Design Tips for Shipping Confirmation Emails

Email marketers invest a significant amount of time and energy into promotional emails: here's our newest product, here's our biggest sale, here's our upcoming event. But some of the most-read and most highly valued emails among readers are transactional, not promotional. Transactional emails have a higher open rate and click-through rate than marketing emails, and for your consumers, shipping confirmation emails are one of the most exciting transactional emails to receive. It's always fun to get an email confirming that your order is on its way, and the positive association makes shipping confirmation emails a great opportunity for building brand loyalty.

Tip #1: Make tracking easy

It's a shipping confirmation email, after all. Above all else, readers want to know where their order is and when they can expect it to arrive. A simple, focused message that makes it easy for readers to track their package, with a short "items in this shipment" list confirming what the order was, accomplishes a lot in a few lines.

Tip #2: Optimize for mobile with a single column design

It's tempting to showcase purchased products in a grid or use multiple columns or sidebars in a shipping confirmation email. But a single-column design is usually the most effective, especially for mobile. It establishes a clear content hierarchy so it's easy for the reader to follow: the order has shipped, here's a bulletproof button to view your order, and here's an image of the items in the shipment further down. Ample white space between sections makes the email feel uncluttered and improves readability.

Tip #3: Prioritize transactional content over upsell content

According to the CAN-SPAM act, the content of transactional emails must be "primarily transactional." In other words, these emails need to focus on the main message, order shipment in this case, and shouldn't be used for marketing additional goods or services. While shipping confirmation emails can be a tantalizing opportunity to appeal to customers who already know your brand, don't overstuff your message with extraneous calls to action. As a general rule of thumb, allow shipping confirmation details to take up at least 75% of your email. Marketing material can be included if you'd like to add an upsell, but position it at the bottom of the message and make sure it's relevant.

Tip #4: Add helpful visuals

You may think there's not much to visualize with graphic design in shipping confirmation emails, but you might be surprised at the opportunities. A helpful visual at the top can help customers see that their package is almost there, or you could try adding other types of illustrations, such as a map showing where you'll be shipping the order from. Product recommendations at the end, like a "you might like these too" section, are another smart addition.

Tip #5: Be upfront about potential delays

It's always important to be honest with your customers, especially during periods where shipping delays might factor into delivery time, whether because of external disruptions or simply a busy holiday season. Include a disclaimer near the top of the email, ideally with a different background color so it's easy to spot, that clearly explains what customers need to know: if a service is experiencing delays, let them know so they don't panic if their order is late or tracking isn't visible yet.

Wrap-up: Shipping confirmation email templates

Are your shipping confirmation emails living up to what you want to communicate about your brand? Use a template to make customers happy and build loyalty, and give your shipping emails a boost.