Email Countdown Timers: How to Create and Use Them in Your Email Marketing (2023)

There are three things an email marketer can keep track of forever: email campaigns are being sent, CTR is growing, time to sale is counting down. How can you combine these three amazing things? By creating an email with a countdown timer in it.

A countdown timer is the best way to demonstrate that a sale only lasts a limited time, a non-verbal way of telling customers:Soon a carriage will become a pumpkin and the price of that new bag will be huge again. You have to hurry up.

Urgency is one of the best decision factors, so why not use it to encourage a subscriber to make a purchase?

How and when can you use a countdown timer?

You can use email countdown timer for any type of business, beitan online shop, delivery service or medical webinar production company.

Most commonly, countdown timers are used in email campaigns to:

  • boost quick sales;

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  • remind you that an offer is about to expire;

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  • remind you that a sale is about to begin;

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  • notify that an offer is about to expire;

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  • remind that the atrial period is about to end;

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  • announce the date of the lucky draw contest;

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  • notify that a webinar is about to start.

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Countdown timers are known to increase sales. To test this, we ran a series of experiments. For example, we split a customer database in half and sent an email with a countdown timer to the first half and an email with no timer to the second half. Both the design and the text content remained the same in each email.

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(Video) Using countdown timers in email marketing

The results were as follows:

  • The percentage of clicks on a countdown timer - 1%.
  • The percentage of people who clicked on email links differed by 0.2% between the first and second groups: 4.9 clicks came from emails with a timer and 4.7 from emails without Timer.
  • The number of purchases was the same.

These indicators, along with some additional A/B tests that showed similar results, led us to conclude that embedding a countdown timer in an email doesn't significantly affect sales levels. Therefore, it would be more sensible to display countdown timers as soon as possible to diversify your email campaigns and entertain subscribers with an animated content element. Discounts alone are a good incentive to buy.

Types of Email Countdown Timers

There are two ways to add a countdown timer to an email:

  • Create HTML timer and add code to email layout.
  • Insert a countdown GIF image.

Both options complement the design of your emails and emphasize the urgency. However, an HTML timer has a number of advantages that GIFs don't have.

HTML-Countdown-Timer

An HTML countdown timer is an HTML script that counts down the time second by second to a specified date in the future.

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You can create such timers using special services like Sendtric or Motionmail, or you can generate the code yourself. However, custom code can cause display issues or be completely truncated by email clients. Therefore, we recommend only using the bespoke option if you know for sure what you are doing. The countdown timers generated by dedicated services have no problems with email clients and do their job perfectly.

Typically, a countdown timer's embed code looks something like this:

<td align="center" class="esd-block-timer" esdev-config="h3"> <a target="_blank"> <img class="adapt-img" alt src="https://cdt -timer-plugins.esputnik.com/api/v1/images/MTkHQrFb4YRux8XP9RBPy2laYO-m_Z4FcmCJNmOXnjo" width="277"> </a></td>

At first glance, the code appears to consist of an image link and a display style; however, it is not entirely so. The code contains an image link, but there is a script with the conditions of the timer inside the link. This ensures that the email clients do not see this countdown timer as a samalicious object and do not clip it from an email.

To generate a countdown timer, you need to specify its end date and time, taking into account time zone differences. Such timers cannot be created without an end date. The numbers in the Ontimer are continuously counted down from the moment they are generated. It doesn't matter when a user receives the email: the number will still count down. The countdown timer will stop at zero once the time is up.

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HTML countdown timers can be customized: you can choose a language, a background color, the color of numbers and text, etc. In this way you can adapt the timer to the design of your email.

GIF-Countdown-Timer

One of the easiest ways to add countdown timers to an email is with looping GIF animations. All you have to do is find such a GIF in a stock image library and include it in the "image" block of an email.

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(Video) How to make Countdown Timers for Email

Email clients don't clip GIF countdown timers from emails because they don't see them as something suspicious. In fact, it is just an animated image, not a real countdown timer. However, note that Outlook 2007-2016 only shows the first static frame of animation in emails.

If you use such countdown timers, you might face some difficulties to find GIFs of a suitable size to ensure smooth loading of the emails. Also, you need to find the countdown timer that fits the time frame. It's also important not to tamper with the data, otherwise your subscribers might think there's something wrong with your offer. If you specify the duration of the promotion in an email (for example, ends at 5:00 p.m. today), a countdown timer should not indicate that there are 12 hours or even a day left until the promotion ends.

We recommend searching for GIF images on:

  • Google– the most obvious source. To find a needed GIF, open the image search and go to Tools → Type → Animated. Don't forget to select "Tagged for non-commercial reuse with modification" in the "Usage Rights" section. Google will show all GIFs available for use.
  • GIPHY– the most popular GIF saver.
  • Pinterest– a huge resource where you can find GIFs and images of any kind and style.
  • Tumblr— GIF creators also love Tumblr and often share their creations there. Yes, you can find Timer GIFs below.

Users tend to open emails within the first few days of receiving them. This can cause problems if you decide to use GIF countdown timers. The timer will also display the same numbers when a promo expires. In this case, HTML countdown timer is a better option: it will reset to zero when the set time is up and won't confuse your subscribers about the offer.

Create effective emails that convert!

How do countdown timers work with different email clients?

According to the litmus statistics, 99% of email clients display countdown timers correctly. Microsoft Outlook 07/10/13/17 is the only exception: it has problems displaying GIF timers. If you choose to use a GIF timer, Outlook will display its first static frame instead of the animated GIF.

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You shouldn't worry about whether a countdown timer will respond or not while adding it to the email. Countdown timers generally display well on different devices and scale to screen width.

last contribution

How do I create an HTML countdown timer?

Sendtric is a free service for generating countdown timers. You don't need to register or pay for a subscription to use it.

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The service offers a set of basic settings to help you create countdown timers. This allows you to set the following parameters:

(Video) eMail Marketing Tip of the Day | Using Countdown Timers in your Sales eMails

  • time zone settings;
  • Countdown end date: any date and time within the next 30 days;
  • Language: You can choose between 26 common languages;
  • background color;
  • Text and number color.

All countdown timers created with the service are free and have no watermarks. Their design is universal and one for all: rectangular watch displays with large numbers and text descriptions.

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At the moment, Sendtric is probably the best service for creating animated countdown timers: it has all the basic features and allows you to create as many timers as you need for free.

Another service that allows you to design countdown timers. It offers the same features as Sendtric and also allows for theme customization. There are four design options: two with rectangular watch faces and two with round dials.

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The service also allows you to set uptimer's background transparency, as well as the font size (16 to 60 pixels) and style.

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Motionmailapp is a partially free service. You can generate an unlimited number of timers; However, they have watermarks. By purchasing a paid subscription, you can remove watermarks and customize your timer's language for different regions. The subscription costs $10 per month.

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Promofeatures allows generating countdown timers for both emails and websites. The service is free; However, you need to register to use it. You can login with your Facebook or Google+ account or fill out a short form.

The service offers more varied countdown timer options. In addition to the basic functions, the service allows you to:

  • Choose the style of atimer
  • Choose a color for additional items
  • Configure a font's size and style (bold, italic, etc.)

Experience the advantages of oureditor

(Video) Mailtimer Introduction | Customize Email Countdown Timers | Lifetime Deal | Timer for Email

You can also create your own personal design for a countdown timer. Click the Open Custom Theme button to view all available theme options.

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One of the main benefits of the service is that it shows the actual size of a countdown timer in inkilobytes. The more you customize the theme, the bigger your timer will get (and the slower your email will load).

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Watch the size of your countdown timer to ensure it loads quickly regardless of email clients.

How to add a countdown timer with our platform?

Adding a countdown timer to your email is easy when you use our platform. In fact, it's just as easy as adding an ordinary image to an email. Here's what you need to do to add a countdown timer to your email in our editor:

  1. Create a countdown timer using any of the services above. For this example, we chose Sendtric.
  2. Copy the code generated by the service. For your email you only have to use the part that contains a link.

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  1. Choose a template in our editor and create a new structure init. Add an "Image" block to the structure.
  2. Go to the block's menu and paste the code in the External Source link box.

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  1. The timer is immediately displayed in the email.

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  1. You can use the menu of the same block to keep customizing your timer:
  • make a countdown timer bigger or smaller;
  • add an image for a rollover effect;
  • add a link to a website;
  • adjust the alignment of the timer;
  • stretch to full width or not;
  • add indents;
  • Make the timer mobile responsive or hide it on mobile.

Do not forget

Adding comment text to your email countdown timer is important!

Create the best countdown timer here

(Video) Customized Countdown Timers for Email Campaigns

Think about acountdown's timer design ahead of time to make sure it looks good in your email. You cannot change the design once the email has been sent; Therefore, it is important to take care of it beforehand.

FAQs

How do countdowns in emails work? ›

What is an email countdown timer? An email countdown timer is technically an animated GIF that counts down to a specific time in the future. This animated GIF can be inserted in your email template. The ultimate goal of the countdown clock is to make email readers act on the spot; don't let them postpone taking action.

Can emails have timers? ›

Generally, there are 2 types of timers that you can embed in your emails, HTML code timers and GIF countdown timers. HTML ones are hands down better since they offer more customization options, while animated GIF timers are more basic and have limited functionality.

How do I add a countdown timer to my Outlook email? ›

How to add a countdown timer in Outlook?
  1. Create a MailTimers countdown timer. Use the MailTimers timer builder to create a new countdown timer that fits nicely into the design of your email.
  2. Go to Outlook app. Click the "Option" tab and enable HTML.
  3. Creates a new HTML file with timer. ...
  4. Send your email with a countdown timer.

How do I put a timer in MailChimp? ›

Add your timer into the MailChimp email template

Select that block and drag it onto your template. After dropping the Code block on the screen a new area called 'Code' will open up on the right. Paste your timer embed code into the code area like this.

How do I create an automated email campaign? ›

How does automated email sending work?
  1. Install an email marketing tool. To start, you'll need easy-to-use email automation software (like Omnisend).
  2. Build and segment an email list. ...
  3. Set up an automation trigger. ...
  4. Create email campaigns. ...
  5. Activate the automation.
10 May 2022

How does a countdown work? ›

A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur.

How do you send an automatic email on time? ›

Want to get more out of Google apps at work or school?
  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Gmail app .
  2. At the bottom right, tap Compose.
  3. Create your email.
  4. At the top right, tap More .
  5. Tap Schedule send. select an option.

What is the two minute rule to emails? ›

The Two Minute rule says you should respond to any email sitting your inbox that would take less than two minutes to do so. This is a brilliant strategy. I once adhered to the What Matters Most rule, which proclaims that you prioritize your email from most important to least important.

How do I create a custom countdown widget? ›

In the top right corner, tap the plus sign to add a widget. Scroll down until you see the Eventime widget for your event. Tap it, and you'll see options for the widget size and which events the widget includes. Choose the one you want, tap Add Widget, and you're done.

How do I create a countdown Calendar? ›

How to Make a Countdown Calendar
  1. Mark the beginning and ending dates of your countdown period on a standard monthly calendar. For each day that passes, cross out that day on your calendar. ...
  2. Count down to a holiday or vacation with an Advent-style calendar. ...
  3. Make a kid-friendly countdown calendar using simple paper loops.

How do you embed a timer in HTML? ›

Use the <time> tag to add date and time. The HTML <time> tag is used for displaying the human readable date and time.

Does Mailchimp do scheduling? ›

If your business offers professional services, you can use Mailchimp Appointments to add scheduling tools to your website. Your visitors can choose to book a meeting in person, online, or over the phone, depending on the type of service you offer.

How do you set a timer on API? ›

To start a timer: set the starttime field to the current time in UTC. To pause a timer: calculate the amount of time lapsed between the starttime and now, and sum that value with the value in the time field (i.e. time = time + (now - starttime)). Then nullify the starttime field.

What is email marketing automation strategy? ›

Email marketing automation is a strategy in which email marketers send triggered or timed emails to subscriber lists. Marketers can send personalized messages to both prospects and customers based on a schedule, or when a specific condition is met.

How do you set up automation in marketing? ›

Here are some of the ways to seamlessly slot it into your marketing strategy:
  1. Redirect Focus To Strategy. ...
  2. Reallocate Budget. ...
  3. Support Customer Interactions. ...
  4. Gather Meaningful Analytics. ...
  5. Identify The Right Tasks: ...
  6. Select The Appropriate Automation Software: ...
  7. Train Your Team:
  8. Evaluate Automation Effectiveness:
12 Dec 2018

How does automated email marketing work? ›

Email marketing automation is an email or a sequence of emails that are sent after a subscriber takes a specific action like signing up to an email list, making a purchase, or clicking a link. For example, when you sign up for Constant Contact, this triggers a welcome email.

How effective are countdown timers? ›

Takeaways: Countdown timers work based on the psychological principle of scarcity. Data shows countdown timers can increase click through rates and overall conversion rates. They can be used in most emails where you want subscribers to take a specific action.

What are countdown ads? ›

With Google countdown timer ads, you're able to incorporate a countdown feature in a headline or description within an expanded text ad that will automatically update to let customers know exactly how many days, hours, and minutes until your special offer expires.

What is countdown function on timer? ›

A countdown timer is a digital clock that runs virtually on web pages. It counts down from a certain date/time to indicate the beginning or end of an event. It contains the time in hours, minutes, and seconds. The countdown timer is used for multiple purposes.

How do I use a form timer? ›

Quick Tutorial
  1. Open Google Forms.
  2. Open Timer for Google Forms from the add-on menu.
  3. Configure the test duration and instructions.
  4. Share the link.
  5. See the response times in the linked google sheet.

What is the golden rule of email? ›

In case you never learned it in college, the golden rule of email is never send an email that you wouldn't want to show up on the front page of your local paper. At least it's been my golden rule for decades after painful reminders both public and private.

What is the 3 email rule? ›

The rule is simple. If you can't complete an email conversation within three emails, then it should shift to a more personal platform.

What is the 24 hour rule for email? ›

Generally, you should aim to respond to all emails within a 24-hour timeframe (not to exceed 48 hours).

Is there a free countdown widget? ›

As a free download, Countdowns offers the following features: - Gorgeous, colorful widgets on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Can you create a countdown timer in Excel? ›

Make the Countdown Timer

Go to the cell that you want to contain the timer. Right-click that cell > click Format Cells... Go to the Number tab and then to the Time category and select 13:30:55 from the section on the right. Then hit OK to get back to Excel.

What is the best countdown timer? ›

If you need a countdown app for Android or iOS, here are the best countdown apps to install.
  1. Countdown. ...
  2. Big Days. ...
  3. Dreamdays Countdown. ...
  4. TheDayBefore. ...
  5. Exam Countdown Lite. ...
  6. Time Until. ...
  7. Countdown Widget. ...
  8. Countdown Time.

Does Google have a countdown app? ›

Try this Google Calendar Lab, which adds a handy countdown timer to your next meeting right in Calendar. You'll always see what event is coming up next, in addition to a countdown to that event. In Google Calendar, head up to the gear icon in the upper-right corner > Settings > Labs.

How do I create a widget? ›

Simply choose New > Widget > App Widget. In addition to the required basic components, if your widget needs user configuration you should implement the App Widget configuration activity. This activity allows users to modify widget settings (for example, the time zone for a clock widget).

How do I make a countdown spreadsheet? ›

Create a cell containing the date you want to count down to

2. Create another cell to enter your countdown formula, and type in =DATEDIF(NOW(),A2,"M") with “A2” referencing the cell where you entered the date you want to count down to and “M” representing months as the unit you want to count in.

What is embedded timer system? ›

C Programming Basics For Microcontrollers & Embedded System

A timer is a specialized type of clock which is used to measure time intervals. A timer that counts from zero upwards for measuring time elapsed is often called a stopwatch.

How do I put a countdown timer on my website? ›

How to add Countdown Timer to a website
  1. Customize the widget. Use diverse options to get a perfect for your use-case widget.
  2. Get your installation code. Get the unique code for your customized widget and copy it.
  3. Paste the code into your website. Paste the code into the desired place of the website or template.

Can you automate with Mailchimp for free? ›

Compared to Omnisend, Sendinblue, and HubSpot, Mailchimp offers more free automation tools on our Free plan. Mailchimp's other free tools also outshine the competition, with over 250 integrations and a wealth of features. Automations make it possible to send targeted marketing messages at scale, which boosts results.

Does Mailchimp have email automation? ›

Mailchimp offers a wide selection of preset automation types with built-in triggers, ranging from abandoned cart emails to a simple welcome message. If Mailchimp's preset automations don't fit your marketing goals, you can create a brand new, custom automation with your own triggers.

Can you schedule on Mailchimp for free? ›

When you create a regular email campaign with our Campaign Builder, you can select a date and time for delivery to your audience. Email scheduling is included in paid monthly plans. In this article, you'll learn how to schedule or pause a regular email campaign in Mailchimp.

What is programming timer? ›

A timer is a clock that controls the sequence of an event while counting in fixed intervals of time. It is used for producing precise time delay. Secondly, it can be used to repeat or initiate an action after/at a known period of time. This feature is very commonly used in several applications.

What is application timer? ›

The idea of application timers was introduced in an earlier article. They are kernel objects that provide tasks with simple means to time events or, more commonly, perform an activity on a regular basis. All the detail of timing functionality – accuracy, interrupt handling, etc.

What is a countdown timer in email? ›

What is an email countdown timer? An email countdown timer is an animated GIF image that counts down to a specific time. It's a ticking clock that you can insert anywhere in your newsletter to create a sense of urgency—just like in this campaign by Forever 21 below.

How do you do email sequencing? ›

How to Create an Email Sequence
  1. Determine the sequence's purpose. ...
  2. Identify the enrollment criteria (or trigger) for the sequence. ...
  3. Determine the duration of the sequence and the number of emails required. ...
  4. Write the emails for the sequence. ...
  5. Build the emails using email software. ...
  6. Set up the automation. ...
  7. Test the sequence.
28 Jul 2022

Do countdowns stay on your story? ›

If you are unfamiliar with this feature, it's one of the stickers you can use on your story. You can post the countdown to get people excited about something coming up. It will stay in your story for the normal timeframe (24 hours) even if it's counting down to something further away.

How do I create a live countdown email? ›

1. Choose an email countdown timer tool. 2. Choose a time zone and a specific time.
...
Adding an Email Countdown Timer in Gmail
  1. Create a countdown timer with a link. ...
  2. Insert a photo. ...
  3. Click Web Address (URL). ...
  4. Paste the countdown timer link. ...
  5. Finish the email.

What does countdown timer mean? ›

A countdown timer can be defined as a virtual clock that counts down from a certain date or number to indicate the end or beginning of an offer or event.

What are the 5 parts of an email in order? ›

Emails can be broken into 5 major parts: the sender, subject line, salutations, body, and CTA. These pieces make up 99% of emails and provide an optimal format for engaging with clients and optimising conversions.

What is a marketing email sequence? ›

Email marketing sequences are a series of emails sent from a software based on predefined conditions with a goal to convert prospects into customers. The objective of designing email sequences can vary for different marketers: To get the prospect to reply. To get the prospect to sign up. To build brand awareness.

What is the best email sequence? ›

The 5 most important types of email sequences are…
  • Welcome email sequence.
  • Onboarding email sequence.
  • Abandon cart email sequence.
  • Repeat customer email sequence.
  • Re-engagement email sequence.
15 Jan 2021

Can you add a countdown widget? ›

Just long hold an empty area on your home screen and tap the "+" in the corner to get started. DRAG the Countdown DISPLAY wherever you want.

Can Google Calendar do countdowns? ›

You'll always see what event is coming up next, in addition to a countdown to that event. In Google Calendar, head up to the gear icon in the upper-right corner > Settings > Labs. Scroll down until you find the Next meeting lab. Select Enable, and then hit Save at the bottom of the page.

Is the countdown widget free? ›

As a free download, Countdowns offers the following features: - Gorgeous, colorful widgets on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

How do I create a countdown calendar? ›

How to Make a Countdown Calendar
  1. Mark the beginning and ending dates of your countdown period on a standard monthly calendar. For each day that passes, cross out that day on your calendar. ...
  2. Count down to a holiday or vacation with an Advent-style calendar. ...
  3. Make a kid-friendly countdown calendar using simple paper loops.

Is the countdown app free? ›

Let the countdown to your vacation begin! Our FREE Vacation Countdown App for Android and iOS gives you the EXACT date and time until you embark on your adventurous journey!

Videos

1. How to create a countdown timer for emails
(CountdownMail Team)
2. Countdown Timer in Emails - Thinkific or Tekmatix
(Brainy Girl - Kim Garnett)
3. How to Add Email Countdown to Your Marketing Emails for FREE (2021)
(POWR)
4. Create a Customized Countdown Timer for Your Next Email Campaign
(Pinpointe On-Demand, Inc.)
5. How to Add Countdown Timers in Emails to Create Urgency | WP The Podcast EP 526
(WP Gears)
6. Countdown Timers in your email campaign
(NiftyImages)
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