When small businesses decide to utilize email marketing, one of the most important choices they have to make is which template to use for their campaigns. Email has come a long way from being just a static medium and as a result a number of options are available to those looking for a template to fit their business. An email template should not only offer the latest in multi-media capabilities but it should also be flexible and, among other things, match the style of your business.

Here are 5 things to look for in a new email template:
1. Flexibility
Make sure to find a template with a number of format options for you to choose from. When looking for a new template, it’s important to remember that with the changes in format, there may also be other unforeseen changes with categorization or content. Find a template that best suits your current needs and also engages new modules or sections without any issues.
2. Multi-Media Capabilities
The prodigious evolution of the internet demands that your template have current multi-media capabilities. That means engaging video, audio, images and social media options in a simple yet effective way.

And while social networks are getting a lot of attention these days, email is still more effective and returns a higher ROI than any medium. Email has come a long way from its static beginnings and your new template should represent that.
3. Formats
Currently, one of the primary benefits of email marketing for small businesses is the ability to easily share content to a massive audience across a broad spectrum of devices. In this way your email marketing newsletter is spread throughout various social media platforms to potential clients and your target audience.

Having said that, it is essential that your email template look good in all formats. Choose a template that not only displays well on a PC at home but also on a tablet or smartphone. Remember that mobile devices will limit the viewing capability of users and restrict the visibility of your email to the essentials. Carefully choose the template that caters to the specifics needs of your email marketing campaign.
4. Style
The author Charles Bukowski once said, “Style is the answer to everything. A fresh way to approach a dull or dangerous thing with style is preferable to doing a dangerous thing without it.”

Now, in the world of email marketing there aren’t too many things that would be considered dangerous but there are admittedly some dull moments that could use a little flare. Find a template that is appropriate for your business and is best suited for its operations. A business will be critiqued not only for its products and services but often for its aesthetic, especially by those new to the brand.
5. Holiday themes
Aside from videos of dancing babies and cats, nothing will tickle the senses of subscribers like holiday themes. Festive color schemes can go a long way; when you’re able to adjust the template to have brown and orange during the fall, or red, white and green during Christmas, you can simply create more personable messages. It is a small but critical adjustment when customizing your business’s aesthetic appeal.

In the end, it comes down to deciding which template will best fulfill the desired aesthetics and functionality that your business needs. Make sure you consider these 5 key factors when designing your next email template.

Download free HTML email templates from Benchmark Email.