The Foundation of a Great Email: Structure & Purpose

Diana Buda
Apr 7
6 min read

Updated: May 21

Ever wondered what makes a good email? Where do you even start? In this five-part series, I will take you through the essential elements that make up a successful email. From structuring your content for clarity and engagement to optimising for deliverability and accessibility, each article will break down a critical component of email design and strategy. Whether you're crafting marketing emails, newsletters, or transactional messages, this series will provide actionable insights to help you create emails that not only look great but also drive results.

An average user spends under 10 seconds reading your email. A well-structured email helps readers quickly scan the content, making information easy to digest and guiding them toward the most important actions. Even the most visually appealing or well-written emails can fail if the structure is unclear or overwhelming. If your message is hard to follow—whether due to cluttered design, dense text, or a confusing call to action—the reader is unlikely to engage, and your email is unlikely to succeed.

Defining the Email’s Goal

Before designing or writing your email, ask yourself:

What is the purpose of the email? Is it to inform, sell, raise awareness, drive traffic to a site, or encourage sign-ups?
What is the primary action you want the reader to take?
How does this email fit into a larger campaign?
How will I ensure that this email is accessible?

Understanding your goal helps shape everything—from the structure to the wording and design. For example, newsletters can afford to have multiple calls to action, while promotional emails should focus on a single, clear objective. Defining a purpose ensures that every element of the email aligns with that goal, increasing the chances of engagement.

The Key Elements of a Well-Structured Email

Once your goal is clear, you can focus on crafting a well-structured email. The key components include:

Subject Line & Preheader (covered in the next article)
Header – Grabs attention and sets the tone
Body Copy – Communicates the main message clearly
Call to Action (CTA) – Guides the reader toward the next step
Footer – Includes links to social media, legal disclaimers, or contact details

The Subject Line and Preheader

There is nothing more important for your email than these two elements. They are the first things your audience sees and will significantly determine whether your email is opened. A compelling subject line sparks curiosity, while a well-crafted preheader provides context and reinforces the value of opening the email. Test different variations to see what resonates best with your audience, and ensure they work together to deliver a cohesive message. Spend time and care crafting them, as they set the stage for the rest of your email. More details in the next article.

The Importance of a Strong Email Header

The email header is one of the first things a recipient notices after the subject line and preheader. It often includes a headline or an eye-catching visual that immediately conveys the main message of the email. A well-designed header sets the tone for the rest of the email and helps guide the reader into the content.

To make your header effective:

Keep it concise – Use a short, impactful phrase that aligns with your subject line.
Make it visually distinct – Use bold typography or a contrasting colour.
Ensure clarity – The reader should instantly understand the purpose of the email.
Avoid excessive branding – While a logo can be included, the main focus should be the message.
Personalise where possible – The header is an excellent place to include dynamic personalisation, such as the recipient’s name or tailored messaging based on their preferences or behaviour.

Best Practices for Writing Email Copy

Your email copy should be clear, concise, and engaging. Below are some top tips to ensure your message is easy to read and understand:

Keep it simple – Shorter text is always better.
Break up long paragraphs – Use bullet points and subheadings.
Tell a story – Draw readers in with a narrative.
Write conversationally – Avoid sounding robotic or overly corporate.
Use an active voice – “Get your discount now” is more engaging than “A discount is available.”
Follow a logical structure – Use the format: Headline → Explainer Paragraph → CTA Button.

Crafting an Effective Call to Action

A clear, concise, and visually distinct CTA increases engagement. Some best practices include:

Use action-oriented language – Instead of "Click here," try "Download your free guide."
Make it stand out – Use a contrasting button colour and enough white space around it.
Limit the number of CTAs – Too many options can be overwhelming.

For more detailed CTA tips, check out Litmus' guide and the follow-up blog post in this series.

Don’t Forget the Footer

Often overlooked, the footer is an essential part of your email structure. It’s where readers expect to find key information like your company details, unsubscribe links, contact options, and social media profiles. A clean, well-organised footer builds trust and ensures compliance with privacy regulations. Keep it simple and consistent across emails, and don’t forget to check that all links work correctly.

The Role of Design in Email Structure

Once your content is finalised, design helps reinforce the structure and improve readability. Some design recommendations include:

Make content easy to scan – Use clear headings, dividers, and white space.
Ensure a mobile-friendly design – It’s estimated that 50-60% of email opens come from mobile devices in 2024. Make sure that your email is responsive.
Ensure your content and design are accessible – Use accessible fonts and colours—high contrast and readable fonts help all users, including those with visual impairments.
Don’t worry about scrolling – Contrary to old myths, readers are happy to scroll if the content is engaging.

Examples of What Works—and What Doesn’t

Let’s take a look at two email examples to illustrate how structure and design can make or break the user experience.

What Not to Do: A Redacted Example

In the example below (redacted for privacy), several best practices have been overlooked:

Lack of Visual Hierarchy: All the body text is presented in the same font size and weight. This makes it difficult to quickly identify the most important content. The login code—the core purpose of the email does not stand out at first glance, and is too small to easily copy, especially on mobile devices.
Low readability: some long, unbroken sentences make the email harder to scan and digest.
Missing reply-to email address; The email only includes a phone number for support. Providing a reply-to email address would offer more flexibility and convenience.
Poor Accessibility: The light grey footer text lacks sufficient contrast, falling short of WCAG accessibility standards and making it difficult to read for many users.

What Works: An Example from Amazon

By contrast, this template from Amazon demonstrates many of the best practices discussed above:

An Amazon AWS template

Why This Works:

Clear Structure – The email follows a logical flow from headline to CTA.
Strong Visual Hierarchy – The headline is in larger font at the top of the email, followed by paragraphs.
Copy Examples – It offers a advice and guidelines on effective copy.
Prominent CTA – The main action stands out clearly.

Email Structure Checklist

To ensure your email is well-structured and effective, use this quick checklist:

✔ Define the goal – What do you want the email to achieve?

✔ Craft a strong subject line and preheader text

✔ Use a clear and compelling header

✔ Structure the email in an easy-to-scan format

✔ Keep paragraphs short and concise

✔ Ensure the CTA stands out and is action-oriented

✔ Use images and design elements to guide the reader

✔ Make sure the email is mobile-friendly

✔ Prioritise accessibility for a wider audience

✔ Test the email before sending to catch any formatting issues

In Summary

A well-structured email maximises engagement, increases clarity, and enhances user experience. By defining your goal, crafting clear messaging, and using thoughtful design, you ensure that your emails not only look professional but also achieve their intended results. In the next article, we’ll dive deeper into the art of crafting compelling subject lines and preheaders—the first step to getting your emails opened.