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I've been sending plain emails to my list, because I like the ultra minimalism of it. If I've got two sentences to share with my list my email is "Hi" + two sen

I've been sending plain emails to my list, because I like the ultra minimalism of it. If I've got two sentences to share with my list my email is "Hi" + two sentences + "Bye" + unsubscribe links. Does it "convert" better than styled emails? I don't know. I don't care. Does it do well enough to meet my goals. Yes. There's many things I'd rather be doing with my time than optimising everything for marketing goals.

k__ 9y ago
I like plain emails much more than styled ones. But the point with the "does it convert better" is a pretty big. I mean, I work with people who hire marketing consultants who tell them what they need to do for better conversions. All decisions are based on that metric. So I wouldn't expect much change if there are no numbers that tell "plain converts better".
- boffinism 9y ago
  The article references a 3x click rate improvement, which is pretty good. Although this is just one data point (and there's a bias at play: All the people who tried plain text emails and didn't see a conversion increase won't have bothered writing a blog post about it).
  - IgorPartola 9y ago
    Hah. Save 15% or more with GEICO. And all other insurance companies have similar slogans. Why can’t you just keep switching between them until you pay nothing?! :)
    - MiguelHudnandez 9y ago
      Their phrase is “...could save you 15% or more,” which, incidentally, includes any potential savings between zero and one hundred percent. Their catch phrase contains literally no information except a suggestion of 15%.
      - ldiracdelta 9y ago
        15% savings could also be the threshold of complacency vs pain for most people. Most insurance companies probably show a 15% savings for people to go through the hassle of switching.
- tome 9y ago
  > I wouldn't expect much change if there are no numbers that tell "plain converts better". The null hypothesis should be that plain and rich convert no different. I'd send plain in the absence of any convincing evidence to send rich.
gk1 9y ago
Good news is that by sending such short and plain emails, you're already getting optimal results. I agree strongly that there are many better things to be doing than fussing with emails, which is why I'm advocating for _not_ wasting time on design.

k__ 9y ago

I like plain emails much more than styled ones. But the point with the "does it convert better" is a pretty big. I mean, I work with people who hire marketing consultants who tell them what they need to do for better conversions. All decisions are based on that metric. So I wouldn't expect much change if there are no numbers that tell "plain converts better".

boffinism 9y ago
The article references a 3x click rate improvement, which is pretty good. Although this is just one data point (and there's a bias at play: All the people who tried plain text emails and didn't see a conversion increase won't have bothered writing a blog post about it).
- IgorPartola 9y ago
  Hah. Save 15% or more with GEICO. And all other insurance companies have similar slogans. Why can’t you just keep switching between them until you pay nothing?! :)
  - MiguelHudnandez 9y ago
    Their phrase is “...could save you 15% or more,” which, incidentally, includes any potential savings between zero and one hundred percent. Their catch phrase contains literally no information except a suggestion of 15%.
    - ldiracdelta 9y ago
      15% savings could also be the threshold of complacency vs pain for most people. Most insurance companies probably show a 15% savings for people to go through the hassle of switching.
tome 9y ago
> I wouldn't expect much change if there are no numbers that tell "plain converts better". The null hypothesis should be that plain and rich convert no different. I'd send plain in the absence of any convincing evidence to send rich.

gk1 9y ago

Good news is that by sending such short and plain emails, you're already getting optimal results. I agree strongly that there are many better things to be doing than fussing with emails, which is why I'm advocating for _not_ wasting time on design.