Header Bar and Above-the-Fold Real Estate
Above the fold is the area of your email a subscriber sees before they scroll a single millimetre. If you fail to hook them there, you lose the click.
We start with a dedicated top header bar. For welcome flows and cart recovery emails, this is where you reiterate your offer. If you promised a 10% discount on sign-up, place the code right at the top so the reader can copy it immediately without digging through paragraphs of text.
Below that comes your logo to reinforce brand familiarity. Keep it clean, centred or neatly left-aligned, and do not let it take up half the mobile screen.
The Hero Image and Primary Call to Action
Your header image needs to do one job: explain the core proposition in under five words. Busy hero banners with cluttered text overlays just get skipped.
Feature your primary product clearly, ideally with high-quality lifestyle photography alongside crisp pack shots. Directly beneath or within that hero section, add a clear primary call to action (CTA) button, such as "Try Now" or "Shop Best Sellers".
Most of your engaged subscribers will make their purchase decision right here. That is why your first CTA must sit above the fold on both mobile and desktop screens.
Body Copy and Web-Safe Fonts
Below the hero banner sits your core narrative. This is where you explain the problem your product solves or tell a brief brand story in two or three short paragraphs.
Stick to web-safe fonts like Helvetica or Arial for live text blocks. If you use a custom brand font inside a standard Klaviyo text block, inbox providers will simply substitute a generic fallback font if the user does not have your font installed on their device. That breaks your layout instantly.
For font sizing, I recommend 16px to 20px on desktop and never drop below 16px on mobile. Anything smaller forces subscribers to pinch and zoom, which kills your click-through rate.
Product Grids: Desktop vs Mobile Layouts
Highlighting your bestselling products gives undecided subscribers alternative paths to purchase. How you arrange them across screen sizes matters immensely.
On desktop, a four-product grid across a single row works well. On mobile devices, that same layout shrinks the images and text to unreadable proportions. People cannot tap tiny buttons with their thumbs.
Stack your mobile product layout into a two-by-two grid or a clean vertical list with dedicated buttons beneath each item. It makes the email longer, but that is a trade-off worth making every time if it improves tap accuracy.
Social Proof: Reviews and Trust Badges
Subscribers who scroll past your product grid need reassurance before they hand over their credit card details. This is where social proof does the heavy lifting.
I try to include at least one authentic customer review in every single email template we design. Use real customer names, star ratings, and unedited quotes. Fake-sounding reviews destroy trust instantly.
Right below the review block, place your trust badges. These highlight key buying assurances, such as:
- 30-day money-back guarantees
- Free shipping thresholds (e.g. free delivery over $50)
- Dietary or manufacturing certifications like vegan, organic, or sustainably sourced
Skeptical readers look for these guarantees near the bottom of the page before committing to a purchase.
Designing a Controlled Footer
Never rely on default, unstyled footer settings. Klaviyo will automatically inject an unsubscribe link if you forget one, but it often defaults to unformatted text that looks amateurish.
Design your footer deliberately. Include your logo, active social icons, and your legal unsubscribe and preferences links styled in your exact brand colours and font sizes.
Social icons will not drive massive direct revenue, but they give curious readers an easy way to verify your community presence and credibility.
Final Thoughts
A good ecommerce email balances visual appeal with ruthless functional hierarchy. Keep your discount and core CTA above the fold, use legible body copy, and stack social proof towards the bottom for hesitant buyers. When every section has a clear purpose, conversion rates follow.
If you want our team to audit and rebuild your email templates for maximum revenue, take a look at our Email Campaigns service.
