Good methods for/alternatives to HTML-formatted emails?

Question

I have a client who is requesting an HTML-formatted email to promote an event. Her reasoning is fair enough: She wants a striking layout, attractive graphics, and she doesn't want her recipients to have to click on anything in order to see all of the information.

I've never sent an HTML-formatted email because it is sort of demonized, and not without reason. Even Gmail treats HTML/included images as a sort of contraband. I'd usually link to a website, but in this case, there isn't one.

Since it's probable the client will insist, do you have any best-practice tips, or examples of good methods? Or, alternatively, a good alternative method?

Answer 1

1. Add a nice piece of PDF (not Word) as an attachment to a plain-text email

2. Let customers choose what email version they want to receive - HTML or plain-text

3. Create a damn website to link to

P.S. I don't personally perceive HTML emails as striking. They're almost always shown without images which makes them even uglier than plain-text mails. The first impression is lost. Can this be an argument for your client?

Answer 2

css tip

Answer 3

I see nothing wrong with HTML email. I don't Gmail does either - the email I had from Google about the new Priority Inbox in Gmail was an HTML email.

The thing to watch out for is that there are a lot more email clients than browsers, each with their own foibles when it comes to displaying HTML email so you have to restrained in your design. It may be worth using a tool such as litmus so you can see how your HTML email will look in various clients.

Answer 4

Just a tip: send the e-mail as a multipart message. That makes it readable even for text-only clients.

It also decreases the chance of a SPAM filter to filter out your messages. (Eg. it decreases SpamAssasin SPAM scores.) This is of course only true if the content in the HTML part and the content of the text part are relevant to each other.