| What are the email newsletter design guidelines that | | | | unsubscribe. Hiding the unsubscribe link will only irritate |
| should be followed in preparing email newsletters? Do | | | | those who want to do so and could end up with spam |
| the same rules that apply to a web site design also | | | | complaints. |
| apply here? Here are some quick email newsletter | | | | 5. Image Blocking Is Common |
| design tips that you can follow. | | | | There are many of the major email clients like Outlook, |
| 1. Demand Your Readers Attention | | | | AOL and Gmail where your images will not be shown |
| You are competing with lots of email that people | | | | by default. The readers need to click another link or |
| receive these days. Why would they choose to open | | | | button to make them download and display. |
| your email over others? | | | | Many subscribers may not even realize that they can |
| Before opening the email, the reader sees only your | | | | choose to see the images or may not bother. |
| subject line and preview pane. Take advantage of | | | | However perfect your imagery, it may just miss some |
| these. Create a subject line that they cannot resist. | | | | of your readers. |
| Consider starting with a table of contents so that the | | | | Never use images for important content like headlines, |
| readers can see this and make a fast decision | | | | links and call for action. Add a text-based link to a web |
| whether to open the email. | | | | version of your design at the top of your email. Test |
| 2. Permission Matters | | | | your email newsletter design with images turned off |
| Permission is required to send bulk email to people. It | | | | before you release the newsletter. |
| also helps to remind people about how they gave you | | | | 6. Remember The Plain Text Version |
| that permission as some people forget. | | | | While the HTML emails may look beautiful, not |
| A quick message at the top of your email can help | | | | everyone can view them. Your email newsletter |
| people remember, and make them more likely to read | | | | design must take the plain text version into |
| on. This also helps towards reducing potential spam | | | | consideration. |
| complaints. | | | | 7. Meet Legal Obligations |
| 3. Provide Relevant Information | | | | Be sure that you know about any specific commercial |
| More important than having permission is sending | | | | email regulations in your own country. The most well |
| useful and relevant information to your subscribers. It is | | | | known of course are the US CAN-SPAM laws. |
| not about what you want to tell them. It is about what | | | | 8. Test Your Design |
| they expected to get from you when they subscribed | | | | Every email client may have their own unique |
| to your email newsletter list. | | | | differences. It is best to actually test with as many |
| 4. Make It Easy To Unsubscribe | | | | email clients as possible. This will ensure that the result |
| After receiving a few email newsletters, some of your | | | | of your email newsletter design is well received by the |
| readers may find that they are no longer interested in | | | | readers. |
| your content. It should then, be easy for them to | | | | |