Free email templates are easy to find but they may not always do what you want them to do or they aren’t quite right. This is where learning a little html and designing your own email templates may work better for you. The biggest thing you have to watch for is that your template looks the same across all the email clients. You need to do that with the free email templates, also.
If you don’t want to, or can’t, make your own email template and you don’t like the free email templates you can always pay for one. Nope, it’s not free but neither will it cost an arm and a leg. When you buy templates you should get some support with it if you encounter problems. If you don’t I’d stay away from that template.
If you’re doing email marketing you might want to hire someone to create 15 or so different templates for you. Why hire someone instead of using the free email templates? Because you want to look professional and have some personal touches that the free email templates just don’t have.
There are certain items that will be in every email template you create. That should be obvious to everyone because there are certain things your email won’t get delivered without.
- Email Subject Line
- Email Address of the recipient
- Email Signature
- Salutation
- Body of the email
- Email Footer
Whether it’s one of the free email templates or one you pay for or make yourself you just have to have all of those things.
Your email subject line should be something that catches the persons interest. Short, snappy and to the point.
Any email templates with out a line for the email address of the recipient shouldn’t call itself a template. The internet has to know where the email is going or it won’t get delivered. No brainer there, huh?
A lot of the free email templates don’t go the extra mile and let you make changes to things like fonts, colors and positions. However if you look around you can find some free templates that will work for you.
Free email templates should also have a place for your sig. Your email sig will contain more information and probably links to other websites or products you are promoting. An email template without a place for a sig will cost you money.
Obviously you need an email body. Lol, not much of an email if you don’t have a place to say anything. The email footer is also important as it’s where you can stick the unsubscribe link. Making it easy to unsubscribe from your email marketing is part of the email marketing best practices you should follow anyway.
What else should you pay attention to?
Color is very important. Your emails should always have your company colors and logo somewhere. It makes you look much more professional. Not all free email templates allow you to do this. If you are using a free design make sure it isn’t using weird colors that will offend your audience.
Your free templates should also give you the ability to embed video. If you are doing any kind of marketing now days you aren’t considered very knowledgeable unless you have some video. Make sure you can get it in the no cost templates as you will need it. It’s a real pita to change from free email templates in the future so the more you get right now the easier it will be in the future.