Why Most Brisbane Business Owners Are Leaving Money on the Table
I’ve seen it dozens of times. A local business owner—maybe a landscaper in Coorparoo or a boutique owner in Paddington—spends hours putting together a beautiful email. They send it out to 2,000 people, wait for the phone to ring, and… nothing. Just a handful of clicks and zero new bookings.
When we look at the data, the problem usually isn't the offer. It’s that half the people who opened the email couldn’t actually read it.
In the marketing world, people call this "accessibility." But let’s call it what it really is: Making it easy for people to give you money.
If your font is too small, your colours have no contrast, or your buttons are impossible to tap with a thumb, you are literally locking the door on potential customers. This guide is about unlocking that door. I’m going to show you exactly how to set up your emails so they work for every single person on your list, regardless of their eyesight, their device, or how much of a rush they’re in.
The Real Cost of Hard-to-Read Emails
Before we get into the "how-to," let's talk about the "why."
About 1 in 9 Australians have some form of vision impairment. That’s a huge chunk of your database. If you’re sending emails that are hard to read, you’re effectively telling 10% of your customers to go shop with your competitor instead.
Beyond that, think about your typical customer in Brisbane. They aren't sitting at a desk with a 27-inch monitor. They’re standing in line at a coffee shop in the CBD, squinting at their phone in the bright Queensland sun. If your email doesn’t work in those conditions, it doesn't work at all.
When you get this right, you see three things happen: 1. More phone calls and enquiries: Because people can actually see your number and click it. 2. Fewer unsubscribes: People don't delete emails that are easy to digest. 3. Better results from your list: You’ll stop hearing "I didn't see that email" from your regulars.
Investing time here is about protecting your email profitability. If you’re paying for a platform to send emails, you might as well make sure those emails can be read.
Step 1: Fix Your Fonts and Text (The 16px Rule)
Most business owners try to cram too much information into one email. To make it fit, they shrink the text. This is a massive mistake.
Use Large, Bold Text
Your body text should be at least 16 pixels. Anything smaller requires the reader to zoom in, and most people won't bother. For headings, go big—24 pixels or more.Stick to Simple Fonts
Don't use fancy, curly scripts for your main message. While they might look "premium," they are a nightmare to read on a small screen. Stick to clean, simple fonts like Arial, Helvetica, or Verdana. These are designed to be read on screens.Left-Align Everything
I know it’s tempting to centre-align your text to make it look like a flyer. Don't. Our eyes are trained to return to the left margin after every line. When you centre-align text, the starting point of every line changes, making the brain work harder to read. If you want more sales from existing customers, don't give them a headache.Step 2: The "Squint Test" for Colours
I recently saw an email from a local gym that used light grey text on a white background. It looked very modern, but I couldn't read a word of it without straining.
High Contrast is King
The best combination is black text on a white background. If you want to use your brand colours, make sure there is a stark difference between the background and the text. A dark blue background with white text works well; a light blue background with white text is a disaster.The Pro Tip: Open your email draft on your phone, walk outside into the sun, and squint. If you can't tell what the main headline says, your contrast is too low.
Step 3: Make Your Buttons "Thumb-Friendly"
If your email has a link that says "Click here to book," and that link is just a tiny piece of underlined text, you’re losing customers.
People use their thumbs to navigate their phones. A thumb is much bigger and less precise than a mouse cursor.
Use Big Buttons
Instead of a text link, use a big, high-contrast button. It should be at least 44x44 pixels. This ensures that even someone with shaky hands or a cracked screen can hit the target.Give Buttons Space
Don't put three buttons right next to each other. If I’m trying to click "Book Now" but I accidentally hit "Unsubscribe" because they were too close together, you’ve just lost a customer for life. Give your call-to-action buttons plenty of "white space" around them.Step 4: Write for People Who Skim
Nobody reads every word of your email. They skim-read until they find something interesting. If your email is one giant wall of text, they’ll just hit delete.
Use Bullet Points
Bullet points are a small business owner’s best friend. They break up information and make it easy to digest. Tell them what you’re offering. Tell them why they need it.- Tell them how to get it.
Descriptive Links
Never use "Click Here" as your link text. It tells the reader nothing. Instead, use descriptive phrases like "View our 2024 Price List" or "Claim your $50 Discount." This is especially helpful for people using screen readers (software that reads the screen aloud), but it’s also better for everyone else because it stands out while skimming.Step 5: Don't Rely on Images
Many tradies and retailers make the mistake of sending an email that is just one big image (like a digital flyer). This is a fast track to the junk folder.
Here is why images-only emails fail: 1. Many people have images turned off: By default, many phone mail apps don't load images to save data. If your whole message is an image, they see a blank box. 2. They don't resize well: A big flyer that looks great on a PC will be tiny and unreadable on an iPhone. 3. Google hates them: If there’s no actual text in your email, spam filters get suspicious.
The Solution: Always use "Alt Text." This is a hidden description you can add to any image in your email software. If the image doesn't load, the box will display your description instead (e.g., "Photo of our new outdoor furniture range").
Step 6: Test It on a Real Phone
This is the most important step. Before you hit "send" to your entire list, send a test version to yourself and one of your staff members.
Check for these three things: 1. Can I read the text without zooming? 2. Can I easily tap the button with my thumb? 3. Does it make sense if I only spend 5 seconds looking at it?
If the answer to any of those is "no," go back and fix it. It’s better to spend an extra ten minutes fixing a layout than to waste an entire marketing campaign because nobody could read the offer.
How Long Until You See Results?
This isn't like SEO where you have to wait months. You will see the results of these changes in your very next email.
When we worked with a plumber in Morningside, they changed their emails from small-font newsletters to simple, high-contrast updates with big "Call Now" buttons. Their enquiry rate from their existing customer list jumped by 22% overnight. Why? Because their older customers could finally read the phone number on their mobiles.
What’s a Waste of Money?
Don't waste money on fancy "interactive" emails with moving parts, countdown timers, or embedded videos. Most of the time, these things break on different phones and make the email harder to read.
Keep it simple. Clean text, clear images, and big buttons win every time. You don't need a graphic designer to spend ten hours on a masterpiece; you need a layout that works.
Summary Checklist for Your Next Email
1. Font Size: Is the main text at least 16px? (Yes/No) 2. Alignment: Is everything left-aligned? (Yes/No) 3. Contrast: Is the text dark enough against the background? (Yes/No) 4. Buttons: Are they big enough for a thumb to hit? (Yes/No) 5. Images: Did you add descriptions (Alt Text) to every photo? (Yes/No)
Get Better Results Today
Marketing doesn't have to be complicated. Most of the time, the secret to growing your Brisbane business is simply making it easier for your customers to do business with you. By making your emails accessible, you aren't just being "nice"—you're being smart. You're ensuring that every dollar you spend on marketing has the best possible chance of turning into a sale.
If you’re too busy running your business to worry about font sizes and button layouts, we can help. At Local Marketing Group, we specialise in making marketing work for local businesses in the real world.
Ready to grow? Contact Local Marketing Group today and let’s get your emails actually making you money.