There’s no denying the importance of email for brands. According to the Radicati Group, email remains the go-to form of communication, and worldwide mobile email users, including both business and consumer users, total 897m.

It has also been predicted by Gartner that, within the enterprise and consumer sectors, the PC market is set to decline rapidly, as people transition to mobile and tablet devices. As a result of this, more and more emails will be accessed from a mobile device. This is already evident, as recent figures from SendGrid show that since August 2012, email access from a tablet and smartphone has grown by 114 per cent and 83 per cent respectively, while access from a PC has grown by only 40 per cent.

Businesses need to adapt to this change in behaviour and ensure their email strategy is geared up for mobile. A huge number of companies still don’t have a dedicated mobile strategy in place for email. Instead, they are sending emails optimised for the desktop to smartphones. In doing so, they are offering a less-than-optimal user experience, and making it much more likely their email will end up in the Spam folder, or simply be deleted before it has been read.

We have created eight simple steps to follow to help marketers ensure their email campaigns are designed effectively for mobile devices:

Use responsive templates
Research from SendGrid found that iPhones and Android handsets were the top devices consumers use to access their emails. Marketers need to ensure they use templates that can respond to the device that their subscribers are using and adjust the email accordingly. 

Keep it simple
Save users the hassle of zooming into the page by keeping the design simpler. Businesses should be wary of having a large amount of text, as they are more likely to have the content cut by the mobile device. They should stick to a simple and clear format that will easily adapt to multiple screen sizes and will be clearer for recipients to read.

Content is key
Mobile users may be less patient, due to slower download speeds and smaller screens. If a mobile user takes the time to open and read an email, businesses need to reward users with worthwhile content. Marketers should also include the most interesting information at the top of the email to grab the reader’s attention straight away, or use columns to capture the maximum amount of content on the screen.
 
Personalise plain text
While plain text is compatible for all mobile devices, you should ensure the emails are always personalised to ensure they are as relevant to the user as possible.
 
Safe landing
Having put effort into creating a campaign for mobile, don’t ruin it by sending subscribers to a landing page that is not mobile-friendly. This will frustrate current and potential customers. The landing page should look as good on a browser as it does on a phone.
 
Keep the subject line simple
Emails with short and snappy subject lines drive higher open-rates. Remember that mobile users are on the move, so a point needs to be put across straight away. If an email is about a special offer make it clear in the subject, for example “Two-day sale – 50 per cent off all inventory”

Make it finger-friendly
Design your emails so that each is accessible with one hand and, if possible, within reach of the thumb. If email campaigns include a link button, you need to design the button so that it can be easily tapped on with a finger. Customers on the go will find it annoying if they cannot access the information quickly and easily.
 
Don’t forget the pictures
Readers appreciate images. They help to break down the text and improve the design of emails. However, on a mobile device, images need to be small and quick to download. With a responsive design, emails are especially important as they are downloaded automatically and are key to making a good first impression.
 
Robert Phillips is VP of marketing at SendGrid