Responsive email templates

Importance of responsive design in modern email

According to recent data from Saleslion, approximately 81% of people prefer reading emails on their mobile devices. Litmus reports that responsive emails generate 15% higher click-through rates compared to non-device-friendly ones. Mobile optimization remains one of the most critical factors in email marketing success, representing convenience, professionalism, accessibility, user-friendliness, and brand credibility.

Responsive email templates are essentials for virtually every industry — from e-commerce and travel services to banking communications, appointment reminders, and newsletter distributions. No matter what business you’re in, your subscribers are checking emails on multiple devices throughout their day.

Does mobile-friendly design really boost conversions?

In email marketing, responsive design can be the factor that significantly increases conversion rates, especially when combined with targeted campaigns, smart segmentation, and integrations. You can also experiment by implementing different layouts that automatically adjust to various screen sizes to show your products in the best possible way. Use free templates for responsive email in this category for inspiration, while Selzy’s drag-and-drop builder will help you customize every element of their design.

Don’t have the technical skills to create responsive layouts? No problem! With Selzy’s built-in customization tools, you can have a fully adaptive responsive email template in minutes. Just design your email once, and it will automatically adjust to look perfect on every device. Give your communications a professional, consistently excellent appearance regardless of how subscribers view them!

Preview text and readability

Our stats show that emails with easily scannable content and clear call-to-action buttons placed in the thumb-friendly zone can increase click rates by up to 45%. But don’t make text too small on mobile views, as unlike desktop versions where users can easily zoom, mobile readers tend to simply delete emails that require effort to read.

Since screen sizes vary dramatically, you should design your responsive emails with flexibility in mind — include enough white space, properly sized buttons, and clearly visible headlines that maintain their impact across all devices.

With Selzy’s device preview tools built right into the drag and drop editor, you can save time by instantly seeing how your responsive email templates will appear on different screens. Simply switch between device views to ensure your layout adapts perfectly for every subscriber and customize elements for optimal display everywhere.

Font sizes and touch targets

Try using larger font sizes in your responsive emails, as they ensure readability across devices. But instead of making all text enormous, use a hierarchical approach with clear size differences between headlines, subheadings, and body copy. Also, make sure all interactive sections like buttons and links have touch-friendly dimensions of at least 44×44 pixels on mobile views.

Location-based considerations (not-so-obvious aspects of responsive design)

Besides being essential for user experience in most markets, mobile friendly design has some interesting implications in different regions. For example, in Japan and South Korea, where mobile email usage exceeds 85% according to Santander, having non-responsive emails could affect your brand perception and engagement rates.

So targeting non-responsive email campaigns to mobile-heavy markets may cost you dearly, as users there simply won’t engage with emails that don’t display properly on their preferred devices.

But besides technical optimization, any other “extra” device adapting features can be… your unique way to stand out!

What they didn’t tell you about device-oriented design (truth revealed!)

Many businesses are tired of basic responsive email templates and have developed unique approaches to stand out in crowded inboxes. Think about it: besides your emails, customers likely receive dozens of other marketing messages daily. If your mobile design looks exactly like everyone else’s, you’re missing an opportunity to be memorable. Boring, right? But it’s a perfect opportunity for your brand to differentiate!

To break through your subscribers’ email fatigue, use responsive designs and layouts that aren’t considered “standard” for your industry. Set trends instead of following them (truth is, it’s usually too late!). Besides (or instead of!) using basic responsive layouts for commonly expected communications, create unique interactive blocks that respond differently — or even make innovative mobile-first design your primary brand differentiator.

Some companies that aren’t particularly design-focused have been leveraging unique responsive approaches for years. Take Headspace, for example — choosing uniquely responsive emails gave them a clean, accessible vibe that made them differ from other wellness apps and made their communications instantly recognizable.

Then there’s Glossier, a brand that uses responsive design brilliantly even though they focus heavily on visuals. Their approach ensures product imagery looks stunning on any device while maintaining their minimalist aesthetic.

Finally, there’s Monzo, a banking startup that uses responsive emails to stand out in a sea of traditional financial institutions that tend to send cluttered, difficult-to-read communications.

Technical things you need to know

Before you start designing custom email templates, check your analytics to see what percentage of people open your emails from different devices. We bet it will surprise you! According to 99firms, in most industries, mobile opens account for 60-70% of total email engagement. That’s why it’s essential to make your email designs responsive. Whether you use one of Selzy’s ready-to-use responsive email templates or create a custom design with our drag-and-drop editor, you can be sure your emails will be 100% mobile device-friendly because it’s included by default.