Hi there,
The most fun part about email marketing is the design.
When you see a beautiful email from a brand you love, it gives you a dopamine hit. It stops you mid-scroll. It makes you want to keep reading.
Most brands in 2026 are still not doing this right.
The 3 Most Common Email Design Mistakes:
Outdated designs.
Most brands still have email designs in their flows that were last updated in 2023. The ecom landscape has evolved. Their emails haven't.
Non-optimal layouts.
They're using layouts that aren't built for clicks and conversions. The structure of your email determines how people move through it. A poor layout means people drop off before they ever get to the CTA.
Flat out ugly emails.
The most common mistake. No visual hierarchy. Poor spacing. Inconsistent fonts and colors. Emails that look like they were thrown together in 10 minutes.
Why Great Email Design Matters:
If you can get this right, here's what you can expect:
Higher engagement.
Nice designs give a positive dopamine response. People are more likely to open, read, and click an email that looks good.
More sales.
High-converting layouts guide the reader's eye directly to the CTA. Better layout equals more clicks equals more revenue.
Better brand reputation.
Past 8 figures, your brand is everything. Every touchpoint a customer has with your brand shapes how they perceive you. Your emails are no different.
The Optimal Email Layout:
After designing nearly 10,000 emails, here is the best format we've found. It's also the same format that most of the top DTC brands are using.
Banner:
Logo at the top. Headline (2-4 words) that stops the scroll. Optional subheadline to reinforce the hook or add urgency. Hero image. CTA button.
Body text/bridge:
1-2 sentences of short copy that connects the hook to the offer or product. Optional subheader for added proof or context.
Content section:
This is where you showcase your product, reviews, benefits, lifestyle imagery, UGC, or whatever is most relevant to the campaign.
Bottom banner:
A final subheader. A supporting image. A repeat CTA button. This gives readers who scrolled all the way down a second chance to click.
The 4-Step Design Process:
Here's the process we use at Grow Pronto and that we'd recommend your team follow too.
Step 1: Find design inspiration.
Think about the brands you love the aesthetic of. The ones that make you stop and look. Sign up for their emails and study them.
Step 2: Screenshot emails you like and emulate them.
Save the emails that catch your eye. When you sit down to design, use them as a reference. You're not copying. You're learning from the best.
Step 3: Write your copy using the optimal layout.
Use the banner, bridge, content, and bottom banner structure above. Write the copy for each section before you start designing.
Step 4: Design the email.
Now bring it all together. Use your inspiration, your copy, and the optimal layout to build an email that looks great and converts.
Hope this helps.
Best,
Luca
Free Resources
Resources to help you scale
Use these resources to help improve your brand’s email marketing.
Design Guide
Learn how to design emails that convert, including layout, visual hierarchy, and mobile optimization.
Get the Guide1,000 Campaign Email Designs (Swipe File)
A curated collection of 1,000 real high-performing campaign emails you can model and draw inspiration from.
Get the Swipe FilePlug-and-Play Figma Email Designs
Reusable email design templates built from real client work to speed up your production process.
Get the Figma File
Bonus: Watch the YouTube video below on this exact topic 👇
