In the ever-evolving landscape of email marketing, the choice between classic and Lightning email templates can make a significant impact on the effectiveness of your campaigns. While both options offer unique advantages and drawbacks, understanding their key differences is crucial for selecting the template that best aligns with your marketing goals.
From design elements to functionality and accessibility, this guide will delve into the intricacies of classic and Lightning email templates, empowering you to make informed decisions that drive successful email marketing initiatives.
Design Elements
Classic and Lightning email templates have distinct visual differences that cater to different user preferences and requirements.
Classic templates are characterized by a more traditional layout, with a fixed header, sidebar, and content area. They often use a blue color scheme and feature a serif font for body text. Lightning templates, on the other hand, offer a more modern and customizable design. They have a responsive layout that adapts to different screen sizes, and they allow users to choose from a wider range of colors and fonts.
Color
Classic templates typically use a blue color scheme, which conveys a sense of professionalism and trustworthiness. Lightning templates, however, offer a more diverse range of color options, allowing users to choose a color scheme that aligns with their brand or personal style.
Typography
Classic templates often use a serif font for body text, which gives a traditional and elegant look. Lightning templates, on the other hand, allow users to choose from a wider range of fonts, including both serif and sans-serif fonts. Sans-serif fonts are generally considered to be more modern and easier to read on screens.
Layout
Classic templates have a fixed layout, with a header, sidebar, and content area. This layout is suitable for emails that contain a lot of text or complex information. Lightning templates, on the other hand, have a responsive layout that adapts to different screen sizes. This makes them ideal for emails that are likely to be read on mobile devices.
Functionality
Classic and Lightning email templates offer different sets of features, catering to various user needs and preferences.
Classic email templates provide a wider range of customization options, allowing users to tailor their emails to specific requirements. They offer more flexibility in terms of design and layout, enabling users to create visually appealing and personalized emails.
Ease of Use
Lightning email templates are generally considered more user-friendly and easier to use, especially for beginners. They feature a drag-and-drop interface that simplifies the process of creating and customizing emails. Classic email templates, on the other hand, require more technical knowledge and coding skills to fully utilize their features.
Customization
Classic email templates provide greater customization options, allowing users to modify the HTML code directly. This level of control enables advanced users to create highly customized and unique email designs. Lightning email templates, while less customizable, offer pre-built components and templates that streamline the email creation process.
Responsiveness
Responsive design has become a must-have for email marketing as it allows your emails to adapt to any device, ensuring they look great on any screen.
Both classic and lightning email templates can be responsive, but they do so in different ways.
Classic Email Templates
Classic email templates use a fixed-width design, which means they don’t adjust to different screen sizes. This can make them difficult to read on mobile devices, where the text may be too small or the layout may be broken.
Lightning Email Templates
Lightning email templates, on the other hand, use a fluid-width design, which means they automatically adjust to the width of the screen they’re being viewed on. This ensures that your emails will always look great, no matter what device your recipients are using.
Use Cases
Classic and lightning email templates serve different purposes based on marketing goals. Classic templates excel in showcasing visuals and creating immersive experiences, while lightning templates prioritize efficiency and customization.
When to Use Classic Templates
- Brand building and storytelling
- Product launches and major announcements
- Lead nurturing and engagement
When to Use Lightning Templates
- Transactional emails (e.g., order confirmations, shipping updates)
- Automated campaigns (e.g., welcome series, abandoned cart reminders)
- Time-sensitive promotions and offers
Accessibility
Ensuring accessibility is paramount for both classic and lightning email templates. Classic templates offer inherent accessibility features, such as a straightforward HTML structure, predictable layout, and clear text formatting.
Lightning templates, on the other hand, rely on advanced technologies like HTML5 and CSS3, which can pose accessibility challenges. However, Salesforce provides accessibility tools and guidelines to address these issues.
Ensuring Accessibility
- Use semantic HTML: Structure your emails using HTML elements that convey their purpose, such as
for headings and
for tabular data.
- Provide alternative text: Include descriptive alternative text for images to make them accessible to screen readers.
- Use accessible fonts and colors: Choose fonts that are easy to read and use contrasting colors to ensure readability.
- Test your templates: Use accessibility testing tools to identify and fix any accessibility issues.
Integration
Integrating classic and lightning email templates with other marketing tools is essential for seamless marketing campaigns.
Both template types offer unique advantages and disadvantages in terms of integration.
Classic Templates
- Widely supported: Classic templates are compatible with a wider range of marketing tools and platforms.
- Established integrations: Classic templates have had more time to develop integrations with third-party tools.
- Limited flexibility: Classic templates may have limitations in terms of customization and integration with newer tools.
Lightning Templates
- Modern integrations: Lightning templates are designed to integrate seamlessly with Salesforce’s Marketing Cloud.
- Enhanced customization: Lightning templates offer greater flexibility in terms of customization and integration with custom-built tools.
- Limited support: Lightning templates may have limited compatibility with non-Salesforce tools.
Questions and Answers
What is the main difference between classic and Lightning email templates?
Classic email templates offer greater customization and design flexibility, while Lightning templates prioritize ease of use and responsiveness.
Which template type is better for complex designs?
Classic email templates are more suitable for complex designs that require extensive customization.
Can I use both classic and Lightning email templates in my campaigns?
Yes, you can use both template types in your campaigns, depending on the specific requirements of each email.
How can I ensure my emails are accessible to all users?
Use clear and concise language, provide alternative text for images, and avoid using complex layouts that may hinder accessibility.