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Email design depends on the details. One obvious detail is the subject line. Another reason is the email header. Both elements convey important first impressions. One comes before opening an email and the other immediately after.
Once your subject line entices your subscribers to open your email, your email header will be the first thing your readers see. Therefore, your email header needs to hook your subscriber so that they read the rest of your email.
We'll discuss what an email header is and what elements it contains. We also give you five tips for designing email headers.
What is an email header?
First, let's clear up some possible confusion regarding similar terms. In HTML email templates, the header often refers to the block of code contained within it
Before the Element. The or header contains details such as your email authentication signature and CSS stylesheet. This code is usually invisible to your readers.But that's not the type of email header we're talking about here. Instead, we'll focus on design elements that appear at the top of your email.
Check out this example email:
This example email header consists of the Google logo and the Google Analytics logo. This gives the reader an idea of who the sender is and what to expect from the email.
Below the header is the body of the email, which summarizes the main message and content of the email. Below, the email footer rounds out the email with links to the Google Help Center and Analytics forum.
The header is a great place to include important information for your subscriber. Show your readers at a glance what they can expect from your emails.
What can you put in email headers?
There are many elements you can include in an email header. Check out our list of five components you can use to design your email headers:
- logo
- Menu
- countdown
- Call to Action (CTA)
- Social media icons
We'll dive into these components and some of the well-designed email headers we've seen below. In the following section, we'll go over some best practices when using these email header elements. One of our top best practices is simple: Do not exaggerate! One element per header may be sufficient.
1. Logo
Marketing is all about brand recognition. Don't miss the opportunity to publish your company logo as soon as your subscribers open your email. It's good to establish the authenticity of your brand as quickly as possible. Don't leave your readers in any doubt about the sender of your email.
However, this doesn't mean you have to include a big, obtrusive logo. As you saw in the last example, Google Analytics keeps the Google logo and Google Analytics logo headers nice and simple.
Be aware of readers using dark mode and how it affects your emails. For example, the black of most logos may disappear when a subscriber views an email in a darker interface. One way to avoid this problem is to change your header image to work in both light and dark mode. For more information, see our post on dark mode logo issues.
2. Menu
Menus are a great way to drive traffic to your eCommerce website. They complement your CTA by creating defined subcategories for your subscribers to navigate. Check out how Adidas does it:
They replicated the menu bar on their website to simultaneously create a sense of familiarity and drive clicks to their website. If your email headers contain a menu or navigation bar, try to design them to look as similar as possible to your website. By doing this, you provide a more consistent experience for subscribers who click through.
3. Countdown
Countdown timers are a popular way to make email campaigns dynamic. They create a sense of urgency that can encourage your subscribers to take action before time runs out. Increase your clicks and conversion rates with a highly visible countdown timer at the top of your campaign.
See how Casper combines a simple menu with a countdown timer to make the path to purchase easier for subscribers:
4. CTA
Don’t underestimate the power of a CTA. If your goal is to increase clicks to your website, why not add a CTA front and center in the header of your email? Make it the first thing your users see, just like Moschino did with the abandoned cart email:
They convincingly used an email header image for their CTA.
5. Social media icons
Use social media icons in your email header to encourage subscribers to become followers too. Let's say you've always interacted with your subscriber via email. How about redirecting them to your Instagram account? Find new ways to start conversations with your subscribers. Since subscribers are already familiar with your brand and your content, many will also be happy to become part of your social media audience.
5 Tips for Designing Effective Email Headers
In addition to using just one element in each email header, we have a few other recommendations. Now that we've covered the basics, let's look at five email header design best practices:
- Play with colors
- Use animations, GIFs or images
- Adjust but stay consistent
- Keep it readable and accessible
- Use email-safe fonts
Let's take a closer look at the individual points below.
1. Play with colors
We've talked about the importance of developing a visual brand identity. Use colors in your header to infuse your email with your visual brand identity. Maybe choose contrasting colors to highlight your message, or choose from your trusted brand's palette.
Either way, colors tell a story and help you connect with your subscriber base! Remember to define email header colors and other formatting in your email design system.
2. Use animations or images
As we saw with Moschino, a well-chosen image or GIF can be a powerful, eye-catching tool to improve your customer engagement. We've talked about how images can enhance your emails. Why not place them in the header and establish your visual brand identity at the forefront? Of course, don't overdo it with animations or images. You want to make a statement to engage your user – not create clutter that stops them from reading the rest of your content.
3. Adapt but stay consistent
The email header gives you the opportunity to experiment with the way you introduce your brand. Every time subscribers open your email, they make a new connection with your brand. You may want to use a slightly different header when targeting customers during the Halloween season compared to New Year's. While it's great that your content stays relevant, you also want your content to stay consistent.
Make it easy for your users to recognize your brand at first glance. If you're sending a monthly email newsletter, you want to keep the newsletter header fresh but recognizable as part of a series of emails from your brand.
4. Keep it readable and accessible
When choosing your colors and designing your header, remember to choose colors that will make your text stand out to both normal and visually impaired readers. Accessibility is key to retaining your subscribers. If your email header contains important information, add it as live text rather than graphics. This is how screen readers interpret the text and read it aloud to subscribers with visual impairments.
5. Use email-safe fonts
The email header is a place where you can get creative. However, don’t sacrifice accessibility or deliverability in favor of creativity! When coding your email header templates, use email-safe fonts to ensure your readers can see your message exactly as you intended.
Wrap up
Email header design is a great way to provide your subscribers with a consistent and memorable inbox experience, thereby showcasing your brand.
Do you know whether each mailbox provider displays your email header design the way you intended? There's one way to know for sure: preview your emails on dozens of popular email clients and devices.
At Sinch Email on Acid, we like to say that good emails aren't just about good design – it's about testing your emails to make sure they work for all your subscribers on their various emails -Clients and devices work. If you're ready to get started, visit Email on Acid and try our email testing tools free for seven days.
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Author: The Email on Acid Team
Email on Acid's content team is made up of digital marketers, content creators, and real email geeks. Connect with us on LinkedIn, follow us on Facebook, and tweet @EmailonAcid on Twitter for more great email marketing news and great convos.
Create your very own Auto Publish News/Blog Site and Earn Passive Income in Just 4 Easy Steps
