Definition
The Von Restorff effect, also called the isolation effect, describes how distinctive items are more likely to be remembered. In email design, your primary CTA button should be visually different from everything else on the page — different colour, size, shape, or position.
Application
- Button colour: Use a contrasting colour for your CTA that does not appear elsewhere in the email
- White space: Surround your CTA with generous white space to make it visually distinct
- Size: Make the CTA button larger than any other clickable element
- Position: Place the CTA where it naturally stands out — usually above the fold and again near the bottom
Common Mistakes
Using the same colour for your CTA as your header or other design elements. Placing the CTA in a cluttered area where it competes with other content. Making the CTA too small to be immediately noticeable.
Related Glossary Terms
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.
AIDA Model for Email
The AIDA model (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) is a classic copywriting framework used to structure email campaigns that guide subscribers from awareness to conversion.
Anchoring Effect in Email Marketing
The anchoring effect is a cognitive bias where the first piece of information presented (the anchor) influences subsequent decisions, used in email to frame pricing and value perception.
Authority Principle in Email Marketing
The authority principle is a persuasion concept where people trust and follow the guidance of perceived experts, used in email marketing through credentials, certifications, and expert positioning.
BAB Framework for Email
The BAB framework (Before-After-Bridge) is a copywriting structure that paints a picture of the subscriber's current struggle, contrasts it with a better future, and presents your solution as the bridge.
Bundle Email
A bundle email promotes a package deal combining multiple products or services at a discounted price, designed to increase average order value and move inventory.