HTML Emails, are they better?

[DrewAment]

I had a client call and ask me about HTML emails, and wanted me to make him some for his CRM.

My question is, do they have more of an impact, and are people more likely to read them than plain text? They obviously help in awareness and dealer branding but do they make sense? Look more professional?

Examples:

 

[JohnScott]

I had a client call and ask me about HTML emails, and wanted me to make him some for his CRM.

My question is, do they have more of an impact, and are people more likely to read them than plain text? They obviously help in awareness and dealer branding but do they make sense? Look more professional?

Examples

Depends on your market and how much your customers know about the internet.

How often to you plan on spamming their email?
They may be more likely to see it loading and hit the spam button.

 

[NickCybela]

HTML e-mails are much better when done right from an aesthetic and technical aspect. However, it's easy (without an e-mail expert and/or the right tools) to get caught by spam filters... and possibly become blacklisted.

Being blacklisted is NOT a fun thing to deal with.

 

[umer.autojini]

Most emails clients will auto block the Images in these messages... I would go for HTML formatted emails over Text and HTML Styled emails... any day.

 

[joe.pistell]

Umer,

that layout is nice and clean, visually easy to navigaite.

 

[Jeff Kershner]

I'm straight up NOT a fan of HTML and Graphic rich emails for your general email communications. Believe me, I know they sure look pretty and can impress your ISM's and managers that like the eye candy but IMO they are not needed nor effective.

I always ask my ISM teams if they use rich HTML and Graphics in the emails they send to their friends and family? Of course not, so what makes this any different?

Again, I know they look "professional" but If you construct your emails in the right manor (AIUA) and you have a professional and complete signature, graphics and lots of HTML is not necessary.

Also, think about how many people read their emails on their phones. Try reading an email on your mobile device that's flooded with HTML and graphics. It's a real pain and if they find their way to my inbox on my phone, I'm usually hitting the delete button.

Question..do you NEED rich HTML and graphics in your communication emails to get your message across? The answer is NO.

Now, if we are talking about separate emails campaign marketing, that's another subject all together.

 

[umer.autojini]

I agree with you Jeff... regular emails should not be bloated with HTML... but some emails... like auto responders could be done in HTML... i.e I think the thread reply notification email on this form would be great as HTML.

 

[mattwatson81]

I'm straight up NOT a fan of HTML and Graphic rich emails for your general email communications. Believe me, I know they sure look pretty and can impress your ISM's and managers that like the eye candy but IMO they are not needed nor effective.

I always ask my ISM teams if they use rich HTML and Graphics in the emails they send to their friends and family? Of course not, so what makes this any different?

Again, I know they look "professional" but If you construct your emails in the right manor (AIUA) and you have a professional and complete signature, graphics and lots of HTML is not necessary.

Also, think about how many people read their emails on their phones. Try reading an email on your mobile device that's flooded with HTML and graphics. It's a real pain and if they find their way to my inbox on my phone, I'm usually hitting the delete button.

Question..do you NEED rich HTML and graphics in your communication emails to get your message across? The answer is NO.

Now, if we are talking about separate emails campaign marketing, that's another subject all together.

Well our software is smart enough to send all emails as HTML and plain text both. The plain text version has all the HTML formatting stripped out of it. So if they get they email on a blackberry or certain devices, it can look at the plain text version.

One of the hundreds of little things....