Start with the Header Bar and Hero Area
Most people assume the hero image is the very first thing a subscriber looks at. Visually, people read from the top down, which makes your top header bar the first piece of real estate they hit. In my books, this space should always reinforce an offer, whether that is free shipping over $50, a current promotion, or a satisfaction guarantee.
Directly beneath that, your hero section needs to establish the primary focus immediately. Make sure the hero image includes a clear call to action button right inside the graphic. If a subscriber is already sold, they should not have to hunt for a link to start browsing.
When choosing imagery, photography showing people looking directly at the camera tends to convert better than isolated product cutouts. If your brand does not have lifestyle shots yet, product cutouts work fine, but add subtle shadows underneath to lift the assets off the background.
Body Copy, Fonts, and Secondary CTAs
Keep your body copy short, clear, and scannable. Two or three punchy sentences are almost always better than a wall of brand storytelling. That is a mistake I see regularly.
Stick to web-safe fonts for your primary live text. While custom brand fonts look sharp in design software, they render terribly if your recipient does not have that specific font installed on their device. When custom typography fails, email clients fall back to standard system fonts, which frequently wrecks your line breaks and layout spacing.
Always place a secondary text CTA button immediately following your copy block. If someone reads your opening paragraph and decides to click, you do not want them scrolling back up to find the hero button. Keep the path to purchase frictionless.
Product Grids and Secondary Angles
Below the primary message, introduce a product grid. This section should showcase your bestsellers or high-margin items. Give each product card its own clear title, pricing, and individual call to action button rather than relying on a generic click.
If the main hook of your email did not appeal to the reader, the section directly beneath your product grid should introduce a secondary focus. For example, if your hero promoted shirts and the subscriber scrolled past it, use this lower block to pitch footwear or accessories instead. Giving the subscriber a different product category gives you a second chance at the conversion before they drop off.
Social Proof, Trust Badges, and Clean Footers
Every commercial email should feature social proof. Include real customer reviews, and ideally, use quotes that feature photos from actual buyers. Fake reviews without customer attribution do not work, and customers see straight through them.
- Trust Badges: Display icons for guarantees, fast dispatch, warranties, or secure checkout. If your brand is relatively new, this section does heavy lifting to overcome purchase hesitation.
- Live Social Links: Only include links to social channels that your team actively maintains. Linking out to an abandoned profile damages credibility immediately.
- Custom Footer: Design your footer styling directly inside the template, including your unsubscribe link and company details. If you omit the unsubscribe tag, platforms like Klaviyo will force a default block into the bottom that breaks your aesthetic.
Mobile Optimisation and Stacking Rules
Desktop email canvases are typically built at 600 pixels wide, while mobile layouts should be targeted around 375 pixels wide. Do not rely on automatic responsive resizing to do all the work, because compressing multi-column desktop blocks into a small mobile screen creates illegible text and tiny, unclickable buttons.
Set your body text to a minimum of 16px on mobile to guarantee readability. In Klaviyo, use desktop-only and mobile-only block toggles to control the display completely. Two-column product grids should be set to stack into a single column on mobile screens so product imagery stays prominent and touch targets remain large enough for thumbs.
Final Thoughts
A good email template is built on visual hierarchy, readability, and frictionless navigation. When you design dedicated layouts for mobile and desktop, stick to web-safe typography, and stack your trust signals properly, your engagement metrics will reflect it.
If you want our team to audit your current email designs and build high-converting templates tailored to your store, take a look at our email campaign services.
