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11 High-Performing Email Design Examples for Inspiration

Rida Ali Khan

Remember those school days when your teacher was picking out children for lead roles in the annual drama? Everyone struggled to win her attention and show her that they had it all. 

That’s exactly how your emails struggle to win your recipients’ attention in their inbox. Statistics say that 333.2 billion emails are sent and received each day, and this number will increase in the coming years. 

If you’re an email marketer thinking of ways to make your email stand out, we have good news for you. 

We’ve handpicked 11 appealing email design examples that are surely worthy of clicks and conversions.

And when we say email design, the email’s copy, layout, colors, and Call-To-Action (CTA) buttons are all part of it. You don't even need to have expertise in email marketing graphics for this.

So without further ado, let’s have a look; 

11 Email Designs That Are Totally Worthy of Conversions

They say, “creativity is intelligence having fun,” and each of the following email designs visually represents that. 

Keep on reading to know why we like the following emails so much; 

1. Flamingo Estate 

Email type: Product introductory email 

Flamingo Estate sent this email to introduce their new flavor of honey - Golden Yuzu Zest Honey. 

It has a prominent and catchy email header that describes this new flavor. The header is followed by a CTA button and an image of the product that entices their reader to purchase it right away. 

To further convince their readers, they wrote a short and simple message that sheds light on the ingredients and usage of this honey. 

The key takeaway from this email is that whenever you’re introducing a new product, always mention what’s unique about it. 

Email design example from Flamingo Estate

2. Slice

Email type: Promotional email 

Well, we liked this email from Slice for 2 reasons. First is the patriotic theme and second is their witty email copy that says "United Tastes of America." 

A key takeaway from this email design is that no matter what your product is, advertise it in a way that its target audience can relate to it. Just the way all Americans relate to their favorite food - pizza. 

Also, notice how they used yellow color for the $5 sign to instantly catch their reader’s attention amidst the colors of the flag. It’s pretty attention-grabbing. 

Email design example from Slice

3. Nomad Goods

Email type: Abandoned cart email 

This email was designed to simply direct the reader to take action, i.e., complete the purchase. 

The phrase “What Happened?” instantly catches attention. Also, the color scheme of the email perfectly goes with the product that they are talking about. If you’re having trouble finding a color that matches your product then have a look at Unlayer's wide range of pre-designed email templates that are available in various colors. 

The key takeaway is that a minimalistic design is perfect for an abandoned cart email. 

Email design example from Nomad Goods

4. Bonobos 

Email type: Abandoned cart email 

Humour may not catch the eye, but it steals the heart. Just like this email did. Have you heard of the phrase “like a headless chicken,” which means someone with a confused state of mind?

This image represents that confusion and cluelessness. 

Definitely, something that made us chuckle. Just beneath the cute image, they’ve mentioned that if their reader is confused about the checkout process, then s/he can approach the brand by clicking on the CTA button. 

A key takeaway from this email design is to always welcome the idea of adding humor and puns to your email. 

Email design example from Bonobos

5. Chick-fil-A

Email type: Product update email

This email caught our attention because it gives the reader an itch to finish the puzzle at first glance. It’s perfectly designed to hook on readers. 

We must say that adding a vibrant background color to this email would have added more beauty but none the less it’s attractive enough to boost engagement. 

The puzzle makes readers curious to know the product's name, which is also the answer to this puzzle. 

The key takeaway from this email design is that adding elements of fun and curiosity is always a good idea. 

Email design example from Chick-fil-A

6. DAVIDsTEA

Email type: Loyalty/Rewards email 

We picked this email because it’s just so cute!

DAVIDsTEA sent this email to show how much they value their loyal customers. They picked some cute colors for the design, and also this email is highly personalized. 

We're sure that this email left their readers touched. Also, we love how neatly they segmented each message through their design.

So, the takeaway message from this design is that whenever you have a lot of content to add, be sure to distribute it nicely, as this email did. 

Email design example from DAVIDsTEA

7. Frye

Email type: Feedback email 

To-the-point emails always win. Statista says that the average time spent by a recipient to read brand emails is 10 seconds

So you can either use those 10 seconds to hook your recipient or get your message across, it’s your call. This email does the latter, and they did it pretty nicely. 

This is a feedback email from a footwear brand, so they chose an image of their product as the email’s background to show brand representation. 

On top of that, there’s a precise copy that encourages readers to fill out a review form and win a discount. This message is followed by a prominent and descriptive CTA button. 

A key takeaway from this email is to be as clear as possible about what you want from your recipient. 

Email design example from Frye

8. Bose

Email type: Black Friday/Promotional email

We liked this email because interactive elements in any way are a total hit. 

Bose sent out this email to reveal their Black Friday sale, and they hooked on their readers by asking them to scratch and reveal the deal.

Such designs are perfect for instilling curiosity with a fun element. 

Also, notice how they used the black color in their email to follow the Black Friday theme, and the grey scratch coupon stands out perfectly in contrast.  

The key takeaway from this email design is that when you’re creating an email for an event as popular as Black Friday, be sure to do something totally out of the box. 

Email design example from Bose

9. &Open

Email type: Christmas email

If you’re someone who starts their holiday shopping at the 11th hour, then you’ll understand how attractive and heroic this email design looks. 

The header design accurately creates an urgency factor. Beneath the header and image, there’s a text asking the readers that if they are confused about shopping, they can always consult the brand by clicking the CTA button below.  

The key takeaway from this email design is that always think of unique ideas for adding value to your customer’s life and experiences, just like this email did. 

Email design example from &Open

10. Vimeo

Email type: Year-end review email

Vimeo sent out this email as a rundown of the year 2021, and it’s safe to say that they’ve nailed the design. And that’s mainly because there’s a video embedded in this email

Research says that videos in email increase the click-through rates up to 300%. So, our key takeaway from this email is to add videos in emails wherever you think it will look nice. 

Plus, the header design, written content, and perfect spacing make this email design look pretty chic. It left us rapt, at least. 

Email design example from Vimeo

11. Postable 

Email Type: Referral email 

We saved the cutest for the last. This email is attractive because it has a GIF in it, and honestly, we all know how obsessed everyone is with GIFs.

Additionally, the teal color against the yellow background gives this email a fun feel, we must credit them for that too. 

This email is just perfect. It has a one-liner textual content, an eye-catching CTA button, and the reward for referring a friend is included in the GIF, leaving high chances to imprint that in their reader’s head. 

A key takeaway from this email would be that using more than 1 attractive element is always a good idea. 

Email design example from Postable

That’s about it. We’re sure that you liked most of these too. If that’s true, let us quickly tell you some tips to make email designs that will entice your recipients to engage with you. 

How to Make Your Email Designs Worthy of Inspiration?

Like we said before, it’s not easy to create email designs that catch the eye. So, make sure you incorporate most (if not all) of the following qualities. 

6 elements to make your emails worthy of inspiration

Responsiveness

Statistics say that 64% of decision-makers read their emails through mobiles. So, make sure your email designs are responsive on all devices. 

Speaking of which, Unlayer provides 1,000+ responsive email templates that can be easily modified as per your choice.  Try them out to create mobile-friendly emails. 

Create Responsive Email Designs

Quick & Easy
Email Templates

Originality

Uniqueness is an element that will make your email instantly stand out. So be sure to skim through various designs and come up with your own best. 

Expressive colors

Try to express your brand or message through colors. For instance, if your product is luxurious, use purple or black. If it’s fun, then go for bright colors. 

Campaign-centered

If you’re designing an email for a special event, then show that in your design through elements such as pumpkins on Halloween, etc. Campaign-centered theme makes your emails look exclusive. 

Balance

Create the right balance between the contents of your email. If it’s text-heavy, then go easy on the colors and other elements, and vice versa. 

Accessibility

Ensure sufficient contrast between the colors of text and background. Also, don’t forget to add alt-text to all images, and descriptive texts for links. 

Trust us; these tips are a treasure. You’ll understand once you try them out. 

Final Thoughts

Before we go, here’s our main takeaway tip from all these amazing email design examples. That is, you can only create such eye-catching designs after practicing a lot and analyzing the best ones. 

We hope to see your email next in this list of best-designed emails. Cheers!

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