Senders will have to apply to be whitelisted by Google to start using these actions – they will need to explain how they plan on using these actions, but ultimately is a simple application process.  Google has set a few restrictions in an effort to provide a level of security as well as ensuring that these actions are useful to users and don’t become line noise

First off, senders must be sending from a static email address, and sign all their messages with DKIM or SPF, preferably both.  Google wants to ensure that if they are displaying an action, it was truly sent by that organization and not a phish.  Secondly, these actions are intended to be used for transactional messaging only; marketer’s hoping to use this in mass form will find that Google has explicitly defined this in their guidelines.

In addition to inbox prompts, this new markup will also drive information from emails into the Google search tool and drive cards into customers ‘Google Now’ view on their mobile devices in both Android and iOS.  Actionable cards give users a real view into what is happening ‘now’ for them.  For those who continue to say email is dead, looks as though the innovation is only begun.  Google will also continue to create more actions, but best of all, being open source, other Inbox providers will be free to add this functionality to their email clients.

Read more on these new Gmail features in a blog post by Google product manager Shalini Agarwal.

Good responsive design begins with a clear understanding of mobile design best practices for the small screen.

MOBILE DESIGN BEST PRACTICES:

• Consider the hierarchy of your content and keep it short and to the point, most important information at the top
• Super subject line and white listing at the top needs to be short
  • Design using large fonts (14px for body copy and 22px for headlines) with good contrast
  • Clear call to action
  • Consider a single column to avoid side scrolling
  • Hide whatever can be considered visual clutter on mobile and go easy on options – get rid of links, copy and images that aren’t useful
  • Make sure the landing pages are mobile friendly too

DICK’S Sporting Goods recently engaged our team to help them make their emails more mobile optimized.  In the email on the left, Dick’s had their super subject line, view in desktop and add to address book text all at the top making the message appear farther down the preview pane.  In addition, the low contrast and small font made the main hero message hard to read and the CTA was not large enough to capture the reader’s attention.  On the right, the mobile optimized version has less text at the top, the offer text is large and easy to read and the design is a single column layout with the CTA button front and center allowing the subscriber to instantly see what the message is about.

Another thing you must consider in mobile optimization is the touch interface. Apple’s recommendation of a minimum touch area is 22px x 44px to avoid accidently clicking the wrong link. 

TOUCH INTERFACE RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Increase font sizes, line spacing, button sizes and white space to allow for finger errors.
• Try not to make them close to the edge of the screen or to each other
• If applicable, link the product, the name and the CTA for more clickable areas

Now we are going to focus on how responsive design can output an optimized mobile version of your email. There are three main elements that can change:

• Headers and Footers Can be Modified
  • Headers and footers can be reformatted, hiding some lesser clicked links such as social sharing and displaying the most common links in a thumb-friendly way
• Layouts Can Change
  • A 3-column email viewed on a small screen will usually mean the content is very small.  By re-ordering the content into one column that stacks, it has more space, making it easier to read and interact with.

• Design Elements Can Change
  • Elements can be swapped out or hidden
  • Images, buttons and text can be resized and colors and font styles can be changed
  • In some instances, elements such as images or text can appear in a mobile device even though they are not on the desktop version

 Responsive Design is the most efficient path toward relevancy to your mobile customer. Demonstrating to your subscriber that you know they are opening on a mobile device & rendering their email message appropriately creates a highly relevant and personalized experience.

P.S. Be sure to include elements of personalization like first name, loyalty status and publishing in one’s nearest store!

Stay tuned for a post in the near future where we will provide you with a downloadable Smart Guide on Responsive Email Design. Coming soon!

We are in a mobile revolution!

Did you know that 63% of Americans will immediately close or delete an email not optimized for mobile and that more than 1/3 of emails worldwide are opened on a mobile device? Oh and they are buying too! 35% of smartphone users make purchases from their device. P.S. Approximately one in three subscribers say they will unsubscribe if the message they receive isn’t optimized for the small screen.

If you are not optimizing your emails for mobile, now is the time. Do not get left behind.

This blog is the first of a two part series where I will walk you through the differences between responsive and scalable / adaptive design, why e-Dialog recommends responsive design in most cases and how to optimize your responsive design messages.

Let’s start with the differences between responsive design and scalable / adaptive design.  While they are both responsive in regards to the width of device, scalable/adaptive design does not use a media query where responsive design does. You ask… what is a media query? A CSS media query is used to give email specific instructions on how to adapt to devices under 480px wide.

Scalable design is based on one HTML code using 100% table widths that span to 100% of whatever size device you are on.   Elements such as font sizes, buttons and images are designed with small devices in mind.   This coding technique works best when there are simple layouts that are mostly HTML text and very few images. 

• PROS: Easier to code and works on all email clients
• CONS: Not a true mobile experience because it is not a single column. Design may also be compromised on some devices.

A responsive layout, which is what e-Dialog recommends for most clients, is one HTML that shows two different layouts that adapt to the size of the screen.  If the device is over 480px wide it will show the desktop version and if it is under 480px wide then it will show a 320px wide version (width of an iPhone).  This coding technique works best on image heavy content which is what we see from most of our clients. 

• PROS: More flexibility to change the mobile content by having the ability to switch, hide, or keep the same content without building an additional email. Part 2 of this blog post will dive into this topic in great detail. 
• CONS: Complex to code and doesn’t work on all emails clients

Here is a visual representation of both design approaches:

While media queries are widely accepted everywhere there are still a few exceptions.  This chart shows you a few devices by phone, default mail app and email reader app.  Of course this chart is always changing as technology progresses.

Although responsive design is more difficult to code, it is worth it. Most emails today would be better served to a mobile audience via responsive design. The investment ultimately means more engaged customers, more revenue and a healthier email file. Check back tomorrow for details on how to take full advantage of the responsive design technology.

Sources: eMarketer, Return Path, Litmus, Pew Internet & American Life Project, http://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/insights/featured/our-mobile-planet-2012/

According to NRF’s Mother’s Day spending survey conducted by BIGinsight, consumers will spend an average of $169 on mom, up 11 percent from last year’s $152. Total spending is expected to reach $20.7 billion. And nearly 3 in 10 Americans will buy their gifts online, up from 25.6 percent last year and the highest in the survey’s 10-year history.

“It’s clear that Americans this year want to honor the woman with the hardest job in the world with unique and special gifts this Mother’s Day,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.” After a long winter that kept many from splurging on any new spring merchandise, retailers are looking forward to opening their doors and surprising shoppers with promotions that are perfect for any gardener, host, fashionista or tech-savvy mom.”

And so it seems everyone and their mother (pun intended) will be out shopping this year. Retailers are pushing the “1^st fashion icon: styles she’ll love” theme across the board. Now when I consider my mom’s fashion during my childhood, I see floral prints, pleated khakis, and perhaps a ‘light jacket’ tied around her waist. She embodied the ‘before’ picture of a makeover. But I digress…below are some enjoyable highlights:

1. Guess: Celebrate your first fashion icon. A wide collection of very trendy products to transform even my own mother.

2. JCrew: JCrew provides a tongue in cheek curated shop to display styles unique to mom’s personality.

3. Coach: Celebrate your ‘1st style icon’ with luxury leather. Who wouldn’t? 

4.  ODLR: Need help with a gift idea? Mother’s Day Picks are featured from ODLR’s ‘PR Girl’. Complete gift guide for mom that ‘makes her feel special’. Very personal feel to it with colorful insight.

5. Bed Bath & Beyond: Make it count! Creative language and cross-channel social integration with FB post of most memorable mother’s day gift make for an engaging message.

So as a new mom, I hope to embrace these retailers’ spring lines this year so my daughter will begin to develop her ‘fashion sense’ appropriately (I’ll have to keep my ‘mom jeans’ wearing to a minimum). As for the mother’s day gift, I’ll always accept a macaroni framed shoebox with love, as long as there are Tory Burch sandals inside. Happy shopping!

It is always a hot topic with e-mail marketers and there are many who are striving to do their very best to find a model or tactic to perfect personalization. As a bit of an e-mail marketing geek, I get excited anytime that I can identify an e-mail that has been clearly targeted to me. Over the past year, I’ve really enjoyed receiving several emails from TripAdvisor. This one is a great example of dynamic and personalized publishing.

Last summer I searched, rated and reviewed on TripAdvisor’s website following a trip I had to Dumfries. Periodically throughout the year they reminded me of that trip and reviews but this is the first overt messaging for me to book again.

The first module, on hotels, features 1 location that I’ve been to (Dumfries), and 2 locations that I’ve searched (Cardiff & Boston). The rest of the treatments in that module seem to be randomly chosen; and perhaps they could have focused on other destinations that could have been related to the 3 I chose).

The second module, on trips, I find extraordinarily inspirational and I like the setup of the creative with all the various inspiration images (lions, elephants, and pyramids, oh my!).

The third module, on flights, which highlights the cheapest flights found (note that Boston is there, per my search habits) is also a great addition to the e-mail. This time it feels like the modeling for the personalization of the additional locations took my searches and habits on their site into consideration.

 Overall this is one of the better dynamic/personalized emails I’ve received in some time!

Please join e-Dialog, in partnership with Econsultancy, for an exclusive webinar, “Responsive Email Design: Optimizing the Inbox” on Tuesday, April 30 at 12 p.m. EST. This webinar will cover the importance of Responsive Email Design, how it works, design considerations and solutions, and tips for assessing your organization’s readiness.

This webinar will be presented by e-Dialog’s Alanna Vallee, Senior Client Services Director, and Jennifer Dabrowski, Senior Designer.

REGISTER NOW

In this point of view paper, Monica Gout, VP of GSI Strategy Services presents the case for why social should be built into all customer experiences, and lays out some recommendations for brands and retailers to begin implementing today. Download now.

While many emarketers chose to carry on with their usual daily promotions, a few made quick decisions to utilize their geographical data to send out targeted messages through the inbox and social media channels.

Monday night, I received a note from jetBlue. SL: “Our Thoughts Are With You, Boston.” The note was a heartfelt and provided comfort, knowing that the company had the city and those affected by the tragedy in their best interest. jetBlue also offered to waive any change fees for travel, reinsuring its customers that safety should be their number 1 priority.

The next targeted response was from DailyCandy. SL “Boston- We Love You, Boston” The message was simple, “From the bottom of our heart. We stand with you.”

The social share button linked off to the “Red Cross Safe and Well list” and “Google’s Person Finder” app. These apps played vital support for those looking for their loved ones after the bombings.

Rue La La, based in Boston, sent out the letter below from its CEO to all its customers, stating that instead of opening its daily boutique sale at 11AM, they would hold a period of silence to pay respect to those who were lost in the violence.

Later in the day, the boutique opened and featured an “Honor Boston” t-shirt, with proceeds from the sale going to the Emergency Medicine Fund at Massachusetts General Hospital which supports the patients and families affected by the tragedy.

The last message I received was from Dunkin’ Donuts. SL: “Boston, you’re in our thoughts”

The message was simple, yet highly effective at showing Boston customers their support. The company also shared their thoughts through Facebook and Twitter.

The days ahead will be difficult, but it’s heartwarming to know that so many companies reacted appropriately by communicating their support. Knowing when and how to utilize big data was a key factor in the success of accurately targeting and reaching out to those affected by the tragedy.