Thursday, December 4, 2008
Why Use Email Templates?
An email template provides the pretty wrapping for your message with the goal of helping to get your message read. Email templates can also help get your message delivered to your readers mail boxes.
A template can be any consistent structure for your email. You can create a template yourself in the program that you are using to create your messages, use an off the shelf template and customize for your requirements, or have a template designed for you.
When you structure your template make sure to clearly identify your organization and the purpose of your message. Your template style should reflect your organization and the purpose of the message. For many messages a clean professional message will be most effective but do not discount using a more casual personal style for some purposes. Whatever style you choose, the template will make sure that standard items are located in the same position from message to message.
Underneath the look and feel is the implementation of the template. You want to make sure that the html used to implement the template is clean and does not contain any spam triggers. There are numerous elements that can cause problems, such as naming a graphic banner which can cause it to not display on some email clients. Look at effective messages that you are receiving and see what elements they are using.
Take time to test your template with all different platforms and email clients, including PC, Macintosh and web based email services. Make sure your message looks good in all the different environments: it will not look identical but it should look correct. Make sure you message is being delivered and isn't being trapped by a spam filter. If you run into problems, look at each of the elements and test.
Once all your hard work developing and testing your template is completed you can then use your template for each mailing and know that all you have to focus on is the content of that particular message.
A template can be any consistent structure for your email. You can create a template yourself in the program that you are using to create your messages, use an off the shelf template and customize for your requirements, or have a template designed for you.
When you structure your template make sure to clearly identify your organization and the purpose of your message. Your template style should reflect your organization and the purpose of the message. For many messages a clean professional message will be most effective but do not discount using a more casual personal style for some purposes. Whatever style you choose, the template will make sure that standard items are located in the same position from message to message.
Underneath the look and feel is the implementation of the template. You want to make sure that the html used to implement the template is clean and does not contain any spam triggers. There are numerous elements that can cause problems, such as naming a graphic banner which can cause it to not display on some email clients. Look at effective messages that you are receiving and see what elements they are using.
Take time to test your template with all different platforms and email clients, including PC, Macintosh and web based email services. Make sure your message looks good in all the different environments: it will not look identical but it should look correct. Make sure you message is being delivered and isn't being trapped by a spam filter. If you run into problems, look at each of the elements and test.
Once all your hard work developing and testing your template is completed you can then use your template for each mailing and know that all you have to focus on is the content of that particular message.
Labels: email templates
