HTML Email Design
Add Serious WOW factor to your emails
What is an HTML email?
An HTML email is an email which contains HTML - ok so that sounds rather obvious - usually HTML emails have text formatting, imagery and can have a layout which looks more like a webpage. Most email clients (Outlook, Lotus Notes, Google Mail etc) will default to writing emails using HTML which allows formatting such as bold, italic and colour changes etc Many also make it easy to insert pictures into the email body. These are basic HTML emails.
HTML allso allows for more advanced layout styling for emails other than basic text formatting, by using tables or layout
div tags (page divisions), image based layouts and colour accenting. Essentially HTML will allow people to send a compact web page in an email.
Why use HTML emails
There are two main reasons why HTML emails should be used more often:
-
IMPACT: without a doubt you'll get more initial impact with a well laid out and visually stimulating email. Well thought out layouts can often give emphasis to featured content making sure the recipient reads the key points of what is wanting to be said.
-
TRACKING: HTML emails will allow you to build in more complex tracking bugs which allow the sender to see whether an email has been opened and which links within it clicked. HTML emails can also allow you to track if the email has been forwarded to another party.
How do I create and send HTML emails?
The quick answer to this is that you probably already are. As mentioned above the majority of email clients will create and send emails in HTML format and therefore it's just a case of working out what you can do with the tools you have. 90% of email clients will allow you to add tables, images, change colours, format text and add links. These are the foundations of creating HTML email templates and if the layout is well conceived then it should be possible to build a good looking HTML email directly in your email client.
With that said you may soon find that you hit the limits of what is easily acheived just in your email client - when this happens you will probably need to look into building or commisioning an HTML email template, build totally in standards based HTML and supplied as an .html (or .htm) file. These files are usually built in web page authoring software (like
Adobe Dreamweaver) or hand coded and be sourced from any good design or digital agency.
Will an HTML email create more sales?
Possibly but not necessarily. If your HTML email template was design and built correctly with the right strategy behind it then you are more likely to engage your readers to generate a click-through, however, this level of throught needs to be applied to the whole online and offline sales funnel to make sure the engagement level is passed on from the email to the landing page, to the product page and to the purchase page - then it is continued throughout the after-sales process. Essentially a well designed HTML email is like a pretty and enticing front door - but you need to pay close attention to who opens the door and what it's like inside or else the well designed front door is only ever going to return knock-and-run customers.
Make a Serious impact
Serious Digital Ideas have tried, tested and proven methods for engaging customers by email marketing and landing zone creation. For more information contact us on 01932 835850 or have a look at some of the related services we offer:
Let us help you make Serious impact
Top tip
When it comes to email engagement you should always pay close attention to the message you are wanting to send out and the audience you are sending to. With this information you should be able to work out a) if HTML emails are the best way to go or if a personalised plain email from an individual would be better and b) what key points of the message need highlighting. At the end of the day it's all about what the recipient wants to read and not what the sender wants to say - it's the golden rule of communication!
For more tips why not sign up to our free online marketing guide where every week or two you’ll receive fresh tips on how to promote yourself online.
