Creating Better Email Template Design
By Julia Gulevich
In today’s e-business world, thousands of newsletters are sent out everyday as a means of attracting customers. Often these newsletters are highly trusted and people buy products advertised in these newsletters. The writers of newsletters are seen as experts in their field and people look up to them for information on specific subject areas. Often, however these newsletters get blocked, filtered or blacklisted when sending them out to potential recipients. Let’s examine the reasons and solution for this and how to create the best email template.
The Email Template: Diagnosis Of The Problem
Sometimes the email template is the reason that the emails are not being delivered. Through template redesign a large number of undeliverable emails can be delivered.
Strip out all variable template elements – text, images, personalization, etc. Run the template through an HTML code validator and spam content checker. After this, email the template to test accounts in various email clients. View the message in a number of browsers.
After correcting the problem, add in various elements and run it through the diagnostic problem again in the race to get the best email template.
Redesign With The Preview Pane In Mind
Many email clients today offer customers the choice to view content in a preview pane. Messages that do not look good in the preview pane are often deleted before opening.
Redesign the message with the preview pane in mind. Make sure the message looks appealing in the preview pane and readers are likely to open the message.
Redesign With Blocked Images In Mind
Templates that place together message content into a single large image make a design flaw. Such messages are likely to be flagged as spam. They are often not displayed.
To resolve this problem and get the best email template there is, replace navigational images with text links and add image alt tags that somewhat make up for the absence of images by substituting text.
Tone Down The Volume
Some amount of promotion is acceptable in the message, but excessive promotion of the type “click here now” and the like are likely to get the message regarded as spam. Moderate messages by reducing the number of heavily promotional text. Place such messages in an image rather than as text or text links. Beware third party objectionable ads.
Include Essential Elements
Every email message needs certain essential elements.
• A working opt-out link.
• A link to the website
• Company name and physical address
• A link to the preference update page
• A contact us link or phone number
• A link to the preference update page
Group these elements in a common format in each email.
Test the redesign once it is done. Compare delivery rates before and after. This lets you evaluate the effectiveness of the redesigned message.
Hand Code Email
HTML coding programs such as FrontPage are not ideal for coding email newsletters. It is better to code email by hand or to use a program like Dreamweaver or Homesite.
Also, remember to host images on your website rather than sending them via email. This helps prevent your email being labeled as spam, since file sizes grow quite large in sent email due to images. Remember this checklist for the best email template as a guide to happy email sending.
• Avoid CSS
• Keep HTML 500-650 pixels wide
• Add functionalities like send-to-a-friend carefully
• Avoid Flash
• Avoid scripting with JavaScript or VB Script
Ultimately Content Is King
Remember that good content will help your message to be read, and you product to be purchased. It also helps avoid your email from being labeled as spam. Work at the technical and creative aspects of your email to get that killer best email template.
If you don't feel yourself as an email designder, or if you just don't have time to design an email newsletter, you can search for ready-made templates on the Internet. A good source is at Hot Email Templates You can download free email templates on that site. There is also a rich collection of commercial email templates packages.