, preference centers, and clear unsubscribe options.

Conclusion

Email marketing may seem simple, but it takes a lot of strategic thinking, creative testing, and customer-centric design to do it well. By following the tips and best practices in this guide, you‘ll be well on your way to building an email program that drives real results for your business.

Remember to always put your audience first, keep learning and experimenting, and adapt to the ever-changing digital landscape. With the right approach, email can be your most powerful tool for building lasting customer relationships.

So what are you waiting for? Go forth and send great emails!