The future of email design is excitingly interactive and technologically advanced. Today, emails no longer comprise only static content and stock images. The best email designs in 2021 will be a combination of impressive visual appeal and smart use of technology.
To ensure your business’ emails grab the attention of customers and prospects, they need to be on point in terms of design too.
7 B2B Email Design Trends to Watch in 2021
Here are seven B2B email design trends to help you build effective email campaigns.
Explore the Dark Mode
Many businesses are using the dark mode or dark theme in their emails to make them more readable. The Dark Mode functionality is available for different browsers on both desktop and mobile devices. It converts the lighter colors into darker colors and vice versa. However, only the background color changes. The functionality does not change or invert the colors of fonts.
Almost all major email platforms are all set to adapt the Dark Mode functionality, including Apple Mail, Gmail, and Outlook. In the case of desktop emails, the Dark Mode comes into play depending on the operating system (OS), email client, and email type. For instance, for plain text emails viewed in Apple Mail and Gmail, the Dark Mode is applied to the entire message. However, for HTML-based emails, only the interface changes and not the content inside the email. For emails in Office 2019 and Outlook, colors are changed for all types of emails. For mobile devices, the Dark Mode is only available for Android 10 and iOS 13 users.
This means that you need to ensure your design elements such as the logo and illustrations are compatible with the Dark Mode functionality.
Use 3D Design
B2B businesses can benefit a great deal from 3D design in emails. 3D images add volume to the emails, and make them more captivating and compelling.
3D design helps you communicate the message clearly and it facilitates the decision-making process by instilling confidence in buyers’ minds. You can add 3D images or 3D GIFs of your products to help customers make quick and informed buying decisions. To make the visualization more powerful, consider placing the 3D image in the center of the email. Make it big and let it speak for itself.
Add Animations
Businesses have been using animations in their emails for quite some time now and this trend is not slowing anytime soon. However, these days, B2B businesses are using animations to highlight the technical features and specifications of their products instead of entertaining readers. You can make the most of animation as an excellent storytelling tool.
Animation also consumes less space and eliminates the need for too much content. A single animation can tell a lot more about your product than multiple images and lengthy paragraphs of content.
Switch to a Fresh Layout
Most emails you see have a fixed layout featuring an email header, the main image, a call-to-action (CTA) button, content, and an email footer. However, in 2021, marketers are planning to bid goodbye to this longtime layout and innovate email design by introducing broken or sliced grids. You may have heard of it as a web design trend; it’s becoming popular with email as well.
Leverage Typography
Colors and images are not the only elements that can add life to your email. You can make the most of interesting fonts and text layouts to make your emails more appealing.
Many marketers are using the following font styles to draw the attention of their readers:
- Animated
- Bold
- Neon
- Retro
- Serif
Keep in mind that certain fonts will not render correctly on certain computers/devices that don’t have those fonts. The workaround is to use the font in a graphic (image file) vs. HTML text so it appears as you intend it to.
Insert Illustrations
Thirty-two percent of marketers say that visuals are the most important content form for their business. Sometimes, stock images aren’t enough to captivate your readers. One of the most compelling ways to present visual content is through illustrations. Custom illustrations can enhance your overall email design and make it more visually appealing.
Ensure a Responsive Design
Responsive designs easily fit any screen they are viewed on. To ensure your readers can comfortably view your emails on desktop, tablets, mobile devices and laptops, you need a responsive design. If you’re using a quality Email Service Provider, the platform will include a feature that gives you a preview of your design, on multiple devices, so you can see whether you need to make any adjustments to it before sending your campaign.
Email design is a different animal than web design with different rules and limitations. If you are unsure of how to make the most of your Email Service Provider (regardless of the platform you’re using), please contact us for guidance.
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