E-mail Marketing

WHAT IS HTML?
Hyper Text Markup Language, lovingly called HTML by the internet fraternity, is in fact just like any other language used for conversing and communicating. It specifies the structure of documents enabling them to be retrieved via the internet using the World Wide Web. HTML is a set of symbols or codes compiled in a file displayed on the World Wide Web browser page. The markup actually advises the web browser on how a web page’s words and images are to be displayed to the end-user. For a page to be displayed as intended on various systems, which is an inherent requisite of all web generated matter, the layout of the page must be formatted in a particular manner so that it makes sense on different kinds of workstations.

HTML is a computer language designed for website creation. The basics of the HTML are very simple and can be followed easily. HTML text can be made using a rudimentary text-editor or a powerful graphical editor. The creation of HTML is quite fantastic given its simplicity and it is constantly being revised to meet improving standards of the e-community. The World Wide Web Consortium is the international body designing, revising and regulating this virtual language.

Using Hypertext, one moves across the web – clicking on texts called ‘hyperlinks’ that take him from one to another page at the click of the mouse, with no adherence to any set of patterns or order. One can travel to any site or page at whim. The markup is secured through tags when certain types of texts are designated to look a certain way. A markup code is technically called an element and casually referred to as a ‘tag’. HTML is made up of different series of short codes, typed in a text file - these codes are called tags. The text, is saved as an HTML file and is viewed through a browser like the Internet Explorer or the Netscape Navigator. The tags separate normal text from HTML code seen as words between the < brackets >. Images, tables and other appurtenances on a page look so, due to these instructions but the tags are invisible and only their results are seen on screen.

The HTML is a variation of the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) which is the universal standard for text markup. Text markup focuses on the structure rather than the appearance, so that documents can be recycled and used while the appearance and the visual details depend on the reader’s software. HTML is generally adhered to by the major browsers like Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. It is the browser that actually reads the HTML text and translates or rather deciphers it to present the text in a readable form. HTML allows the sender to properly express quotations, headings, bulleted lists, emphasized text, subscripts, superscripts and other visual cues to enhance readability and beauty.

HTML Email has been opposed for a long time now by different people for a number of reasons but it has increasingly been adopted for personal and business mail. HTML mail is more complex than plain text apart from being incompatible occasionally in various platforms and software. A few email clients do not render HTML mails properly, meaning that users of MSN or Hotmail cannot at times read or view their mails properly. Yet more and more businesses and individuals prefer HTML mails for email marketing and amazingly, more readers prefer reading HTML mails over Text.

HTML OR TEXT: TIME OF TRUTH
HTML email versus Text email causes a heated debate amongst those in email advertising. However, there are a number of issues that a business should take into consideration before making a decision either for or against sending HTML email in their advertising campaign.

HTML Email Format and Its Advantages

HTML emails, whether they are messages or newsletters, have a few advantages over other formats such as:

• HTML emails are ideal if you are sure that recipients can view them.


• HTML email newsletters can accomplish a more effective layout


• Ads are more eye-catching and effective in an HTML mail than a text mail


• HTML emails can include tracking scripts or invisible visitor counters to receive reports on message viewed or click through by recipients


• HTML emails can insert interactive hyperlinks that take users to webpages or sites of interest


• HTML can insert code to automatically open the browser and connect to the web-page


• HTML can include Pop-up windows to grab viewer attention


• HTML emails embed sounds, movies clips and images that download automatically from your web-page when message is viewed allowing you to speed-up sending emails (as images needn't be included when sending)


• HTML emails  include banner ads with navigational links to sites


• HTML allows you to include images, graphics, multiple columns, various fonts and colors and lay out the message like a web page


• HTML emails include survey FORM tags with submit buttons, sponsorship links information, forward to a friend links, subscribe and unsubscribe links and more....


• HTML provides the ability to track open-rate - the rate of email list members that open and view your newsletter divided by the total number of members on your list.


• Click through tracking of the links within your newsletter can be cleaned up visually


• HTML reinforces your visual brand identity with graphics


• HTML provides ability to send rich media such as audio, flash, movies


• You will be able to judge how many of your subscribers are actually opening your ezine by having images pulled from the web when the message is opened.


• You can serve interactive text or graphical ads to subscribers, thus improving performance for your advertising clients. You'll also be able to track the actual number of impressions and click-throughs on their ad, rather than just the number of recipients.


• You have more control over hyperlinks and other elements in your ezine. You don't have to worry about including a visible "mailto:" before all email links (although you would need this in the HTML code), and so on.