A well-designed email template is the foundation of effective email marketing. For DTC brands, strong Klaviyo templates mean better engagement, higher conversions, and a more cohesive brand experience across every touchpoint. Here’s how to build email templates that drive results.
Key elements of high-performing Klaviyo templates
A well-structured Klaviyo template balances brand storytelling, usability, and conversion-driven elements. High-performing templates are designed to engage customers effectively while ensuring optimal deliverability and accessibility. Below are the fundamental elements that make an email template both visually compelling and functionally effective.
Mobile-first design
Over 60% of emails are opened on mobile. Ensure templates are responsive, with clear CTAs and scannable content.
Brand consistency
Fonts, colours, and tone of voice should match your website and social channels for a seamless brand experience.
Dynamic content blocks
Most brands rely on Klaviyo's pre-built logic to implement dynamic content, which allows non-developers to set up rules like "If a user added X product priced at £XX, show this abandoned cart message." This enables brands to create personalised experiences without requiring custom development.
However, developer-focused setups take this further, allowing us to craft entirely bespoke content that visually enhances the customer experience beyond what Klaviyo's standard blocks provide.
For example, the image above showcases a custom recipe card suggestion system based on the contents of a customer's basket. Instead of displaying generic recommendations, the email dynamically loops through the items in a customer's basket and serves up recipes that match those ingredients.
Why use code this instead of using Klaviyo's drag-and-drop functionality?
Klaviyo features a "Show/Hide" logic setting, which is useful for basic content filtering but doesn't support dynamic looping. If a customer has five items in their basket and we only want to show recipes related to those products, the Show/Hide logic falls short. A custom-built solution enables us to dynamically loop through all items and provide tailored recommendations at scale.
What does this allow us to do?
- Create a scalable, one-size-fits-all email template that personalises itself based on the customer's basket contents.
- Dynamically insert relevant content—if a customer buys baked beans, they see a baked bean recipe. If they also added chickpeas, they get a chickpea recipe too.
- Maintain brand consistency while offering a more engaging and interactive shopping experience.
How does this improve the customer experience?
- One email featuring all relevant content, reducing the need for multiple campaign variations.
- A more tailored and useful email experience that increases engagement and conversion rates.
- Simpler administrative management and reporting, as all variations are handled within a single template.
Optimised header and footer
Keep key information (logo, navigation links, social icons, unsubscribe) easily accessible.
Text-to-image balance
Historically, email best practices discouraged heavy use of images due to rendering issues and spam filtering risks. However, this has evolved. When factors like sender reputation, email structure, and device optimisation are considered, image-based designs do not negatively impact performance.
A well-balanced template blends HTML-coded sections (like dynamic product recommendations or abandoned cart logic) with image-based sections (such as comparison tables or branded storytelling elements). This hybrid approach ensures:
- Enhanced storytelling – Image-based sections allow for visually engaging brand narratives while coded sections keep emails functional.
- Optimised shoppable actions – Key CTAs and interactive elements remain coded to ensure they display correctly across all inboxes.
- Strong brand expression – Brands can stay visually distinct while maintaining best practices for deliverability and accessibility.
Additionally, different email clients handle images in unique ways. While Gmail and Apple Mail support rich visuals, some providers disable images by default. Structuring emails to ensure key messaging is displayed in live text while imagery enhances engagement allows brands to deliver both compelling and high-performing email templates.
Dark mode compatibility
Many users now browse emails in dark mode, so ensure your templates adapt well by using transparent image backgrounds, testing light and dark variations, and avoiding colours that reduce readability.
How to optimise Klaviyo templates for performance
- Use pre-built templates wisely - Klaviyo provides templates, but customising them to match your brand increases effectiveness.
- Keep CTAs clear and prominent - Every email should have a single primary action to drive conversions.
- Test subject lines and preview text - The best template won’t perform if it doesn’t get opened. A/B test subject lines and preview text for maximum impact.
- Segmented content variations - Tailor messaging based on customer data, ensuring different audience segments receive relevant content.
- Speed matters - Avoid excessive images or large file sizes that slow down loading times and impact deliverability.
Making Klaviyo templates work for your brand
Your email templates should evolve alongside your business. Reviewing and iterating on your design choices regularly ensures that they continue to drive results.
At Tribe, we help brands optimise their Klaviyo flows for DTC brands and fine-tune their templates to increase revenue with Klaviyo. If you're looking for expert support in Klaviyo marketing for DTC brands, let’s fix that.