More and more people are using mobile devices. Therefore, it is important to keep this in mind when designing your emails. In this help article, you will find tips that you can use when designing your own email templates, taking into account a good display of the emails in a mobile inbox.
Please note: within the MailBlue software, you create one campaign or automation email, which may be displayed differently in the mobile or desktop inbox of your recipients (depending on which device the recipient opens the email on). It is not possible to create a separate email for mobile display and another email for desktop display.
Email messages are read from left to right
HTML items always stack from left to right. This means that your content blocks will stack from left to right. If you create an email with an image on the left and then a text block on the right side of that image, the image will be displayed above the text in the mobile version. Additionally, it is always best to keep your design simple and easy, keeping the smaller screen in mind.
Do not make the email width larger than 650 pixels
This is the width that works for most email clients and mobile devices. If an email message is formatted wider than 650 pixels, a horizontal scroll bar will be needed to view your entire message. This not only makes it harder for your recipients to read your message but may also result in an unsubscribe due to a less pleasant reading experience.
Always use image blocks
Avoid placing individual images in a text box, so always select and drag image blocks into your campaign or automation email. Text boxes containing images with links behind them will not be clickable in Outlook 2007 or Outlook 2013. Furthermore, the text may not wrap properly around the image when the email is opened on a mobile phone.
A width of 400 to 160 pixels works best for an image
An image of 400 pixels wide is the minimum width for an image to be displayed in full width on a mobile device. To see how large your image is, click on the image in the design studio and you can see the dimensions on the right under 'Content'.
If you want to change the dimensions of the images, scroll down a bit on the right under 'Content' and adjust the 'Size' by clicking on plus or minus. You can also adjust the original image and upload it again. Remember that it is always better to make a larger image smaller in the software than to enlarge a small image.
Use ALT text for your images
ALT texts (also known as ALT tags) are displayed as the title of an image and provide a summary of what is visible in the image. These ALT texts are important information, especially for search engines, as a search engine cannot view/read the image. ALT texts are also useful for people with visual impairments.
Therefore, it is a great tool to use within your MailBlue account. In case an image is blocked and not displayed, the recipient will still be able to read the ALT text. To add the ALT text to your image, click on the image in your campaign or automation email and add 1 or 2 words to the 'Alternative text' field under the 'Content' options.
Use the 'Placeholder' widget to create space around content and images
Adding padding around an image or content block to create more space will force your content to become narrower when displayed on mobile devices. Instead, use the placeholder widget in the right menu and set it to hide this in the mobile view when desired. The placeholder can be seen as a kind of spacer widget and page break in one.
Here's how to do it:
- Click on the 'Placeholder'.
- Drag the 'Placeholder' to the desired location.
- You will see a line appear.
- If you want to remove this line, click on the 'minus'. The line will disappear.
- If you want this to be hidden in mobile views, scroll down and select the phone icon.
Utilise the 'Hide Element' feature
This feature hides non-essential elements when your email is displayed on a mobile device. This will enhance the experience of your contacts and ensure they continue to open your messages. To hide an item in mobile view, simply click on the relevant block and then scroll down on the right to 'Content'. You can choose to hide the element on desktop or mobile.
Experiment with the preheader text
Stand out from the rest of the emails in your customers' inbox and entice them to open your email. Learn more about adding a preheader text here.
Test your email
Use the desktop preview and send a test email to yourself and your colleagues to see how your email will appear on different phones.