Better Business E-mail Relationships

In an attempt to improve business emails and email relationships, there are a few guidelines that should be upheld in their delivery, application, purpose, and design. First, any professional needs to understand how HTML emails work and a little bit about email management. Basic knowledge should encompass how email clients render different HTML mark up and the simple HTML tags needed for HTML emails. Each email client program, such as Outlook and Thunderbird, displays HTML code differently and these differences need to be accounted for in the design process.

When designing the HTML email, keep it as simple as possible. Less is most certainly more in emails for several reasons. The first, as mentioned above, is that not all email clients render HTML code the same. Secondly, email clients are set up as a text application meaning that they display text and not code proficiently. Lastly, emails that are sent in HTML are also sent in text format which means the simpler the HTML email, the less memory that will be used in sending and saving those emails.

As the email clients are more proficient at text, it is a good idea to set text only as the default format for sending emails and to use the HTML as an option for those receiving email newsletters. This way the end user has the control over the format of the email messages from the company. It allows the end user to decide how much of their memory and processing power will be devoted to the newsletters and it gives them a somewhat interactive experience with the email. If the individual sending the emails chooses an email third party service, said service should include an option for text only emails for the reasons mentioned above.

After designing the email newsletter or template, always test it by sending it to a few friends and co-workers. This will alleviate any unforeseen design flaws and limit the amount of negative reactions to an email. A sample of the newsletter should always be visible to visitors on the site to give them a better understanding of how it will look and whether or not they have the option of text only emails. Many users prefer the text only emails as spam filters base their spam ratings on the amount of HTML in any given email.

Sending mail has its own guidelines as well. A good bit of advice is to not send unsolicited HTML emails; these will almost certainly be filed under junk or the end user will block the address and domain. This limits a company's ability to ever reach that individual. Sending unsolicited emails is also considered abuse and can render complications and consequences for the sender. Bulk emails are also frowned upon; it is worse to send bulk mail to people outside of the company mailing lists. Newsletters do not fall under this guideline as they are bulk mailings by nature.

Following these simple guidelines will help improve the business relationships and communications in any application or industry.

LINKS:
Basics of HTML Emails

An Introduction to the Dark Side of HTML Emails

HTML Email Templates

HTML Tutorial

Unsolicited Bulk Email Rules and Problems

An Article on Sending Bulk Email Responsibly

Principles of Designing HTML Emails

Email Marketing Guide

Email Blast Service

Email Blast Software

Testing HTML Emails

Testing and Sampling HTML Emails

Configuring Email Clients to Send Text Only Emails

HTML vs. Text Only Emails - A Debate