Can Recipients Read Your Emails? Here's How To Make Sure…

Circulation Management, Dec 1, 2002

Keeping Web pages consistent across multiple browsers is tricky. But with experience, publishers have developed tools and skills for controlling those variations.

HTML email is another matter. While its popularity has soared (68 percent of email marketing messages were HTML-formatted last year, according to Opt-In News), it can still be tough to ensure that it will be viewed as intended by your target audience.

More than 30 email readers are in common use, including various flavors of Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Entourage, AOL, Netscape Messenger, Lotus Notes, Groupwise, Eudora and WebTV; Web-based systems such as Yahoo!-Mail and Hotmail; and hand-held devices. "The capacity of these email readers to handle HTML varies widely, as does the way that even simple elements, like character fonts and URL links, may look," points out Willie Lubka, an online business consultant/broker based in Thousand Oaks, CA. "Even Web-based systems handle some elements of HTML differently. The water is further muddied by variables such as user preferences, security filters, forwarding services and accounts that download email for offline reading."

In addition, it can be difficult to determine which email programs are dominant within your customer base. "Web site testing usually focuses on the exact browser types that appear most often in Web server logs," says Leanne Waldal, CEO of Otivo, a Web and email testing agency whose clients include Mother Jones, Forbes and Bright-mail. "Unfortunately, there's no similar technique for tracking the email readers your customers are using, unless your target audience is a closed group, such as a corporate network in which all users are on Lotus Notes."

As a result, carefully designed email messages frequently go awry for varying percentages of recipients. "A host of issues can botch the display of messages," says David Wilson, president of Wilson Rusch, a New York City marketing/creative agency with clients in the publishing and financial service industries. "This may depress response and impact the sender's credibility."

While it's nearly impossible to ensure 100-percent-perfect email display and functionality, here are some best practices, gathered by Lubka, which should help greatly reduce unreadability levels:

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Don't make assumptions about formats - test them. "Generalized debates about the results of HTML versus text-only email are irrelevant to specific lists," says Wilson. "What really matters is what works with your prospects and customers. Depending on the list and the offer, we've sometimes seen better results with text-only messages. Just as with direct mail, the ugliest approach sometimes pulls best."

Anna Zornosa, CEO at Topica, an online publishing service that handles email for the National Geographic Society, IDG and Van-guarde, agrees that some demographic segments prefer text-only messages.

"Tech-savvy audiences may not sign up for your messages unless you offer them the choice of receiving email in text format," she observes. "However, graphic images are so essential for some marketing purposes that text versions are virtually a waste of resources. For example, we believe that a magazine cover image is absolutely required for circulation marketing messages."

It is a valid marketing decision to send a 100-percent HTML email, says Zornosa, but you should make this very clear at the point where people sign up for your list. "Tell customers in advance that they will be receiving graphical email messages," she advises. "If you don't inform people that your email messages will be HTML-formatted, you risk alienating a number of groups, including some international readers, people whose software is not capable of displaying HTML, and anyone who prefers text." Limiting your list to recipients who are willing and able to see HTML messages also helps conserve your email budget by reducing wasted deliveries.

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Assure quality. "HTML email publishers should develop a standard testing routine," advises Waldal. Set up a test mailing list that includes the email reader software that you believe is dominant among your customers and prospects. For Web-based email systems like Hotmail, be sure to test on the same set of browsers that you use for Web site testing. Include a text-only reader, such as Pine or Elm, to ensure that your messages are at least understandable to those using older systems.

Testers should follow a checklist that includes: receiving the message; checking the 'from', 'to' and 'subject' lines; checking the content and graphics; scrolling the message; maximizing the message window; clicking all links to be sure that they work and that the right external pages show up; forwarding the email to another email address; and, if appropriate, printing out the message. The unsubscribe function should also be tested.

In addition, testers should establish a clearly defined process for the recipient to report a problem, and for resending and double-checking the message once the bug has been addressed.