Pls stop making this design mistake

My eyes (and your revenue) can't take it

Author

Brenden Tartaglia
June 18, 2025

Estimated 4 Minute Read

Hey there,

Today I'm calling out the design mistake that's costing you conversions (even if your emails look "beautiful"), sharing AOV strategies that actually work, and breaking down why seasonal timing can 5x your revenue overnight.

Plus, I'm giving away something that cost me $50k to learn.

Let's dive in.

💡 Actionable Tip of the Day

Your beautiful emails might be killing your conversions.

I just audited a brand with emails that looked like they belonged in a design museum.

Gorgeous. Stunning. Professional.

And converting at 0.2%.

Why?

Customer confusion.

Here's the truth: Email design formatting >>>>>>>>> email design itself.

The purpose of emails is to be as EASY as possible to understand and navigate SO that the customer can make an educated click.

Not to win design awards.

Your email should pass the "5-second test" - can someone understand what you want them to do in 5 seconds or less?

If not, you're leaving money on the table.

🎯 Deep Dive: The $28k Lesson in Perfect Timing

"Timing is everything."

You've heard it a million times. But most brands still get this wrong.

Let me tell you about an "Overs" brand (those things you put over sunglasses) we onboarded last month.

Before us: $5k/month from email After 30 days: $28,185/month from email

What changed? We understood one simple truth:

Seasonal items should be promoted WHEN it's their season.

Revolutionary, right? 😄

But here's what most brands do wrong:

The Wrong Way:

  • Send the same emails year-round

  • Treat seasonal products like evergreen products

  • Miss the urgency window completely

The Right Way:

We built their entire email strategy around seasonal psychology:

Phase 1: Pre-Season Education (2-3 months before)

  • "Why you'll need this soon"

  • Product education emails

  • Early bird offers

Phase 2: Peak Season Push (during season)

  • Daily emails with urgency

  • Social proof from current users

  • Stock availability messaging

Phase 3: End-of-Season (last month)

  • "Last chance" messaging

  • Next year prep

  • Storage/care tips

The result? We caught the entire wave of seasonal demand instead of missing it.

But Here's the Real Secret:

We didn't just time the campaigns right. We optimized for AOV during peak season.

Here are the 5 AOV strategies we used:

  1. Bundle and Save - "Get the complete sun protection kit"

  2. Starter Kits - Perfect for first-time buyers

  3. Collection Completion - "Complete your outdoor gear"

  4. Pairs Well With... - Complementary product recommendations

  5. Gift Bundles - "Perfect for your outdoor-loving friend"

Each strategy increased our average order value by 40-60%.

The timing got them in the door. The AOV strategies made each customer worth 2x more.

The Design Component That Made It Work:

Remember what I said about formatting over beauty?

Every email had:

  • One clear primary CTA

  • Maximum 2 products per row

  • Zero design confusion

  • Mobile-first layout

No fancy graphics. No complex layouts. Just crystal clear direction.

Bottom line: Perfect timing + clear design + AOV focus = $23k additional monthly revenue.

🚀 How I Can Help You

Get My 40-Email Swipe File

I put together 30 perfectly formatted emails from top-converting brands. These aren't pretty - they're profitable.

See exactly how brands format their emails for maximum conversions.

Work With Our Agency

If you're doing $100k+/month and want to optimize your entire email program for both timing and AOV, let's talk.

We've helped 20+ brands increase their total revenue 25-40%

Talk soon, 

Brenden