In one of her LinkedIn posts, Anna Levitin, the Israel-based email marketing pro, drew attention to a “misconception” about email: The idea that email is a free channel.
The fact that such an absurd notion needed to be called out points to something even more absurd. Quite apart from email, that any marketing channel should be thus rumored about is unbelievable, not least in an age of AI-driven marketing and GPT-crats.
Email marketing is cost-effective, not cost-free. And, your first point of contact with your audience being the email template, it’s important that you’re up to speed on the cost components of getting an email template designed. So, let’s get started then.
Average Cost of Email Design
Generally speaking, a standard template can cost you $500-$1000.
But, if you’re settling for basic design services, you can get away with $100 for a decent email template. If, on the other hand, you’re looking for custom templates, you may be charged as high as $2000.
The numbers will vary from provider to provider. Plus, your unique project requirements will also affect the cost.
Generally, it takes at least 12 hours to design a single email template from scratch, and 2.5 to 3 hours to code it.
Now, bear in mind that you can pay for code-only design or code and design template. A code-only service is where a developer will create the HTML code for your already-designed template. In simpler terms, you pay to convert a template into a full-fledged email which is inbox-ready. The other alternative is to get your template designed as well as coded, on the basis of your brand assets or guidelines.
The cost will vary depending on which service you choose. Typically, you may expect to pay more for coding only than for design only.
This is because email development is complex and time-consuming.
Iveta Pavlova from MailBakery suggests, “If you are looking for a budget-friendly option to do email marketing, go for standard email templates. They usually cost about $30-50 each depending on where you purchase from. Custom email template design can be a bit more costly. Custom design + coding costs about $250-300 depending on the studio you work with.”
Average Cost of Newsletter Design
Designing a newsletter is different from designing an email template. But generally speaking, a newsletter design can cost you anywhere from $500 to $2000. Again, the numbers are going to vary as per your project needs. The stated range is for visual design only. If you need coding, writing, and testing also, the cost goes up.
Unlike email templates, newsletters are chiefly aimed at readers, not subscribers. In the absence of a dedicated copywriter, you may need to pay for newsletter copywriting.
The average cost of newsletter copywriting can be as low as $35 per email to as high as $2000 per email depending on:
- Length of newsletter content, the number of words, etc.
- Frequency of your newsletter campaign
- Availability of time, whether you go by a strict deadline or not
- Experience of the copywriter or the agency concerned
If you want newsletters designed, take a look at the following pricing models with respect to newsletters:
- Hourly: You will be charged on an hourly basis. This is one of the most common newsletter pricing models.
- Fixed cost: You pay a fixed price per project, except if and when additional work by way of revisions are needed.
- Fixed cost+upsell: Additional design services are bundled with the introductory offer.
- Tier-based: If you are a SaaS business, you may come across the tier-based pricing model (Basic, Advanced, and Premium).
- Monthly subscription: You’ll pay a fixed price as per the number of newsletter design requests every month.
ESPs also offer newsletter design services. You may want to read Dan Oshinky’s deep-dive into these things.
As far as newsletter design goes, Dan recommends assessing your exact design needs prior to researching ESPs. “Some of these ESPs allow for minimal customization, and really put an emphasis on helping you send simple, clean, text-based newsletters. Other ESPs allow for nearly unlimited customization — you can build a one-of-a-kind template for your newsletter,” Oshinsky points out.
Freelance vs Agencies vs DIY
Here’s another critical point to consider: Should you go for freelance designers or hire an agency?
There are pros and cons to both. If you hire a freelance designer, you will pay much less compared to hiring an agency. However, a designer can only design, not code the templates for you. In addition, you shouldn’t expect a freelancer to be available at your beck and call, since they work with multiple clients simultaneously.
A dedicated agency, on the other hand, can offer both services, albeit for more bucks. The singular benefit in the latter case is exposure to a diverse range of skill sets at the same time.
As far as freelancers are concerned, you may be charged according to the following pricing models:
- Retainer-based pricing: Based on the volume of work, you will be paying the designer a monthly fee, around $500 to $5000.
- Project-based pricing: Based on the scope of your project, the freelancer may charge you $50 to $5000.
There is also the DIY approach, which is perfect for saving money. But just that. Unless you’re deeply acquainted with how email works and can count on experience at least, DIY is not the best idea.
Objectively speaking, there are pros and cons to consider here too.
In this regard, Email Vendor Selection has this to say: “Outsourcing your marketing efforts to agencies can cost a few thousand dollars. But they bring experience and expertise to the table. But if you decide to take the DIY route to save email marketing costs, you’ll need to learn how to set up a winning email marketing campaign.”
But as far as numbers go, freelance email designers charge $25 to $150 per hour. Email agencies charge anywhere from $99 to $249 per hour. But, on what factors do these rates depend?
That’s what we take up in our next section of the article.
Factors Affecting Email Template Design Cost
An email template is made up of many components and aspects. Be it layout, colors, blocks/modules, or content, all these elements determine the cost. With that in mind, below are some of the factors which influence the cost of email template design:
- Design and coding: Are you looking for design only or coding as well? In either case, how many templates do you need?
- Time: Do you want ready-made templates to be coded for you or custom emails from scratch? The latter takes more time. In addition, if you need them sooner, you may be charged extra.
- Modular approach: Do you need modules designed and coded or do you have modules which need to be developed only?
- Interactivity: What kind of interactivity are you looking for? For example, countdown timers may cost more than rollover effects.
- Integration: Do you need the templates to be integrated to your preferred ESP?
- Framework: What email framework do you prefer? (Frameworks are tools for developing responsive, client-compatible emails.)
- Email service provider: Which ESP do you use for all your email marketing campaigns?
The cost of template design also depends on the pricing model.
So, if it’s project-based, an agency can charge you anywhere between $1000 and $10,000 depending on the complexity of your project.
For short-term projects, you may choose the hourly model in which the numbers can range from $15 to $300 per hour.
Certain agencies may also prefer the so-called hybrid model.
The hybrid model involves paying the agency a monthly fee, plus an X% commission from the revenue.
Ways to Reduce Email Design Cost
Consider some of these ways for reducing template design costs:
- Use pre-made templates. Nearly all email marketing platforms offer easily customizable pre-designed email templates/
- Go for minimalist design. Complex layouts and excessive use of graphics cost extra, both design- and development-wise.
- Prioritize in-house design resources instead of hiring external agencies. Alternatively, outsource to freelancers.
- Prioritize reusable templates. “Reusability is a priority for many businesses. Especially when it comes to choosing between an email template and a custom design. When you are low on budget or time, you most certainly need to consider reusability as a factor,” Pavlova from MailBakery suggests.
Those are some of the ways to cut costs. However, don’t forget email responsiveness, accessibility, and brand consistency.
Template Design Cost at Email Mavlers
We have categorized email template design in the following manner:
- PSD to Email: Share your design files, and we will code it in 8 hours. Any extra add-ons will take extra development time and individual cost.
- Custom design: Share your design brief and brand assets, and we will design and code the template within two days.
- Modular design: Share your design files, and we will create a template with custom and standard modules as needed.
- Interactive design: Share your idea, and we will bring it to life with various features like CSS3 animations, GIFs, Counters, Menus, Rotating Banners, Sliders, Accordions, Rollovers, etc.
You can check out our pricing models in detail here. Should you have any questions, we can get on a no-obligation call as well.