How to Create a High Converting Email

Call to Action

The call the action or the CTA is one of the most important sections of your email. It’s what gets subscribers to take the action you want them to take. People need to be told explicitly what you want them to do.

For example, if you’re sending an email that features your latest product, you need a button that tells your reader to buy it. Or if you want your readers to click on a link to your latest article, you need to tell them to.

In every email you send, you need a relevant CTA. It should focus on the action you want them to take. Use action-oriented text related to the action you desire them to take.

Use one of these samples.

To encourage a purchase use:

• Shop now
• Shop our best sellers
• Act now
• Shop our spring collection
• Buy now
• Claim your coupon
• Get 30{495e61a8be0728ba5e4172c16a68a1b05f8df91b32cf783b0a6ac5a97f0ba813} off now
• Free gift with purchase
• Shop Santa’s favorites
• Our gift: 10{495e61a8be0728ba5e4172c16a68a1b05f8df91b32cf783b0a6ac5a97f0ba813} off

For Content clicks:

• Learn more
• Read more
• Download now
• Download the eBook
• Read the full story
• Keep reading
• Watch now
• See the amazing video
• Hear his story

For events:

• Register now
• Reserve your spot
• Book your ticket
• I’m coming
• Save me a spot
• Count me in
• Register for his webinar

Services:

• Book your appointment
• Start your free trial
• Upgrade now
• Start today
• Find out how
• Start now. Get results

Feedback and connections:

• Complete our quick survey
• Take a survey
• Leave a review
• Follow us
• Let us know how we did
• Like us on Facebook

Make your CTA legible. Keep the text short. Keep the number to a small amount, two is best. Place one above the fold and the other one near the bottom.

The design of your CTA can be a button or a different color text. It needs to be the appropriate size, meaning it can’t fit across the page. Use white space near the call to action to draw the reader’s eye to it.

The copy should be relatable and short. Keep it to the point. Use “I” or “me” whenever possible. And always test your CTA placement, color and copy. Test one thing at a time to see if your changes make any difference.

Signature

The signature is your chance to sell yourself. The average email signature has your name, maybe your title, some way to contact you and possibly your logo.

Keep it simple. It doesn’t necessarily have to be elaborate.

For example:

Jill Jones

Marketing Manager, AAA Systems

Phone: 555-555-5555

This is a simple signature that works for many types of emails. But if you want it to sell for you, it needs to be optimized better. And it’s not doing anything to interest the reader. It’s not building your credibility and authority either.

And it’s definitely not showcasing anything relevant to your reader.

You want the signature to be a place where you can continue your sales conversation. Here is where you can make it interesting so that when the reader sees it, they immediately think it looks interesting.

• Add a photo to your signature. You can do this with and email signature generator or the right tech know how. A photo gives your signature more impact, makes it memorable and shows personality. And images draw attention and add interest visually.
• Use color to add visual interest and make your name stand out. Different colors evoke specific emotions so be sure to use a color that is relevant to your company. Be cautious using color, though. Using more than 1 or 2 colors can make your signature look busy and cluttered, with the colors often clashing for attention.
• Include links to your social media channels using icons that represent each site’s logo instead of using long hyperlinked URLs.
• Create balanced design between the content, type and imagery. Make use of dividers and white space to separate different elements and direct the reader’s eye. Use bold or capped type to attract the eye to important information but use it sparingly.

Test different ways to sell through your signature in your emails.

1. Showcase your press features. Boost your credibility and sell passively by including a link to your press articles in relevant publications. Present ones that highlight your company’s accomplishments. If you don’t have any article features yet, then publish your own recent success and news in your company blog and mention those.
2. List links to your recent webinar recordings. Your readers will be curious to learn more about you, your products, or interviews you do.
3. Link to positive and relevant case studies you’ve done about your product or service. Case studies add a huge amount of credibility for you. Potential customers get the opportunity to hear the benefits and how your product is used from those actually using them.

At the very least your signature should identify who you are and what you do, your company and how to contact you. But by including links and other information about what’s going on in your business, you create another form of a call to action for the reader.

P.S.

The P.S. is the postscript. It’s the last little additional thought you add at the end of your letter or email. It’s a way to reiterate the call to action, provide bonus information or offer, or share a testimonial.

The P.S. is a way you can get a specific point in your email noticed. People tend to remember what’s at the beginning and end of text in your emails so including a P.S. is a great way to quickly reiterate what you want them to do.

“The P.S. is the most charming part of a letter. It’s the wink you give as you walk away.”

—Shaun Usher, author of Letters of Note, for The Wall Street Journal

• Use the P.S. to create a sense of urgency. It could be a deadline approaching, a limited number, or something else that gets readers to take action.
• Use the P.S. to provide another CTA. Invite readers to take action by linking to your landing page, a video sales page, your webinar registration page or some other type of action.
• Use the P. S. to add another thought to your email. This can be an extra thought that doesn’t quite fit into your main message or maybe a funny thought that makes your email stand out from other messages.
• The P.S. can be helpful in making connections. Invite readers to connect by adding links to your social media channels or subscribe to your side-content such as podcasts, videos, blog, etc.)
• Promote bonuses or share more value in your P.S. Share discounts, previews, extra tips, testimonials from other customers, bonuses or anything else that is of value to the reader.

The P.S. is the perfect place to add extra value, reiterate your message and the last chance to ask for the reader to take a specific action.