HTML Design and Rendering Tactics for Improved Email Deliverability and Increased Response
By Megan Ouellet, Director of Marketing for Listrak
May 28, 2008
You already know that there are many factors, such as reputation, list hygiene, bounce rates, and server configuration, that impact your email deliverability. But did you know that the way emails are designed can also affect it as most spam filters include design-based rules? If you are not following best practices for HTML design and rendering, your messages could look like spam to the ISPs and, therefore, may be delivered to your recipients’ junk mail folders or be blocked all together.
Even if the messages make it to the inbox they will be ignored, deleted, or reported as spam if they do not render correctly or if they contain broken images and links. How an email looks is as important as what it says so you must do everything you can to ensure your emails are received intact.
Listrak, a leading provider of email marketing solutions, has put together the following white paper discussing HTML design and rendering best practices, including design tips for different email clients, guidelines for rich media and forms, and testing HTML content via seed lists and third-party rendering services. This white paper will also address many of the myths surrounding images in email so you have the knowledge you need to create strategic, successful email campaigns.
Why No CSS?
Web standards have been in place for a decade. These unified standards, specifications, and best practices make it possible for web designers to increase the accessibility and usability of the sites they’re designing while ensuring that the sites look the same no matter what browser is used. Unfortunately, no such standards presently exist for email design which is why emails face a number of rendering issues that differ among ISPs. Email managers must be aware of the differences, even if they use a designer to code the emails, so they know how their emails will look when they are previewed or opened by their recipients.
First and foremost, emails should still be coded without using CSS. It’s true that classic HTML formatting is more cumbersome and can be somewhat limiting while cascading style sheets offer more control and ease of use. And your designer might argue that classic HTML coding is an older technology and there are better, faster ways to create email campaigns. However, it is important to remember that CSS support varies among email clients. Emails must be designed for inboxes’ lowest common denominator in order to render correctly, which is why it’s still considered a best practice to stick to basic HTML.
