Would you ever send out an email-marketing piece that only half your list could read? Of course not. That would be a waste of effort for you and highly irritating for them. Yet you could unknowingly be doing exactly that. Did you know that the majority of users now read email messages on mobile devices? The venerable desktop and laptop computer takes second place when it comes to reading email. That’s why we must ensure email-marketing messages to our call center and answering service lists work well on mobile: Think Mobile First: Though you likely design your email marketing pieces on a desktop computer, assume readers will view it on a mobile device – because most will. Remember, if it works well on mobile, it will work well on a computer, but the opposite is definitely not true. The new rule is to design for mobile. Use One Column: Although there are some great two-column and three-column email templates, which look amazing on a computer screen, they often suffer when forced to reflow on the smaller screens of mobile appliances. All of one column will usually display first and then all of the next. But this may not be in the ideal order for your readers. What if they grow bored and press delete before they get to the critical part of the message? In almost all cases, a single template format is the way to go. While you’re at it, make sure all images will rescale to fit whatever size screen a user has. Test With Mobile Devices: Most email marketing programs allow designers to view their messages on a typically sized mobile simulation. This is a great start, but it’s just the beginning. Send test messages to an array of mobile email readers. If you survey your staff, collectively they likely have a wide array of devices to try. Make sure messages display correctly on each one. There are also services that analyze your email message to effectively assess how it will look on various mobile appliances. Seek Feedback: Now that you’ve taken these essential steps, don’t rest until you’ve taken one final step. Ask your readers what they think. Conduct a simple survey, take a poll, or ask them to reply to offer feedback. It’s amazing what great insight end users can provide. All we need to do is ask. For email marketing success, design and test messages with mobile devices in mind to maximize the effectiveness of call center and answering service’s email campaigns. Janet Livingston is the president of Call Center Sales Pro, a premier sales and marketing service provider for the call center and telephone answering service industry. Contact Janet at contactus@callcenter-salespro.com or 800-901-7706. Peter Lyle DeHaan is a freelance writer from Southwest Michigan.