Designs, templates and examples for 2023

Have you ever opened an email on your phone and the image was low-quality, the text was too small, and the call-to-action button was broken? Those are all flaws of static email design. Responsive email replies.

assume that more than half of americans View email marketing messages on their phone, so you need to optimize your email for multiple screens including mobiles and tablets.

Responsive emails use fluid images and tables to remain flexible across different screen sizes. Ultimately, they provide content designed for the optimal experience of each user.

Although responsive emails can be designed using CSS media queries, you don’t need any coding experience to create one. Creating a responsive email is not just a task for coders.

Here, we’ve put together a quick tutorial on the fundamentals of responsive email, along with some best practices and ready-to-use templates.

What is a responsive email?

Responsive email is email that is optimized for any device, including phone, desktop, or tablet. They adapt to multiple screen resolutions, which is especially useful as the demand for mobile-friendly content increases.

Responsive emails are also more accessible, as they allow subscribers to read on their preferred device.

To illustrate, here’s what the promotional email I received looks like on desktop.

This email has awesome imagery, shoppable icons, and is well formatted. When I open email on mobile, this is my welcome.

I still have the same information and the same pictures and shoppable icons. The only noticeable difference is the email format. Better fitting the mobile experience is another matter.

Now, imagine if that same desktop layout was implemented on mobile. I have to zoom in on my phone to see any pictures or text. Rather than do that, I’ll unsubscribe.

With responsive email, the user experience can be enhanced, as well as campaign ROI.

Think about it: Subscribers satisfied with an optimized mobile email design will find themselves opening more marketing messages because they know it will be accessible and look great.

So, with all this talk about responsive email, you must be itching to create your own. Next, we’ll look at some reactive email examples and templates.

Responsive Email Design

There are many ways that you can design responsive emails.

If you have coding knowledge, you can code different email templates for different screen sizes. You can also use a pre-made template that works on all screen sizes.

Whatever your approach, you’ll need your email marketing software. you can here design an email, and then preview that email on multiple devices. Most email software will show you how the design will look on multiple devices.

The video below will show you how to design an email with a template. In the video, the user is on ClavioBut the concepts hold true no matter what software you use.

coding a responsive email

If you want to make elements of your email responsive, you need to work with media queries.

Media query is a CSS technique. This allows you to set style rules that appear only when certain conditions are true. For example, you can specify which font size and image size to use when the screen is 600px wide or smaller.

When working with email, you can use media queries to specify how your design should look on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. To do this, you will need to specify the following:

• Use the selector “@media” and specify “screen”. This indicates that the code will affect devices with screens.
• Set your “max-width” in pixels. It specifies the screen size where the code will take effect.
• Specify any CSS style guides you want the specific screen to follow.

Let’s take a look at the below code.

@media screen else (max-width: 600px) {

Body {

font-size: 30px;

,

,

When applied to an email’s CSS, the body text will appear at a size of 30px for screens that are 600px wide or smaller.

While this approach can help you create some elements of your email response, we recommend using a template if possible.

Unless you have extensive web design experience, coding multiple media screens can be time consuming and frustrating.

If you’re not technical or want an easier way, try using an email marketing tool with built-in responsive templates. HubSpot’s Free Email SoftwareFor example, offers drag-and-drop templates that are responsive by default.

responsive email design example

It’s time to explore the examples. Start with this video that walks you through some of the best email marketing campaigns.

Then, you can read about some of our favorite responsive email designs.

1. Toms Newsletter

In TOMS’ newsletter, the main difference between the desktop version and the mobile version is the stacking and size of the display ads.

With a responsive design, the mobile version doesn’t have cluttered navigation, and the image fits nicely on the screen. The CTAs have also been moved for better visibility.

image Source

2. Metropolitan Museum of Art

As seen in the TOMS newsletter, responsive email design helps stack content in a way that is visually appealing and easy to digest. This example from Mate is no different.

On mobile, the position of the menu changes. Links to individual Gift Shop items are at the bottom of the page. This puts the images of the available souvenirs front and center.

image Source

3. Mulberry

Again, with a responsive email design, the name of the game is stacking. It’s about making content easy to read and visually appealing, no matter how small the device one is viewing the content on.

Alternating photos and text makes sense for desktop, while for mobile a consistent stacking of photos over corresponding text, along with dividing lines, ensures viewers won’t get confused.

image Source

Responsive Email Templates

A responsive template will automatically adapt to any screen size, so whether the email is opened on a smartphone, tablet or computer, it will look great and have full functionality.

For those with little coding background or little time design, my advice is to use a template. They’re a surefire way to make sure your email looks professional. And be responsible

Responsive email templates save you time designing an email that could have been chosen from a selection. For example, HubSpot’s Email Marketing Tool contains more than 60 templates For responsive email only.

Let’s now take a look at some template options.

1. HubSpot

HubSpot offers some Free Responsive Email Templates, If you’re a HubSpot customer or a free user, you can download and try them yourself.

For example, here’s one of the responsive email templates — notice the sidebar, where you can preview the template on multiple devices.

image Source

Clicking through the device types and making sure your email is formatted accordingly is one of the last steps in the design process and it Only Step into the responsive email process when you’re using software like HubSpot.

By clicking Preview on a smartphone device, for example, you can see whether your content — including font size and image resolution — is formatted in a way that’s pleasant for mobiles.

2. Campaign Monitor

Templates offered by CampaignMonitor Similar to many others, in which the responsive email results are shown in the preview tool. For example, here’s a Campaign Monitor template:

image Source

You can view different devices side-by-side so you can easily compare design elements. Minor edits may be made to create the best experience for all customers.

Campaign Monitor templates are often free, so this is a great option if you have a minimal budget.

3. Stripo

Stripe offers over 300 free HTML email templates. You can choose templates by industry, season, type, and convenience. For example, here’s a template from their Business Industry section.

image Source

A good sign of a solid responsive email template is the option to view previews in both desktop and smartphone form, as shown in Stripo’s preview mode.

Note how the single column layout was adopted in the mobile preview to fit the specifications of the phone.

Stripo is one website you can quickly visit to find a template that suits your goals. If you want to try out responsive email or want some design inspiration, you might want to consider Stripo.

4. Constant Contact

constant contact offer Over 200 professional email templates that can be accessed after signing up. From looking at the example below, you can see that the platform offers responsive email templates.

image Source

Constant Contact’s templates have drag-and-drop editing, the option to add surveys, ecommerce functions, and a photo library tool. These features can help create all the email subscribers want to see.

Using a service like Constant Contact is helpful because specific tools allow you to maintain continuity, as in the example above. You can tell that the responsive nature of the email doesn’t compromise on any design elements.

Now that we’ve taken a look at some template options, let’s look at another way to make responsive email work with best practices.

Responsive Email Best Practices

The exact design of your responsive email will vary depending on the goals of your campaign. However, these tips can help you ensure the best experience for your readers.

• Make sure your responsive email is scalable and flexible. Preview email on different devices to make sure your message is responsive.
• If you’re coding your own email, remember that CSS media queries change fields that are fixed to fluid fields.
• Use large fonts that are easy to read on small screens.
• Single-column layout is easier to scale. If simple layouts are good for your web pages, definitely consider them for responsive email.

Be sure to test your email before hitting “Schedule.” Finalize the designs only once you see how they look across multiple screen resolutions. So many people access email via mobile just for the sake of ease.

A simple way to test the effectiveness of your email is to send it to yourself or your team as a test – does it stack up against the other responsive marketing emails in your inbox? If so, you are ready to send.

Getting Started With Responsive Email

Responsive emails create a better, more accessible experience for your customers. If you’re just making changes, start by searching for pre-made responsive email templates. These will save you time while giving you design flexibility.

Then, get a second opinion. Ask a colleague to open an email on their desktop and phone. You can get their honest feedback on both experiences.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to experiment. You can A/B test different responsive designs until you find the layout that resonates the most.

Soon, you’ll be sending responsive emails and increasing your open rates.