This Email is Ugly, But It Made $5,286.71 in One Day

Hey there, it’s Patrick.

You wouldn’t believe it if I told you, but sometimes, less is more in email marketing.

Here’s a quick story:

We recently ran a split test for one of our clients to see which type of email would perform better—an eye-catching, heavily designed email or a plain, boring text email.

The results? 🤯

The plain text email (you know, the kind that looks like you sent it from your inbox) absolutely crushed the fancy design:

• Plain Text Email: $5,286.71 in sales in just one day!

• Designed Email: Only $876.06 in sales 😬

That’s right—the plain, simple email outperformed the design-heavy version by more than 6x!

Here’s why this works:

• It feels personal. Plain text emails look like a direct message from a real person, which makes them feel more authentic and relatable.

• Less distraction. Without flashy images and fancy fonts, your message stays the focus—driving clicks and conversions.

• Inbox-friendly. These emails land right in the primary inbox (and not in the promotions or spam folder).

🎯 The takeaway? Don’t underestimate the power of simplicity in your emails, especially when you’re gearing up for something big like Black Friday/Cyber Monday.

You don’t need a graphic design degree to craft emails that sell. Sometimes all it takes is keeping it simple.

Talk soon,

Patrick O’Driscoll

The Visionary Group

P.S. In case you missed it, get access to our BFCM Email Marketing checklist here.