9 Tricks for Creating The Perfect HTML Newsletter
Hey there! Are you ready to learn some awesome tips for designing an amazing HTML newsletter? Businesses like yours often want to keep their clients updated on product releases, upcoming events, and other important information. And one really effective way to do that is by sending out a beautifully designed email newsletter.
But don’t worry if you’re new to this whole newsletter thing. I’ve got you covered! I’ve put together some fantastic tips and tools that will help you create high-quality HTML newsletters that will impress your readers. So let’s dive right in and get started on your email marketing journey!
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Discover 25 Open-source Email Template Websites
Coding an email newsletter design from scratch can be a real challenge. Lucky for you, there are plenty of open-source email template websites out there that can make your life a whole lot easier. Check them out and find the perfect template for your newsletter. Trust me, it’s a game-changer!
What are the Goals of a Newsletter?
Before we dive into the design stuff, let’s first talk about why you want to create a newsletter. Newsletters are a powerful way to send updates directly to your readers’ inboxes, and the content will depend on what type of website you have.
Most people check their email multiple times a day, whether they’re heavy internet users or just busy individuals. So, sending a newsletter is a great opportunity to catch their attention without them having to visit your website. Even if they don’t click on your links, they still receive the information, which is an excellent way to build your brand.
When you design your newsletter, you need to consider different topics to include. This could involve including links for people to sign up for your service, blog links, or even the most recent articles published on your site.
The layout of your newsletter will show how you want your readers to respond. Ultimately, you want to create interest and share interesting information with as many people as possible.
1. Use Tables in your Layouts
It might seem strange in today’s modern web standards, but emails are still old-fashioned in how they are displayed. That’s why you have to design your newsletter with older models in mind.
Unfortunately, tables are the best way to make sure everything looks good in different email clients. If you’re comfortable building layouts using tables, this should come as good news!
Have you ever wondered why using div and other block elements is not a smart choice? Well, it’s because most email clients are designed to get rid of unnecessary CSS code. This means that you can only use inline CSS, and even then, it might not work properly.
When it comes to programs like Microsoft Outlook 2007 and Gmail, things can get tricky with floated elements and direct positioning. They just don’t handle them very well.
But don’t worry, there’s a simple solution. What you can do is nest multiple tables inside each other. That way, you can ensure that your email displays properly across different clients. Just make sure to set your table cell widths using the “width” attribute. This way, your tables will always have the same width, no matter what email client your readers are using. It’s a safer and more consistent approach.
Now, let’s talk about fixed-width positioning. When you’re building your newsletter layout, it’s best to set fixed widths for your containing table. This way, you have more control over how your content is displayed. It’s one of the best options out there.
There are lots of different monitor resolutions, so it’s impossible to please everyone. But don’t worry, there’s a simple solution if you don’t have any elements with fixed widths – just use width=”100%” on your containing table. This way, your content will fill up the entire width of all email clients.
However, some people might find this method too flexible. If you’re creating newsletters, it’s usually better to have a fixed width, especially if you plan on using banners and images that need to be a specific size.
Personally, I suggest sticking with a maximum document width of 500px to 600px. The iPhone and some BlackBerry models have a horizontal screen size limit of 320px, so even a width of 500px will be scaled down to fit properly on those devices.
Hey there! Did you know that many people prefer to read emails without fancy HTML formatting? So, even if your email template doesn’t look perfect on mobile devices, don’t fret too much. Most desktop and webmail users will see your email just fine, regardless of the Operating System they use. And if you’re not sure how to design your template, don’t worry! Just make a few different ones and pick the best.
3. Size matters
Unless you’re planning to use fancy fluid layouts in your newsletter, it’s best to stick with good old pixels (px) for sizing. Units like percentages can play tricks on different webmail clients and software windows. So, to avoid any weirdness, keep things simple and straightforward.
Fluid layouts can be a bit finicky, but if you keep the number of elements on your page to a minimum, you should be good to go. Just be prepared for a bug or two along the way.
But pixels are always a safe bet. When you work within the 600px max width limit, you can actually fit a lot of content inside. It’s easier to get noticed if you divide your layouts into two or three columns, and always use pixel measurements.
The only exception might be for font sizes, where ems can give your readers better support. However, em sizing is similar to percentages – so, to keep things simple, stick with pixel-based alignments.
4. The possibilities with CSS
It might seem like e-mail design is trying to ruin the use of CSS styles. Even though there are many unsupported features, CSS is still perfectly acceptable in many cases.
When it comes to designing emails, you need to be mindful of the CSS properties that are supported by different email clients. Luckily, Campaign Monitor has put together a helpful table that lists all the properties you can use. While most clients will support basic properties like font-family and font-style, some might not, so it’s important to check the table before using them.
Now, let’s talk about font styles. It’s crucial not to go too far and push the boundaries too much. You want your emails to look professional and be easy to read. If you’re not comfortable with using inline styles, you can still use the HTML font tag, even though it’s no longer recommended.
For those of you who are CSS designers, I have some news for you. While you don’t have to throw away all your CSS skills when it comes to email design, there are some things you need to be aware of. Shorthand CSS coding, like using “font: 12px/14px Arial,sans-serif;”, can help you save space, but it may not work as expected in email design, especially when used with inline styles.
When it comes to choosing colors for your design, it’s important to write them out in full. So instead of using shortcuts like #ccc or #e3f, make sure to use the complete codes like #cccccc or #ee33ff. This ensures consistency and clarity in your emails.
5. Guidelines for Anchor Links
Including links in your newsletter is a great way to provide valuable information to your readers. These links can either direct them to other websites or lead them to important pages on your own site.
In addition, it’s common to include an unsubscribe link in the footer of your emails. But how should you handle all these links in your design?
I want to let you know right away that email clients can be quite picky when it comes to designs. They often choose to override the styles of your links, even if you have inline CSS.
But don’t worry, there’s a clever trick you can use to solve this problem. You can include both inline color and an extra tag within the element. This will give you more control over how your links look.
If the color and style of your links are important for your overall design, it’s best to take extra precautions. I’ll show you a small code example below:
It’s important to note that hover effects are not supported in certain email clients like Outlook 2007/2010, Gmail, iOS, or Android. However, it’s still a good idea to include the a:hover style for other email clients like Outlook 2000/2003, Hotmail, Apple Mail, and Yahoo! Mail.
But honestly, I don’t think there’s much advantage to having a partial user experience. Since the anchor selectors aren’t widely supported, it’s better to just stick to using 2-3 link colors throughout your design.
When it comes to link behavior, most users expect links to open in a new tab or window. Adding the target=”_blank” attribute to your anchor links should work in all browsers, and it shouldn’t cause any issues with email software like Lotus Notes or Outlook.
6. Make sure to test in all major email clients
A recent study conducted by Campaign Monitor analyzed the popularity of various email clients. The study revealed the top ten most widely used email clients in the past year. As a designer, it’s crucial to develop the habit of checking your newsletters on all major email platforms. At the very least, make sure to test them on popular clients like Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo! Mail.
It’s important to note that this study considered not only webmail platforms but also operating systems like Mac OS X and Windows. Additionally, the study found that both iOS Mail and Android have rapidly gained popularity, making it into the top ten list in recent years.
Surprisingly, the study ranked iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad Mail as the second most popular email client, just below Outlook. Unfortunately, if you don’t own one of these devices, it’s challenging to test your newsletters on them. However, there are alternatives available for testing purposes.
One issue with mobile support arises on various iPhone and Android models. The rendering of mobile emails often results in the resizing of text within your template. While this may not significantly affect your design, it can be frustrating for some readers. To address this problem, you can use the CSS property -webkit-text-size-adjust: none; This will ensure a consistent default text size across all parsing engines without the need for extensive testing.
If you have any friends or colleagues who use different software, you might consider asking them to assist you in testing the newsletter. You can either send them a copy of the email to view on their device or borrow their device to actively identify and resolve any coding errors.
Luckily, I have great news for you! Outlook provides a Mac installation version, so there’s no need to go hunting for a Windows user in order to optimize your email experience. However, when it comes to Lotus Notes or Windows Mail, you might find yourself facing a bit of a challenge.
Here’s another important tip for you: always make sure to offer web-based views of your email. You see, not everyone will be able (or willing) to view your email in its original format. By providing an alternative version somewhere on the web, you make things easier and more compatible for your readers. Now, keep in mind that this process can’t be completely automated unless you plan on including a plain text version.
Let me explain what I mean by a plain text version. In this case, you would remove all the fancy HTML tags from the layout of your newsletter. That means no links and no fancy styles. Instead, all the content would be presented as a simple, plain text file. This allows readers who don’t have the capability to render HTML to still access and enjoy your email.
So, remember to keep these tips in mind as you work on optimizing your email experience. And don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any more questions!
This is a great option, but providing a full web version of the newsletter can fix any issues with how it’s displayed. Most people use modern web browsers, which allow you to style and design your newsletter perfectly.
You have complete freedom in how you set up the page. Some websites choose to duplicate the email’s content in a blog post, perhaps with some extra information.
Others create a separate page on their website that isn’t linked in the main navigation. This approach can be helpful because it avoids distracting readers with the main website’s template or sidebar content.
Now let’s talk about adding images to your newsletter.
Having images in your web content is important. When you send an email, the images can be automatically removed by the email client. Even if you add the email address to the safe list, the user still needs to accept the setup, so there’s no guarantee that the images will be displayed.
Make sure that your main content doesn’t rely on images. They should be an extra addition to enhance the appearance of your page.
When it comes to exporting graphics for email, there are a few important tips. Always specify both the width and height of your images using the img tags.
If you don’t follow these specifications, the image content may appear distorted to some clients. Including an alt tag will also be helpful because it lets visitors know what the image contains before it loads.
As I mentioned earlier, it can be difficult to position images in your email. Avoid using floats at all costs! Instead, use the image align=”left” attribute, or create precise table cells to place your images along the top, left, or right side of your newsletter.
You won’t be able to achieve a perfect match with all the different clients out there, especially on mobile devices. However, optimize your images and keep file sizes small for the best possible results.
When it comes to storing images, it’s best to keep them in your own Web server. That’s the better choice instead of using another image host or uploading the files to an online newsletter service.
Also, make sure to keep your newsletter content separate from the rest of your images. Create a specific folder structure, like “/img/email” or “/img/email/2011”, to organize them.
9. Don’t end up in the spam folder!
I hate to break it to you, but not all e-mail clients are friendly to newsletters. With billions of emails being sent each day, many of which contain spam or malicious content, it’s understandable that Inbox has built-in security measures to protect its users.
You know how frustrating it is when your latest newsletter gets labeled as junk? It can really discourage you. But here’s a tip: simplify your design to improve your chances. Avoid annoying images or packing your title with keywords. Keep it clean and straightforward.
Another trick is to keep your content brief and focused. You don’t have to include everything in your articles or pages. Instead, try adding a short sentence or two with a link to your website. A concise email is more likely to pass through the spam filter.
