Apparently email and mobile devices go hand in hand. According to Litmus, 43% of email messages are opened on some type of mobile device. Then there is Forester Research, which estimates that by 2017, 78% of users in the U.S. will open their electronic mail via mobile.
Mobile is quickly changing the game, and while it presents golden opportunities for marketers, taking advantage is a case of easier said than done. You have to literally overhaul your approach in order to effectively cater to the growing mass smartphone and tablet users. Right on time are six optimization pointers designed to help you do just that.
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1. Know That Size Matters
When it comes to optimizing for mobile, one of the first things you need to realize is that you are literally working with a much smaller window. If most of your subscribers use Apple devices then you’re in luck because iOS automatically resizes dimensions and fonts for optimal reading. For Android and other devices, experts recommend keeping your headlines at approximately 22 pixels, text at 14 pixels, and email dimensions no larger than 320 pixels.
2. Think Responsive
Responsive web design is currently one of the hottest topics in web design. This concept is very interesting because it offers the promise of being able to have one website that delivers an optimal user experience across all devices. Designing for the website and the inbox are two entirely different things, but in today’s world of diverse devices, it pays to adopt such an approach. This way, you don’t have to worry about whether your subscribers are Android or iOS users. You can deliver a great email experience no matter what devices they use.
3. Understand the Importance of Brevity
For years, email marketing gurus have encouraged the community to keep it short and sweet in reference to subject lines and message content. Experts stress this because they are aware that people have short attention spans and even less time to devote. Well, you could say there is less of both amongst smartphone and tablet users, so it would be wise to adopt the mantra of shorter and sweeter when optimizing for mobile.
4. Prep For Landing
Opens, clicks and all the activity in the world is essentially futile if you are not generating conversions on your landing page. Dynamic technologies such as Flash thrive in the desktop environment, but are problematic to the point of being detrimental in the mobile setting. Therefore, it is best to keep your landing page design simple, and stick to HTML5, CSS3 and other technologies smartphones and tablets can handle with relative ease.
5. Know Your Subscribers
The better you know your subscribers, the better you will be at optimizing your email campaigns for mobile devices. This is not only true in the case of design, but delivery. If you know subscribers are more likely to check their messages on Monday mornings, for instance, you have a much better chance of getting them to open, read, and possibly respond to your emails. This is one of several ways to optimize your mobile efforts beyond design.
6. Test Thoroughly
Testing is critical for all email marketing initiatives, but especially when it comes to mobile. No matter how good your content looks and performs on one device, you simply can’t guarantee the exact same experience on another. Therefore, you should commitment to extensive testing on multiple platforms, including devices as well as the different mail clients and browsers they use. So what do you test? Everything you possibly can. From content and simple formatting aspects to images and potential cutoffs for subject lines and preheaders, you want to check over your emails with a thorough eye before deploying mobile campaigns to your subscribers.
Mobile is Now!
Cell phones have been around for quite some time, but it took a while for mobile to make the impact marketing experts had predicted for so long. With cell phones having wised up and being complemented by tablets, it’s safe to say that the time has come. Still, there is much more to go. From smart eyewear to smartwatches, there are several other gadgets eager to join the party. As more devices are added to the mix, email marketers will need to adapt in order to make sure their messages can reach the subscriber no matter where they are.
There’s still plenty of time to get in on the action, but it would be much sweeter to get a headstart rather than play catch up from behind. Is your email marketing strategy ready for mobile?