Let’s be honest, inboxes are busy. Really busy.
If your email doesn’t look good at first glance, it probably won’t get read… no matter how good the offer is.
The good news? Creating visually appealing emails doesn’t mean over-designing or reinventing the wheel. It’s about clarity, hierarchy, and making things easy (and enjoyable) for the reader.
Here’s how to do it properly.
1. Start with a clear structure
Before you think about colours, fonts or images, think about layout.
Every good email should answer these questions immediately:
- What is this email about?
- What do you want me to do?
- Why should I care?
A simple structure that works almost every time:
- Headline
- Supporting text
- Visual or product
- Call-to-action (CTA)
White space is your friend here. Let things breathe. Crowded emails feel overwhelming and get skipped.
2. Less fonts, more consistency
One of the biggest mistakes in email design is using too many fonts.
Stick to:
- One font family
- Two weights (regular + bold)
- Clear size hierarchy (headline vs body text)
Email clients don’t support fancy fonts consistently, so choose safe, reliable options. Clean typography will always look more premium than something “trendy” that breaks on half your audience’s devices.
3. Design for mobile first (Always)
Most people are opening your emails on their phones, often while multitasking.
That means:
- Short paragraphs
- Clear buttons (not tiny text links)
- Images that scale properly
- No side-by-side content that becomes unreadable on mobile
If you have to zoom in to read your own email, something needs fixing.
4. Use Images with purpose
Images should support your message, not compete with it.
Good image rules:
- High quality only (no blurry or pixelated visuals)
- Relevant to the content
- Not overloaded with text
- Still makes sense if images don’t load
And remember: never rely on images alone to communicate your message. Your email should still work with images turned off.
5. Keep colours on-brand (and readable)
Strong branding builds trust, but readability comes first.
A few simple tips:
- High contrast between text and background
- One primary brand colour for buttons and highlights
- Avoid using too many colours in one email
If everything is “important”, nothing is.
6. Make your CTA impossible to miss
Your call-to-action should be obvious without being aggressive.
Best practices:
- One primary CTA per email
- Button over text link (especially on mobile)
- Clear action-driven copy (e.g. Shop the Collection, Book your spot, Read More)
Visually, the CTA should stand out, but still feel like it belongs in the design.
7. Consistency beats creativity
This might sound surprising, but consistency often outperforms creativity in email marketing.
When subscribers recognise your layout, fonts and style, they:
- Trust your emails more
- Read them faster
- Engage more consistently
You don’t need a brand-new design every send. You need a strong, recognisable system that works.
Final thoughts
A visually appealing email isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing the right things well.
Clear layout. Clean design. Strong hierarchy.
When your emails are easy to read and nice to look at, your message has space to shine and your results will follow.
Because at the end of the day, good design isn’t just about looking good.
It’s about making it easier for people to say yes.