E-mail animation is one of the current trends which creates pressure on the marketing team around the globe to implement this new element. Animation grants a dynamic and attractive impression to the e-mail if done correctly. Let’s look at GIFs and CSS animation with regard to common mistakes.

In order to maximize the benefits of animation, it is essential to acquire the right habits when using them. Every marketer and designer should read these tips to get the most from e-mail animations.

Distracting animation

While impressive animation bestows excellent look to your e-mail, it should not be at the expense of text and its readability. If your main message is in the text, it should be given a prominent place and space. Don’t automatically prefer the animations. Also, reconsider using loop animations in cases when these can be distracting from reading your main message.

Correctly used animation should get the reader’s adequate attention and help the reader to slide through the e-mail comfortably. Using many animations and flashing or blinking effects decreases the click-through rate – less is sometimes more.

Large file size and slow server

GIFs are especially susceptible to size growth, which is dooming for the promotion. Today’s prevalent mobile use is uncompromising when it comes to the load time, and no one will wait 3 seconds for the animation to load. The e-mail will be closed long before that.

Moreover, large file size is insensitive to customers’ mobile data plans. And no one wants their brand to be perceived as insensitive, right?
A good rule of thumb is not getting over 3 MB ever and fitting into 1MB whenever possible.

Bloated budget

Animations are per se more demanding both in terms of finances and time. Consider the expected benefit of the animation in comparison to the costs. Still images are much faster and work well in the majority of situations. Set a realistic expectation with included time demand for the animation. Get the perfect campaign out in the world at precisely the right time. It would be unfortunate to miss it while waiting for the animation to be finished. When time is out of essence, and you deem the animation crucial for your success, try to create a simple animation from a series of already existing still images. With the right transition effect, the result can be remarkable!