Should I use Klaviyo's template builder or custom HTML?

Klaviyo's drag-and-drop builder is sufficient for 95% of eCommerce brands. Custom HTML gives you more flexibility but requires a developer for changes. Start with the builder. Only invest in custom HTML if your brand has specific design requirements the builder can't handle.

How many images should be in an email?

For campaigns: one hero image and optionally 2-4 product images in a grid. For flows: usually one image or plain text. The more images, the slower the email loads and the more likely it triggers spam filters. Keep it lean.

Dark mode breaks my email design. How do I fix it?

Use transparent PNG images (not JPGs on white backgrounds). Add dark mode meta tags in your template HTML. Use Klaviyo's dark mode preview to test. Avoid white backgrounds that become jarring in dark mode. Design with both modes in mind from the start.

What font should I use in emails?

Web-safe fonts only: Arial, Helvetica, Georgia, Verdana. Custom fonts don't render consistently across email clients. If brand fonts matter, use them in hero images — not in body text. Readability beats brand consistency in email.

Do GIFs improve email performance?

Sometimes. Short GIFs showing product in use or a quick animation can increase click rates by 10-15%. But they add file size — keep GIFs under 500KB and under 3 seconds. Not all email clients support GIFs (Outlook shows only the first frame), so make sure the first frame communicates the message.

Email Design Guide

Your emails look beautiful. They also don't convert. Let's fix that.

There's a myth in eCommerce that better-looking emails perform better. They don't. The most revenue-generating emails we manage are simple, focused, and structured for scanning — not for design awards.

The brands that obsess over pixel-perfect email designs are usually the same ones with 1% click-through rates. Meanwhile, emails with a clear hierarchy, one hero image, short copy, and a single CTA button crush it at 4-5%.

Here's what actually matters in email template design: mobile readability (60%+ of opens happen on phones), visual hierarchy that guides the eye to the CTA, fast load times (heavy images kill engagement on slow connections), and brand consistency without clutter. Here's how to build templates that sell.

60%+

Emails Opened on Mobile

4-5%

Click Rate (Good Templates)

150+

Brands We Design For

1 CTA

Per Email (Max Performance)

How to fix this — step by step

Design mobile-first, not desktop-first

Over 60% of your subscribers open emails on a phone. Design for a 320px width first, then expand for desktop. Single-column layout. Large, tappable buttons (44px minimum height). Text at 16px minimum. Images that scale cleanly. If your email looks great on desktop but requires pinching and scrolling on mobile, you've lost the majority of your audience.

Build a visual hierarchy: image, headline, body, CTA

Every email should follow this structure: one hero image or GIF at the top, a bold headline that states the value, 2-3 lines of supporting copy, and a prominent CTA button. That's it. The reader's eye should flow naturally from image to headline to button in under 5 seconds. If someone has to read your email to figure out what to do, the design has failed.

Keep your template library small and consistent

You need three to four templates: a product launch template (hero image, headline, CTA), a content/educational template (text-focused with one image), a product grid template (for collections or recommendations), and a plain text template (for personal messages from the founder). Create these in Klaviyo's template builder, brand them with your colors and fonts, and reuse them for every campaign. Consistency builds recognition.

Optimize images for speed and deliverability

Heavy images slow email load times and trigger spam filters. Keep total email size under 100KB. Compress images before uploading. Use a 60/40 text-to-image ratio — emails that are mostly images get flagged by spam filters. Always include alt text on every image (25% of subscribers have images blocked by default). Use Klaviyo's built-in image hosting for reliable delivery.

Make the CTA button the most prominent element

Your CTA button should be the most visually prominent element in the email. Use your brand's primary action color. Make it full-width on mobile. Place it above the fold and repeat it at the bottom. Specific copy beats generic: "Shop the New Collection" outperforms "Click Here." The button is the entire point of the email — design everything else to support it.

Want us to handle this?

These five design principles will make your emails convert better immediately. Go look at your last five campaigns — if any of them have multiple columns on mobile, more than two CTAs, or images over 500KB, fix them today.

But great email design is just one piece of the system. Template design works with copy, segmentation, timing, and flow architecture to drive maximum revenue. As a Klaviyo Gold Partner, we handle the full stack. If you want us to review your email templates and campaigns, that first call is free.

Book a Template Review CallWe'll walk through your setup live.

Questions our best clients asked first

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We'll audit your template designs, mobile rendering, and CTA placement — then show you exactly what to change for better click rates. Free template review.

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