Common mistakes people make when coding HTML emails

Here are some of the most common mistakes people make when coding HTML emails:

1. Not coding “absolute paths” to their images. Remember, attaching graphics and using “relative paths” won’t work. You need to host the images on your server, then link to them in your code.

2. Using JavaScript, or ActiveX, or embedding movies. That stuff just doesn’t work in HTML email.

3. Getting over ambitious with designs. Designing HTML email isn’t the same as designing web pages. You can’t have all the CSS-positioning, DIVs, DHTML, and complex, embedded tables like you can in web pages.

4. Forgetting—or refusing—to include an opt-out link. It’s stupid and unprofessional not to allow recipients to unsubscribe from your list. Oh yeah, it’s illegal, too. Be sure to read and understand The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003.

5. Linking to an external CSS file. You usually put CSS code in between the tags of web pages, right? But browser based email applications (like Yahoo, Hotmail, and Gmail) strip and tags from HTML email. Embed your CSS below the tag.

6. Letting your permission “grow cold.” If you’ve been collecting opt-ins at your website like a good email marketer, but you haven’t sent an email in several months, your subscribers have forgotten all about you. So when they receive a full blown email newsletter from you “out of the blue” they’re going to click their “this is spam button” in their email application (related blog post: Surviving the inbox whack-a-mole game). Don’t let your permission grow cold. Send occasional emails. If you’ve been collecting emails for years, and you’re only just now sending your first email to everyone, you should send a little “re-invitation” to your list. Something like, “A really long time ago, you subscribed to my email list. Well, I’ve finally got some time to start sending my really cool newsletter, and I want to make sure you still want to receive it. Click here to sign up…” At the very least, send an email and place some kind of text at the top that reminds them of where and when they opted in. People usually forget about opting-in to something after about 6 months or so.

7. Sending to a list without permission. This is the worst offense. Lots of “innocent” marketers, who “mean well” commit this heinous crime. Here are some common ways legitimate marketers can inadvertently become known as “evil spammers:”

Getting an email list from a tradeshow. “But I’m exhibiting there, and the tradeshow host said it would be okay, and when people purchased tickets, the fine print said that we could email them, and…” Nope. You’re spamming. Don’t do it. If they didn’t give you permission to email them, they didn’t opt-in to your list. If they didn’t opt-in, you’re spamming. Even if you can legally send them email marketing, those recipients are more likely to report you for spamming them. Then, you’ll get blacklisted. Plus, your company will look really slimy. Don’t do it. If a tradeshow host is collecting email addresses, then they should be doing the emailing. It’s all about permission, and setting expectations.

• Getting a list of “fellow members” from some trade organization. Just because they joined a club, and the club posted contact information so everyone could keep in touch with each other, it doesn’t mean each member gives you permission to send them newsletters and offers. If you sent them a personal greeting from your own email account, they probably wouldn’t mind. That’s what the organization’s “members list” is for. But add them to a list and send them a huge email newsletter, and you’ll be reported for spamming. Don’t do it.

• They go to events, and swap business cards. The business cards just get thrown into a “prospects” pile. Years later, they get an intern to finally type all the contact info from those cards into a database. Then, one day out of the blue, they send a big, fat email newsletter to everyone. As if they actually want to hear from you! Trust us, they don’t.

• Fish bowl of business cards. Similar to the example above, but they hold an event, and collect business cards in a fishbowl to win a “door prize.” The people who dropped their business cards into the bowl wanted the coffee t-shirt you’re giving away (plus all the fame & glory). They didn’t opt-in to your list.

8. Using a WYSIWYG to “code” your HTML. WYSIWYGs are notorious for generating absolutely horrible HTML. They insert so much junk code, it’s unbelievable. Even the ones that generate “clean” code don’t know how to “rig” things to work in email applications (like sticking your embedded CSS below the tag). To code HTML email properly, you need to learn a little HTML. It’s really not that hard.

9. Forgetting to test. Thoroughly. When you send HTML email, you’ve really got to test it in as many email applications you can. Then you have to test on different operating systems. Then different ISPs (we’ll explain shortly). If you keep things simple, and build a rock solid, thoroughly tested template for each newsletter, you won’t have to test so much. But you should always send at least a few campaigns to yourself before sending it out to your entire list.

10. Sending nothing but a big, gigantic graphic as their HTML email. Sigh, that’s what spammers do. And since most email programs block images by default, what do you think your recipients see when (if) they open your email? Many spam filters will block your email if you don’t have a healthy balance of images and text.

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Source : HTML Email