Build Your Own HTML Email is a step-by-step guide to creating HTML emails. It begins with an introduction to email covering topics such as: how email design differs to web design; different types of emails; and the anatomy of an email. The book then shows the reader how to build simple HTML email designs, then goes on to explain more advanced techniques. Finally the book covers important tasks like testing, spam compliance, and known hacks and workarounds.
Create Stunning HTML Email That Just Works!......Page 3
Table of Contents......Page 9
Foreword......Page 15
Preface......Page 17
What’s in This Book......Page 18
Where to Find Help......Page 19
The SitePoint Newsletters......Page 20
Acknowledgments......Page 21
Code Samples......Page 22
Tips, Notes, and Warnings......Page 23
Email: The Heart of the Internet......Page 25
Email’s Undeserved Bad Rap......Page 26
Catalog Emails......Page 28
Sales and Sign-up Process Emails......Page 29
The Opportunity for Web Designers......Page 30
Planning Is Essential......Page 31
The Modern Henchman Magazine Client Briefing......Page 33
Setting Goals......Page 34
Measuring Success......Page 36
An Email Is Not a Website......Page 37
Planning the Modern Henchman Newsletter......Page 39
How long should an email be?......Page 41
What is the best time to send?......Page 42
How many clicks should I expect?......Page 43
How can I avoid my email being filtered?......Page 44
Summary......Page 45
Does email really need designing?......Page 47
Designing Plain Text Email......Page 48
Guidelines for a Readable Plain Text Email......Page 50
The Plain Text Version of the Modern Henchman Newsletter......Page 52
The Case for HTML Email......Page 54
Designing HTML Email......Page 55
Your Subscriber May Not Read the Email......Page 56
Looking Through the Rectangular Window......Page 57
Image Blocking......Page 58
Horizontally Challenged......Page 59
Permission Reminder......Page 60
Have Recognizable Sender Details......Page 62
Unsubscribe Link......Page 63
Adapting a Website Design into an Email Design......Page 64
Layout Possibilities......Page 67
Designing to Meet Business Goals......Page 70
The Modern Henchman Newsletter Design......Page 73
Clear Call to Action......Page 75
Structure and Layout......Page 78
Typography......Page 81
Special Purpose......Page 84
Almost Image Free......Page 87
More Places for Email Design Inspiration......Page 90
Conclusion......Page 91
What’s so hard about HTML emails?......Page 93
Guidelines for a Solid HTML Email Template......Page 94
Tables: Not Just for Data......Page 95
Use Inline CSS......Page 97
Avoid Relying on Images......Page 98
Living without Images......Page 102
Other Guidelines......Page 104
CSS Support in Email Clients......Page 105
What Technologies Should You Use?......Page 113
Flash......Page 114
Video......Page 115
Forms......Page 117
Testing......Page 118
Building the Modern Henchman Newsletter......Page 120
Building the Framework......Page 122
Adding the Content......Page 123
How Low Will You Go?......Page 129
Testing the Modern Henchman Layout......Page 130
More Resources for Building Email Templates......Page 132
Why Designers Should Care about Permission......Page 133
Spam According to the Law......Page 134
Permission versus Spam......Page 136
The Rise of Relevance......Page 138
Understanding Spam Complaints......Page 139
Feedback Loops......Page 140
What to Do with Spam Complaints......Page 141
How many complaints is too many?......Page 142
Compare the Explanation Given to the Email Content......Page 143
Blacklists......Page 144
Whitelists......Page 145
Sender Reputation......Page 146
Understanding Authentication......Page 147
Permission and the Future of Email......Page 148
Why Sell Email Services?......Page 149
What Can You Sell?......Page 151
How to Sell Email Services......Page 153
Pricing Your Skills......Page 154
Pricing Service Packages......Page 155
Preparing Your Pitch......Page 156
Your Sales Pitch......Page 157
Your Email Service Folio......Page 158
Promoting Email Services to Clients and Prospects......Page 159
Conclusion......Page 161
Index......Page 163