Conversion-centered email design

You may be wondering what email and pizza have in common. Here's how preparing your email design follows recipe-like steps to help boost conversion rates.

If you're a pizza lover, today's learning is just for you

Now, you're probably asking yourself  "What the heck do pizza and email conversions have in common?!"

If you're looking for an answer, you're in the right place.

We'll be discussing conversion-centered design and how building emails that convert is kind of like preparing a pizza.

Let's hop right in and discuss a 7-step recipe for conversion-centered design that will change the way you plan your email strategy (and hopefully make you think of email the next time you place a pizza order 😉)

What is conversion-centered email design?

As you can likely guess, this principle has a single objective: Design emails that lead to conversions.

How? Well, in our 7-step recipe to getting this right, the goal will be to use persuasive design and a few psychological triggers to help guide readers of your emails toward the action you want them to take.

The great part about conversion-centered design is that you don't only have to apply these principles to your emails!

These principles can be used for your website, sign-up forms and even in the way you structure your social media posts.

You can use one or all of these principles, but your intention remains: Get readers to take the action you want them to take.

Speaking of action, let's get right into it!

Step 1: Capturing Attention

Step 1 - Capturing Attention

Consider this the topping on your pizza.

Just like you choose enticing pizza toppings, to grab someone's attention, you need an attention-grabbing element in your message to pique your audience's interest.

How do you do this? 

1. Variety Matters: Variety in your emails might include compelling visuals, intriguing headlines, or engaging anecdotes. The same, bland content repeated in different ways doesn't often keep the engagement you're looking for. 
   

2. Appeal to Preferences: Different toppings appeal to different tastes, don't they? Consider your audience's preferences when choosing what grabs their attention. What resonates with one group may not work as effectively with another. 
   

3. Visual Presentation: Pay attention to the layout and design of your message. People buy with their eyes, after all, so cohesive, good-looking emails lead to far higher conversions than walls of text or emails that look like they were designed in Microsoft Paint 👀

Step 2: Establishing Context

Step 2 - Establish Context

Next, you tell readers that the next bite will be their best yet.

Your email message should convince your readers that taking action will lead to something valuable.

How do you do this?

1. Whet the Appetite: A great menu description can make your mouth water (well, we know we're guilty of this). In the same way, your emails should evoke emotion and curiosity, essentially compelling readers to take the next step.  

2. Highlight Uniqueness: Highlight what sets your offering apart from the rest. Convey why your audience should choose your solution or take the recommended action over alternatives. What do they say in sales? Benefits trump features.
   

3. A Clear Call to Action: Structure your content to seamlessly lead your readers toward a clear call to action (CTA). This CTA should be the logical next step that aligns with the context you've established. This makes follow-through that much easier.

Step 3 - Ensuring Clarity

Step 3 - Ensure Clarity

This is you telling readers about the quality of your ingredients.

Your email content should clearly explain the value of your offering and why taking action is worth your readers' time.

How do you do this? 

1. Transparency: Your emails should be transparent about what you're providing. Clearly state what your product, service, or message entails. This builds trust and prevents any misunderstanding or misinterpretation.
   

2. Value Proposition: Clearly articulate the unique value your offer brings. What problem does it solve? How does it improve your readers' lives or meet their desires? Communicate the "why" behind your offering to make it compelling.
   

3. Consistency: Just as you'd expect a pizza to match its description, your emails should reflect the reality of what you provide. Inconsistencies lead to disappointment and eroded trust.

Step 4: Maintaining Consistency

Step 4 - Maintain Consistency

Consistency is critical. Like any recipe, if you get this wrong, you'll create a dish (or email) that eventually flops.

Be consistent with your mission or purpose, especially if your goal is to convert readers.

How do you do this?

1. Tone and Voice: Consistency in tone and voice helps establish a coherent and recognizable brand personality. Whether you communicate with a friendly, casual tone or a formal, professional one, maintain that and you'll also build trust.
   

2. Visual Elements: Visual elements like design, colour schemes, and logo usage play the same role as the stringy cheese you're thinking of right now. Consistency in these visual elements reinforces your brand's visual identity.
   

3. Message Alignment: Your emails should align with the experience you promise. If your mission is to provide exceptional value, your emails should consistently emphasize this (just like the one you're reading, isn't it?)

Step 5: Maintaining Social Proof

Step 5 - Maintain Consistency

See this as your pizza review.

Showcasing social proof like testimonials and reviews helps establish credibility in your message.

How do you do this? 

1. Quantify When Possible: Quantifying positive feedback in your emails can be impactful. Mention the number of satisfied customers, awards won, or impressive statistics related to your offering.
   

2. Storytelling with Reviews: Transform reviews into compelling narratives. Share success stories or case studies that illustrate how your product or service positively impacted a customer's life or business.
   

3. Authenticity Matters: Real and heartfelt endorsements from satisfied customers carry more weight than generic or fabricated ones. Plus, no one likes (or trusts) a little liar, do they?

Step 6: Closing Effectively

Step 6 - Close Effectively

Get customers ordering.

Closing effectively, especially through a well-crafted call-to-action (CTA), is about delivering your message in a way that leaves a lasting impact that helps readers understand why they should take immediate action.

How do you do this?

1. Sense of Urgency: Your CTA should instil a sense of urgency in your audience. Clearly convey why taking action now is essential, whether it's a limited-time offer, a deadline, or a special opportunity.
   

2. Clarity and Directness: Your CTA should be clear and direct. It should leave no room for confusion about what action you want your audience to take. Use concise and compelling language.
   

3. Value Proposition: Like biting into a delicious slice of pizza, your CTA should promise immediate value or benefit to your audience. Explain how taking action will improve their situation, solve a problem, or meet their needs.

Step 7: Encouraging Continuity

Step 7 - Encourage Continuity

Here's your free pizza loyalty programme.

Encouraging continuity involves strategies that promote ongoing interactions and cultivate a loyal and engaged audience over time.

How do you do this?

1. Exclusive Benefits: Offer exclusive benefits or rewards to your loyal audience. This could be in the form of special offers. Premium content. Early access. Rewarding loyalty can increase engagement and retention.
   

2. Personalisation: Tailor your communication to individual preferences whenever possible. This makes your audience feel valued and understood.
   

3. Feedback and Improvement: Continuously seek feedback from your audience and use it to improve your emails.

No one gets tired of good pizza (and good emails)

Taking the pizza out of the oven

This is all great, but a great pizza always starts with a few critical steps

mise en place - The preparation of dishes and ingredients before the beginning of service.

You need to start with the end in mind. 

Plan well. Execute then keep adapting. And now you have our permission to go order yourself your favourite, the cheesiest of pizzas.

You've earned it 🍕

Before you go! You'll need an audience to entertain before you begin. Learn the fastest ways to grow your email list today by using the tried and tested Email Database Growth Playbook. Click here or on the image below to get your FREE copy👇

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