Definition
Mobile optimization adjusts your email design and coding so it renders well on small screens. This includes responsive layouts, readable font sizes, touch-friendly buttons, and fast-loading images. Mobile opens have surpassed desktop in most industries, making optimization essential.
Key Practices
- Use responsive email design: CSS media queries allow layouts to adapt to screen width. Use a single-column layout for mobile.
- Set minimum font sizes: Body text should be at least 14-16px to be readable without zooming. Headlines should be 20-24px.
- Make CTAs touch-friendly: Buttons should be at least 44x44 pixels with adequate spacing to prevent accidental taps.
- Optimise images: Compress images to reduce load time on mobile connections. Include alt text for when images are blocked.
- Test on real devices: Preview emails on actual phones before sending. Rendering can differ significantly between email clients.
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Related Glossary Terms
A/B Testing
A/B testing in email marketing is the practice of sending two variations of an email to a small sample of your list to determine which version performs better before sending the winner to the remaining subscribers.
Above the Fold in Email
Above the fold in email refers to the content visible to a recipient before they scroll, a critical area for first impressions and primary calls to action.
Accessible CTA (Email)
An accessible CTA is a button or link coded with sufficient colour contrast, visible focus states, descriptive screen-reader text, and a minimum touch target of 44×44 pixels.
Adaptive Design
Adaptive design in email uses predefined layouts that adjust to specific device or client widths, rather than fluidly resizing to every possible screen.
AI-Generated Content in Email
AI-generated content in email is copy, images, code or subject lines produced by artificial intelligence tools to speed up campaign production and testing.
Alt Text
Alt text is the written alternative to an image in an email, displayed when images are blocked, slow to load, or consumed by screen readers.