Plain Jane Email Equals Flat Results
By Karen Fegarty
Posted Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Years ago, when email was just emerging as the incredible marketing tool it is today, everything was done in plain text. Since not everyone uses the same email program, and not all of them are compatible with the others, messages often ended up looking like nothing but jumbled pieces of nonsense. Besides that, they were boring.
Thus, Internet marketers were forced to find a way to spiff up their email messages to make them grab attention. Luckily, HTML was there to provide a solution.
Studies show that marketing emails sent in HTML format get much better response rates and far fewer unsubscribes than those sent in plain text. The reasons for this are many, but perhaps the biggest reason can be summed up this way: HTML messages look cooler!
The great thing about HTML is that all your recipients will be able to see it. The problem is that you can't always predict just how it will look. Users with older or outdated email programs will likely see the message as text, and some will even see all that ugly HTML coding. Those using newer versions of Outlook or Outlook Express, Eudora, or Netscape Communicator will likely see the HTML as it was intended... at least partially.
The only way to ensure that your HTML messages are seen the way you designed them is to format the text/plain and HTML materials separately from one another, and have the appropriate version of the message displayed for the recipient. This way, those who have HTML enabled email programs (which most people do these days) can see your message exactly how you planned. Similarly, even those whose email programs do not allow for HTML will be able to read your message loud and clear.
As you know, email is one of the most effective marketing tools available today, but just like anything else, it must be done correctly. A jumbled, unreadable message will only turn would-be customers away, which not only hurts your bottom line, but can damage your credibility. In this day and age, you must ensure that your marketing message is accessible to everyone.
You may be surprised to find out that of all the bulk email management programs available, very few allow you to format text and HTML separately, thus making your message universal. One program in particular, called Broadc@st, not only offers this cutting-edge capability, but also provides several list management and marketing tools. For more information on Broadc@st HTML, and how you can download a free, fully-functional 10-day trial, see (http://www.mailworkz.com)
About the Author
Karen Fegarty is a professional marketer working with both MailWorkZ and ezTrackZ. Check out the ezTrackZ ad tracker product at (http://www.eztrackz.com). and MailWorkZ’s flagship email marketing tool., Broadc@st at (http://www.mailworkz.com)
