HTML email versus text email: peace breaks out
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Earlier this week there was a little bit of pushing and shoving about the pros and cons of HTML and text email formats.The design guru who lit the initial fire (Jeffrey Zeldman) just posted a follow-up to his earlier anti-HTML post. This time it's a measured and thoughtful treatise on how to make HTML email useful for all concerned.
His "eight points for better e-mail relationships" make interesting reading. His urgings to give more weight to text versions of email also go to the heart of another email marketing issue.
How much control do you give to the recipient?
We hear the message continually - let customers decide what they get and when. An admirable sentiment in general.
But would you give people a choice of HTML and text formats, if you knew that those who chose text would actually respond more often to HTML emails?
More on email design | Tags: email marketing, email design, html email, text email
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3 Comments:
Mark,
That's a good question, and one you should probably answer the same as you did above, "let the customer choose." I can ask similar questions elsewhere, like could I sell more widgets if I did door to door, high-pressure selling? Maybe, but I'd probably make more enemies and have many people who bought but now have a bad taste in their mouth.
This is about providing a service to your customers. If you do it entirely on your terms then it's not a service anymore, it's just you thrusting yourself upon them.
By 
Adam, on
19 June, 2007
Thanks Adam.
It's interesting that the text/HTML debate has broken out again. I can't remember the last time I got a format choice when signing up for something. HTML seems to have become a quasi default setting. Perhaps it's no bad thing to be reminded that there is a choice...
By Mark Brownlow - Email Marketing Reports, on
20 June, 2007
Sending someone a free newsletter in the format of your choice is hardly akin to high pressure in your face salesmanship.
If I send someone a magazine do I need to consult them on type face or paper choices?
By LaDieu, on
05 September, 2008
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