Email is Not a Platform for Design

Due to the fact that HTML is designed for use in web pages, and sites and text is the format of emails and messages, HTML is not necessarily a good format for sending emails. Email is intended to be simple and direct and when HTML is introduced it becomes overly complicated. HTML enables users to express themselves through fancy pictures and effects instead of properly and carefully chosen words. The main issue with HTML use in emails is that the email client typically cannot display all of the HTML as intended by its designer.

Each mail client program displays HTML tags and mark up differently. This creates massive compatibility problems from one end user to another and has the propensity to distort or alter the intended formatting. Along with compatibility issues, HTML emails can be picked up or recognized by spam filters as spam when they are not. Some spam filters judge the 'spaminess' of an email on the amount of HTML included in the email message; the more HTML the higher the likelihood of being recognized as spam. The use of HTML also presents the ability to have viruses and Trojans piggy back into a system or computer via an HTML email.

HTML can include scripts and applications that can be harmful to any computer or end user. The introduction of HTML into email more than doubles the size of the email message in terms of memory and processing--which can hinder performance and bandwidth which will ultimately drive the costs of a company up. Ultimately, HTML in email does provide a more visual way of presenting advertisements and newsletters but at the expense of security, costs, and time spent by programmers deciding how to handle the HTML, or to allow it all.

Overview of HTML in Email
Problems with HTML Email
HTML and Email
HTML Email Problems in OUTLOOK
Problems Sending HTML Emails
HTML Email in Newsletters
Email Archiving Solutions
HTML Emailing Mistakes
Using CSS in Emails as Well as HTML
Cross Client HTML Emails
Plain Text Emails
Sending Plain Text emails and HTML Emails Simultaneously
Designing and Building Emails
Email Formatting Guide
Configuring Email Clients for Formatting Email Messages
HTML Emails for AOL
Strip HTML From Emails
Email Newsletter Formatting
Correctly Formatting HTML Emails
Reasons Why HTML Email is Bad
HTML Email Tips
Do Away With HTML Emails