The argument is over. Mobile devices have won with regards to email marketing. According to recent research, most websites are visited via mobile devices and it appears that it won’t be long before the majority of purchases are completed via them as well.

Remarkably a significant number of marketing emails are not mobile friendly. Here is an unscientific overview of the main mistakes I’ve noted during an hour’s research.

1. Website

Whilst all websites were responsive, the layout changing for screens of various sizes, in an inexcusable number of cases the content had been set up for large screen viewing. The text was too small and the images often difficult to read on small screens. 

2. Landing page

There were similar problems with landing pages but these were exacerbated by forms that were difficult to read and, more importantly, to complete.

3. Marketing emails

There were lots of errors here, although the main ones were:

• Subject Lines that are too long. 30 characters is practical maximum. Anything else is risk.
• Buttons that are too small and not obvious. Whilst it is true to say that if a person really wants to buy they’ll search for the button, for the undecided it might be too much bother.
• Too much text. Instead of descriptions, use images. Keep text to just the essentials.
• Confusing images. Pictures should be simple and clear. Keep backgrounds plain or delete them altogether.
• Preheaders wasted. A preheader is the first line of your email. This is not the place for ‘If this message is not displaying correctly . . .’ It needs to sell. Expanding on the Subject Line is the classic option.
• A vague From name. A clear From name is critical in whether your marketing email is opened. It is the first thing most subscribers see so it needs to reassure. 

In pre-mobile days we were told how little time people spend assessing a marketing email. That was the good old days. It is much shorter now. The whole buying process must be mobile friendly, and that goes from the initial email to completion.

Such basic errors as above mean a lower ROI.