Focusing on Mobile
Statistics show that in only a few years, more people will open email on mobile devices than desktop or laptop computers.
According to most reports, 42% of email is currently read on a mobile device. Mobile email is the most important way that email is evolving and one of the main reasons why it is more relevant today than ever. One thing is abundantly clear, in order to get the most of your email marketing, you have to not only keep mobile devices in mind, but focus on them.
There are two important ways to focus on mobile marketing. One is in the design and layout of your email, the other is in the content creation. Each are important if you want to have the greatest impact on your customers.
Design and Layout:
Admail.net templates are all created to be mobile compatible. Though they may appear different on different devices, they should all work nicely. We also have a mobile category in our templates section that were specifically modified to be mobile friendly. Whatever template you choose, we always suggest testing on a mobile device before sending out. An issue some clients run into is dealing with how templates respond after heavy modification. If you are going to drastically change a template, it could affect how it performs on a mobile device. The easiest way to prevent problems with this is again, testing. If you've modified a template and it breaks in your testing, please let us know as we will be happy to help you. Another way to prevent issues on your own is to ensure that all of your columns and sections have defined widths. This prevents the mobile device from taking too many liberties with your email layout. We've seen recently that email designs without strictly defined widths have issues, specifically on iOS (iPhone).
Content:
Mobile users interact with email differently than desktop users. Mobile devices have smaller screens, users typically spend less time on an email, browsing the web is less viable, and there are many other differences as well. It's important to consider these differences when creating content for a mobile email. While using a traditional email layout and content may be "OK" on a mobile device, you won't be completely utilizing the tools you have to create the best email possible. Email for mobile (which is now all email) should be more concise and easier to interact with. If there is a call to action, the action that you want the user to take must be easy to complete on mobile. This means having mobile friendly websites and online shopping carts. Those big graphics you want to use? Consider that they are going to be on a smaller screen. Use your common sense and pay attention to how you read email on your own mobile device to develop even more strategies for designing email for mobile. One thing to point out is that, yes, some users will "save" an email that they are interested in and access it on a personal computer later. While this is a valid point, it can't be relied upon and steps should still be taken to make email mobile friendly.
Conclusion:
The main point is that mobile device users MUST be considered when creating email now. Gone are the days when mobile users were a small part of your readership that could be largely ignored. As we mentioned earlier, mobile users account for nearly half of your readers and that number is quickly increasing. The time is now to rethink your email building strategy. Waiting will only put your behind the curve further each day!