What good are those emails if people can’t read them or find the information they need quickly?
The above video demonstrates three quick formatting fixes to improve the readability of your emails.
Here are the three things we’ll cover:
1. Alignment
2. Scannability
3. Line Length
1. Alignment
For some reason there’s a tendency to put all text in center alignment. This just makes it difficult to read. Especially when it comes to email or reading online in general.
Quick Fix: Align all text to the left. It’s how we read. Don’t try to get fancy.
2. Scannability
We fixed the alignment problem. But there’s something else. When everything is in bold, nothing stands out. The desired effect is removed because everything is same again.
Quick Fix: Only bold key information. This way when people scan, their eyes stop at the info you want them to see.
3. Line Length
When the lines go all the way across the page, two things happen. The text becomes less inviting, it just looks like more to read. And it also cause eye fatigue. So even though people start reading most times they’ll give up before they reach the end.
Quick Fix: Hard return after 12 – 14 words to keep the line length short.
Summing up:
- Align text to the left
- Bold only key information
- Keep line length short
The easier you make it for your readers, the more likely your message is to stick.
Action Plan:
Before you send that next email be sure you’ve these three tweaks.