Happy Friday! Chase and Jimmy here. 👋

Ever crafted the perfect email campaign, hit send, and then… crickets? 

Or worse—your email lands straight in spam? You’re not alone. Even experienced marketers fall into common traps that tank engagement, hurt deliverability, and leave revenue on the table. Email marketing is still one of the most powerful tools for building customer relationships and driving sales, but only if done right. 

In this article, we’ll break down the most frequent email marketing mistakes, why they happen, and—most importantly—how to fix them. By the end, you’ll have actionable strategies to optimize your email game and boost results.

🩻 Struggling with emails that don't drive results?

Mismatched branding, overstimulating visuals, and unclear CTAs are just the beginning of what can go wrong in email marketing. But don’t worry—Omnisend is pulling back the curtain to share their secrets for creating emails that grab attention and convert. In this workshop, Omnisend breaks down the anatomy of a high-performing email, giving you the winning formula that drives results.

Key takeaways:

💡 Email = human connection. People subscribe because they want to hear from you—make every email worth their time.

💡 Stability wins. Unlike paid ads, email won’t surprise you with algorithm changes or rising costs.

💡 Structure sells. A clean layout with clear hierarchy and breathing room boosts readability and conversions.

💡 Branding is non-negotiable. Pre-made templates can water down your identity—stay consistent across all touchpoints.

Want the full breakdown? Catch the full session with Omnisend.

6 Email Marketing Pitfalls That Are Killing Your Conversions (+ How to Fix Them)

1. Neglecting List Hygiene

The Problem: Over time, email lists collect inactive subscribers, invalid addresses, and spam traps. This can hurt your deliverability and cause emails to land in spam folders.

How to Fix It:

• Regularly clean your list: Remove unengaged subscribers, invalid addresses, and duplicates to keep your list healthy.

• Use double opt-ins: This ensures that only real, engaged users join your list, reducing the risk of fake or mistyped emails.

• Segment your audience: Sort contacts based on engagement levels to prioritize active subscribers and re-engage those at risk of churning.

Strategy:

• Set up automated re-engagement campaigns before removing inactive subscribers. These can include special offers, exclusive content, or a simple "Are you still interested?" email.

• Use suppression lists instead of outright deletion. This lets you exclude disengaged users from campaigns while keeping historical data for future analysis.

• Monitor engagement metrics (e.g., open rates, click rates, and bounce rates) to identify early signs of list fatigue and take proactive measures.

• Leverage sunsetting policies: Define a clear timeframe for when to remove inactive subscribers if they don’t re-engage after multiple attempts.

By maintaining proper list hygiene, you’ll improve deliverability, boost engagement, and protect your email reputation, ensuring that your messages consistently reach the inbox.

2. Sending Without Personalization

The Problem: Generic, one-size-fits-all emails feel impersonal and lead to lower engagement rates. Today’s consumers expect tailored content that speaks directly to their interests and needs.

How to Fix It:

• Leverage customer data: Go beyond using just a first name in the subject line. Personalize product recommendations, email content, and even send times based on customer behavior.

• Segment your audience: Group subscribers based on past purchases, browsing history, geographic location, engagement level, and more to deliver highly relevant messages.

• Utilize behavioral triggers: Automate emails based on user actions like abandoned carts, repeat purchases, or inactive periods.

Strategy:

• Implement dynamic content blocks that adjust based on a user’s interests, past interactions, or demographic data. For example, show different products to men vs. women or highlight relevant content based on past purchases.

• Optimize send times based on when individual subscribers are most likely to open emails, using historical engagement data.

• Incorporate location-based personalization to highlight relevant events, store openings, or promotions based on where a subscriber is located.

• Use milestone and loyalty-based personalization by celebrating birthdays, anniversaries with your brand, or rewarding VIP customers with exclusive deals.

By embracing personalization beyond just a name, you’ll create highly relevant and engaging email experiences that drive higher conversions and foster stronger customer relationships.

3. Ignoring Mobile Optimization

The Problem: If your emails aren’t optimized for mobile, they may appear distorted, load slowly, or be difficult to read—leading to lost opportunities.

How to Fix It:

• Design with a mobile-first approach: Ensure emails look great and function properly on smaller screens before adapting them for desktop.

• Use responsive templates: These automatically adjust layouts based on screen size, ensuring a seamless experience across devices.

• Keep subject lines concise: Mobile inboxes show fewer characters, so make your subject lines short, compelling, and to the point.

• Ensure CTAs (calls to action) are tap-friendly: Buttons should be large enough for easy clicking, with enough spacing to avoid accidental taps.

Strategy:

• Optimize image sizes for faster loading: Compress images to reduce file size without sacrificing quality, preventing slow load times that could lead to abandonment.

• Use larger fonts for readability: Stick to at least 14px for body text and 22px+ for headings to ensure clarity on mobile screens.

• Place CTAs above the fold: Ensure your primary action (e.g., “Shop Now” or “Claim Your Discount”) is visible without scrolling.

• Use single-column layouts: Multi-column designs can break on mobile or become difficult to navigate, so keep it simple for better user experience.

• Enable dark mode compatibility: Many users read emails in dark mode—opt for transparent backgrounds and avoid images with pure white backgrounds that may appear jarring.

By prioritizing mobile optimization, you’ll create emails that are easy to read, quick to load, and effortless to interact with—boosting engagement and conversions across all devices.

4. Overloading Emails with Too Much Content

The Problem: A cluttered email filled with excessive text, images, and multiple CTAs can overwhelm recipients and dilute your message.

How to Fix It:

• Keep emails focused on a single goal: Define the primary purpose of each email—whether it’s driving sales, promoting a webinar, or encouraging content downloads—and eliminate distractions.

• Use clear headlines: The subject line and header should immediately communicate the email’s intent, making it easy for readers to understand the value.

• Write concise, scannable copy: Get to the point quickly, using short paragraphs, bullet points, or bold text to highlight key takeaways.

Strategy:

• Use the inverted pyramid model:

  • Start with a compelling hook that grabs attention and sets the stage for your message.

  • Present key information succinctly, using a logical flow that builds curiosity and interest.

  • End with a powerful CTA that makes it clear what the reader should do next.

• Make your CTA stand out: Use bold buttons, contrasting colors, and action-driven language (e.g., "Get 20% Off Now" instead of "Click Here").

• Trim unnecessary elements: Every sentence, image, and design choice should support the email’s primary goal. If it doesn’t contribute, cut it.

• A/B test CTA placement and wording: Experiment with CTA positioning (above the fold vs. at the end) and wording styles to determine what drives the most engagement.

By keeping emails clear, concise, and focused on a single objective, you’ll reduce confusion, improve readability, and increase the likelihood that subscribers take the desired action.

5. Not A/B Testing Campaigns

The Problem: Sending out emails without testing different elements means you’re missing opportunities to improve open and click-through rates.

How to Fix It:

• Test key email elements: Experiment with subject lines, email designs, CTA placement, and send times to identify what resonates best with your audience.

• Use data-driven insights: Analyze results to refine future campaigns instead of relying on assumptions.

• Focus on one variable at a time: Testing multiple changes at once can muddy results—adjust a single element per test to pinpoint what’s driving performance.

Strategy

• Test different send times and days: Your audience may be more responsive at specific times—test different slots to maximize engagement.

• A/B test CTA placement and wording: Try different CTA button colors, text (e.g., “Shop Now” vs. “Claim Your Discount”), and positioning (above the fold vs. at the end) to see what drives the most clicks.

• Refine subject lines based on engagement: Test different styles, such as curiosity-driven subject lines, emoji usage, personalization, or urgency-focused messaging.

• Re-test periodically: What works today might not work in six months, so continuously refine your approach based on evolving audience behaviors.

By consistently A/B testing and analyzing results, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of what engages your audience and optimize your email strategy for better results over time.

6. Failing to Comply with Email Regulations

The Problem: Sending emails without adhering to GDPR, CAN-SPAM, or other regulations can lead to penalties and damage your brand reputation.

How to Fix It:

• Obtain explicit consent: Use clear opt-in methods, such as double opt-ins, to ensure subscribers genuinely want to receive your emails.

• Provide easy unsubscribe options: Every email should include a visible and accessible unsubscribe link to prevent users from marking emails as spam.

• Maintain transparency: Be upfront about how often you’ll send emails and what type of content subscribers can expect.

Strategy:

• Use preference centers: Allow subscribers to customize their email frequency and content preferences instead of forcing an all-or-nothing subscription. This reduces unsubscribes and improves engagement.

• Regularly review compliance guidelines: Laws and regulations evolve, so stay updated on GDPR, CAN-SPAM, CASL, and other relevant laws to ensure you remain compliant.

• Keep a clean, permission-based email list: Avoid purchasing email lists, as these often contain invalid addresses and unconsenting recipients, leading to higher bounce rates and spam complaints.

• Authenticate emails with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC: These email authentication protocols help prevent spoofing and phishing, ensuring your emails are trusted by inbox providers.

• Monitor spam complaints and opt-outs: If a spike in complaints or unsubscribes occurs, analyze what might be triggering it—whether it’s email frequency, content relevance, or misleading subject lines.

By prioritizing email compliance and subscriber consent, you’ll not only avoid legal risks but also build trust, improve deliverability, and foster stronger customer relationships.

Final Thoughts

Email marketing success isn’t just about sending more emails—it’s about sending the right emails to the right people at the right time. By avoiding these common pitfalls and implementing best practices, you’ll improve deliverability, increase engagement, and ultimately drive more conversions. Take the time to audit your email strategy regularly, test new approaches, and prioritize providing real value to your audience.

Make 250+ new retention marketing friends

In just one week, over 250 new marketers have joined our eCom Email Certified Community—and we want YOU to be part of the fun!

We’ve been diving into all things retention, from perfecting text-to-image ratios and post-purchase flows, to AI prompts that actually deliver results—and even doing email reviews! Here’s what else you’ll find inside:

A Thriving Slack Community – Connect with over 169 top marketers, share wins, and get real-time feedback from us (Jimmy Kim & Chase Dimond) and other industry pros.

Expert Newsletter – No fluff—just actionable strategies, trends, and winning campaign insights delivered straight to your inbox.

Live Meetups – Join bi-weekly sessions with industry experts to gain fresh insights and level up your strategy.

Hiring Network – Discover new career opportunities and connect with clients actively seeking certified marketers.

The cherry on top? You can get in for just $1.

Don’t miss your chance to be part of something incredible—once this $1 offer ends, it's gone for good!

🔥 DTC wins:

Hoka Couture—The popular running shoe brand dips their feet into the luxury market with a new partnership with Italian fashion house, Marni. Launching April 3, at $395, the collaboration puts a maximalist spin on the favortied Bondi B3LS—featuring a chunkier sole and puffy polyester upper.

Annnnd that’s a wrap for this edition! 

Thanks for hanging with Chase and me—always a pleasure to have you here.

If you found this newsletter helpful (or even just a little fun), don’t keep it to yourself! Share ecomemailmarketer.com with your favorite DTC marketer. Let’s get them on board so they don’t miss next week’s drops.

Remember: Do shit you love.

🤘 Jimmy Kim & Chase Dimond