The Wrong Email Format Can Destroy Your Offer

Which email format is more effective to use, Text or HTML?

A good question, many experts have been debating over for awhile now, is which email format is more effective. It all depends on who you ask, many people prefer the text format over the HTML format. There are also many people who would rather use HTML over the text format. You can pretty much draw a line right down the middle between the text users and the HTML users, it's that close.

The truth of the matter is that the most effective format to use for your email really depends on the offer you're presenting.

Both text and HTML email formats have their advantages and disadvantages. In this article I am going to go over the advantages and disadvantages of text and HTML email formats. Let's jump right in and start with the format text.

Text

Obviously the real advantage to using a text format is that you have a white background with black font making it very easy to read. The text format loads fast, no matter what size the email is.

If the email loads fast and is easy to read how can text formats have a disadvantage?

Easy!

The real disadvantage of using text format is when you are using email as a source of marketing. To effectively use email marketing you need to use some sort of tracking software. Without tracking you will never know if the subject line and/or email offer needs work.

The point I am trying to make is that people are very cautious about clicking on tracking and affiliate links. As soon as they see a lengthy url, they get the impression that you are trying to sell them something and immediately delete the email. With a text formatted email you cannot hide long tracking urls from the recipient. With an HTML format you won't run into this problem, which brings us to...

HTML

The biggest advantage of using HTML is that you can hide your tracking urls from the viewer. Instead of having a long url in your email offer, you can use a simple "click here". Not only can you hide your tracking url, but you can also mask it from appearing in the browser window.

Moreover, HTML has a lot of disadvantages. For instance, some people can't view HTML email, while others can view it with a limited amount of space. HTML email files can be sizable and take up a lot of space. Most people who use HTML formatted email use a lot of images and other graphics to make their email have a professional appearence. But they don't stop and think about the size of the email that they are sending, and whether or not their recipients may have limited space.

Sending large email files is a sure way to get your recipients upset. You don't want to strike out before you have the chance to swing!

You can see that both email formats have their advantages, as well as their disadvantages. As for which format is the right one for you, it all depends on your offer.

If you are sending an email offer that doesn't require any lengthy tracking urls or has no affiliate urls, then text should be your format of choice.

Moreover, if you do have tracking or affiliate urls in your email offer, then HTML is the way to go. When using an HTML format be conservative, not everyone has broadband, you'll find that a lot of people are still using 28.8k modems for their Internet connection.

When sending out an HTML email offer it should have a solid white background with black text, and absolutely no images or graphics. This way the email offer appears to be text and loads fast, when it's actually HTML. Your viewer won't be able to see your long tracking or affiliate url which will increase your click through ratio and that means more sales.

Most autoresponders and email softwares have the ability to send email in both formats, but not all of them. There are still some that don't.

About The Author

Rich Hamilton, Jr is the CEO/President of www.ElitesMarketing.com a.k.a. Elites Marketing, Inc and the Author of: "Inside Internet Marketing" www.InsideNetMarketing.com.

---

Proven Techniques For Building A Responsive List

We've all heard those who have Internet business-success stories proclaim,... Read More

How Autoresonders Can Put Your Business On Autopilot

Owning your own online business is a lot of work.... Read More

Why You Need a Newsletter

If you're a small business owner you definitely need promotion.... Read More

Five Profitable Ways To Use Your Follow Up Autoresponder

What? You are not using a Follow up Autoresponder? Then... Read More

Viral Marketing - Your Key to Gaining New Clients

Email newsletters are an excellent means of promoting the products... Read More

How Autoresponders Boost Sales By Up To 400%

Imagine going to bed and waking up in the morning... Read More

7 Key Items To Include In Your Email Signature File

One of the most important and often overlooked methods of... Read More

Who Else Wants to Sky Rocket Their CD Sales, Fan base and Indie Music Career?

If YOU Answered YES, Then Start An Online Newsletter?It's Easy,... Read More

The Best Way To Promote Your Website, or Anything Else!

Have you ever wondered how some websites get so many... Read More

Free Mailing Lists: Good Or Bad?

Advantages of the free mailing listsThe free newsletters are a... Read More

Essential Rules For Effective Email Marketing

If you want an email campaign to succeed, you don`t... Read More

RSS vs Email: Its Not An Either-Or Question

If you've been getting caught up in all this talk... Read More

Use Permission Based E-Mail Marketing to Promote Your Home Based Business

With all the negative Publicity that S.pam is Getting, Permission... Read More

22 Simple But Highly Effective Methods To Ban E-mail Opt-In List

Here are 22 simple but highly effective methods to build... Read More

14 Ways To Persuade Your Web Site Visitors To Give You Their Email Address

1. Ask visitors to subscribe to your e-zine. It's a... Read More

How You Can Automate Your Business Using Autoresponders

What is an Autoresponder?An Autoresponder is a program or service... Read More

The 12 Most Common Newsletter Design Mistakes

Your newsletter's success depends on its design. An attractive, easy... Read More

Turn Your Old Articles Into Profitable E-mail Courses

If you've written numerous articles, you can use them to... Read More

Newsletter Template: Should You Use Them?

There is currently a huge demand online for newsletter templates.... Read More

Email Advertising - How Ad Tracking Helped Create a Killer Ad

I recently undertook an email advertising promotion, using a number... Read More

How To Create An Irresistible Subject Line For Your Next E-mail Promotion

As I logged into my e-mail account, I clicked on... Read More

Add Email To Your Marketing Mix

If you are serious about adding email to your marketing... Read More

Email Etiquette V

Further to my previous issues this subject continues ? as... Read More

Get Viral

Hey, using eBooks, eReports and eCourses is a fantastic way... Read More

You DO Have an Email List Dont You?

No matter what type of business you operate, you need... Read More

Spam! Whats the Real Problem

Most people now know the official definition of spam- Unsolicited... Read More

Is Your E-Address Unprofessional?

How much time did you spend on deciding on the... Read More

A Guide To Using an Automatic Responder

It's unbelievable....that many people do not know, that an automatic... Read More

Lost: 200 emails gone missing. Last seen on the 25.10.2003

Sound familiar? Ever wondered what happens to those unopened emails... Read More

Ten Tips to Building Your Opt-in List.

To build and maintain your opt-in list requires constant attention.As... Read More

Just Write an Email

How did you sell your last product? Imagine that I... Read More

Email Marketing: How Much is Too Much?

I have a special new email address. It's in addition... Read More

Lesson #3: Capitalize on Your Captures!

One of the underlying benefits of smart autoresponders is that... Read More