How To Create A Simple Custom HTML Email

As promised in the last post, here are the simple steps for creating your own custom email campaign.

HTML Email is still somewhat new, but it’s a great marketing tool. Try a simple email marketing campaign by following the steps below:

1. Create a new directory for your email campaign files.
For example: www.yoursitename.com/email_campaigns. In this directory you should include all the graphics and html pages.

2. Create a simple html email page design (the person receiving the email will be viewing in their email application not a browser). Remember to focus on your message. Save the page in the new directory that you previously created for your html emails.

3. DON’T use Javascript, Flash, style sheets, framesets rollovers or nested as the receiver of the email may not be able to view them.
LIMIT your use of graphics so as to ensure quick download and viewing of the email.

4. Always use correct absolute urls addresses for your graphics and links.

5. When your design is ready, upload all the necessary files to your web site. Now you are ready to test your HTML email document.

6. Open your Email Software. For example, if you are using Outlook Express (since it's the most popular), go to: create mail - insert - text from file - scroll to your saved HTML document.

7. Email a test to email to yourself before you sending to your subscriber list. You may want to send it to a colleague or family member who has a different email program to further test if most of your subscribers can view your email the way you intended. You may also want to create a ‘text based’ email for subscribers that may not be able to view your graphics.

8. To ensure consistency for future email campaigns, you should save your html page design as a template.

That’s all there is to it!