Are you an email marketer, or just a small business that sends out emails?  It is important to ensure your email marketing campaign is mobile-friendly. 

On one hand, there's the Consumer Device Preference Report that says 65% of emails were opened on a smartphone or tablet in the fourth quarter of 2013 . On the other hand, there's the new 2013 Email Marketing Benchmark Report from Marketing Sherpa that says more than half of email marketers aren't designing their emails with mobile devices in mind.  

A poor mobile experience leads 30% of consumers to unsubscribe.   Since nearly half of your subscribers are likely viewing your emails from a mobile device, doesn't it make sense to consider what factors make a mobile-friendly email?

1.  Be concise. It is more difficult to read text, no matter what the size, on a mobile device.  Keeping your message short and to the point will make readers more likely to read through to the end. 
2.  Go easy on the images.  Images take up a lot of space on the small screen of a mobile device. They are also more likely to not be viewed, or to not render properly. By including simple and only essential images, it will make your message easier to read.  It will also help with keeping the message concise.
3.  Use a single call-to-action. Give your readers a simple, single action to take. Readers from a mobile device will likely only click on one link in your email because mobile browsers tend to be slower and more difficult to navigate through multiple windows. By including one large call to action, like a button, you are increasing the probability of a click-through.
4.  Use a single column.  By keeping your email to a single column, you are making it easier for mobile devices to show the entire message.  Readers won’t have to scroll over and up and down.  The easier a message is to read, the more likely your subscribers will read it, share it, and stay subscribed.
5.  Think big.  Big fonts, that is. A large, easy-to-read font type is important to making your email friendly to mobile readers. Also consider color and backgrounds when designing your mobile emails.

These 5 tips can apply to your regular email marketing efforts.   Not sure if your subscribers are reading from their mobile devices?  It is better to err on the side of caution.  Your non-mobile readers will appreciate brief, pointed messages with a direct call to action.