My Newsletter: use HTML or Plain Text ?

[Parangles]

I hate getting emails with screaming HTML images and
96 point headlines...and there is also the question of..
How many people that I send to, will not be able to open
emails with HTML content ? Anybody have a number on that ?
I can't find anything on this issue. Latest article Google found
is dated Aug. 2001 in which the writer says do NOT use
HTML. Things have changed a lot since. Any thoughts ?

[mairving]

If I had a choice between HTML and text I would use HTML. Text has less of a chance of getting blocked by spam filters but HTML will allow you to do so much more with style, pictures and presentation that the trade-off is worth it.

A lot of email clients nowadays present you with a choice of viewing the content.

[Parangles]

Well maybe some 'quiet' HTML. Subtle. Not something that looks
like a TV ad. What age/version of email client wil NOT open
HTML email ?
Thanks

[mairving]

Originally Posted by Parangles Well maybe some 'quiet' HTML. Subtle. Not something that looks like a TV ad. What age/version of email client wil NOT open HTML email ? Thanks

Just about all. Some users prefer to view all theirs as text.

[Parangles]

Found this :

" Surveys show that consumers might prefer text, while advertisers want to send in HTML"

I'm going with text to start.

[faulkner132]

Originally Posted by Parangles Found this : " Surveys show that consumers might prefer text, while advertisers want to send in HTML" I'm going with text to start.

Where did you see this?

[mairving]

Originally Posted by faulkner132 Where did you see this?

Possibly from here using survey data that is 6yrs. old. Here is another article from the same site that says the opposite.

It's really just about presentation. You can't format and present the content in a very readable way with plain text as you can with HTML. If you send out text you will be lucky if someone reads the first sentence. With HTML you can present it in a headline format so that if someone isn't interested in the first sentence you can present them with other choices. You will have much better success (of course, that is based on the content) with HTML than with text.

[Parangles]

You are right about the staleness of the data/survey. The date of the article is buried at the
bottom. Thanks . I would prefer to use HTML. I agree that HTML opens up all sorts of attractive content possibilities over the boring plain text. I just will not use it the way its usually
used, which is like some frantic used car advert .
If anyone can find some hard numbers on how many people cannot open HTML
on their email client please post it. Got to be a very small number of people. I hope !
Also what will they see if they cant open it ? Absolutely nothing?

[doctorgonzo]

What's the purpose of the newsletter?

[mairving]

Originally Posted by Parangles You are right about the staleness of the data/survey. The date of the article is buried at the bottom. Thanks . I would prefer to use HTML. I agree that HTML opens up all sorts of attractive content possibilities over the boring plain text. I just will not use it the way its usually used, which is like some frantic used car advert . If anyone can find some hard numbers on how many people cannot open HTML on their email client please post it. Got to be a very small number of people. I hope ! Also what will they see if they cant open it ? Absolutely nothing?

99% will be able to view HTML emails. Some of those will choose to view it as plain text.

How many people are you planning on sending it out to? I have used Mojo Dada Mail for several years. You can send out HTML and text so that if they can't read HTML it will give them a text message. Just in case that doesn't work I always put a Can't read this section in the Comment section of the HTML newsletter with a link to a website that shows the HTML version.

[Parangles]

Originally Posted by doctorgonzo What's the purpose of the newsletter?

To keep in touch with my customers (mostly retirees) who go on Cruises mostly/to find new customers/to make them aware of our website. Might do a separate ezine to potential corporate travelers for our corporate dept.

" I always put a Can't read this section in the Comment section"

Excellent- will use that-thanks !
Dont know how I missed that Dada mail-thought I'd looked at every program.
I saved a copy- I'm learning to use WorldCast-

" How many people are you planning on sending it out to?"

Just extracted and printed about 700 email addresses from all the agents computers.
Hope to manually select 50-100 usable ones to start.

New Q: Do you think ezines have had it ?
I subscribed to pcmechs newsletter but unsubscribed.
(Too often and too long )

[doctorgonzo]

If you are trying to sell something, go with HTML. What you gain in terms of being able to create an interesting layout outweighs anything else.

If it were an informational/non-commercial newsletter, then I would say plain text. There, you are not trying to make any money, you just want to get the information out in as convenient a way as possible.