Don't struggle to get your email newsletter out each time - let us manage it for you. Design, content, send, analysis. See examples e-Tips - June 8th 2007 VOL 3 ISSUE 11: IMAGE BLOCKING: WHAT YOU CAN DO Mama, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be E-mail Copywriters Karen Gedney makes a case for the true value of effective email copy. From clickz.com Seth Godin: Spammer That 'report spam' button is just too easy an option 'The best email marketing I ever got' Blogger admits liking for the homely approach The Email Experience Council The Email Experience Council enewsworks has joined the EEC - shaping the future of email   The other day I received an email which illustrates perfectly the problem of image blocking. Here's how it looked before and after I turned on images: Default view - click to enlarge With images turned on - click to enlarge To make matters worse there was no ALT text for the images, and the link to the web version actually wasn't a live link. A number of significant email clients now have images turned off by default: AOL, Googlemail/Gmail, Windows Live Mail, Outlook 2007 and some versions of Outlook Express, to name just a few. In most cases, the recipient is in control and can enable images if he or she wishes to - either on an email-by-email basis or by changing the setting. So what can you do? As usual, it's damage limitation: Test how your HTML email appears with images turned off Add a text-based link to a web version, at the top of the email Use ALT text for all images Do not use images for important content like headlines and links Ask recipients to add you to their address book Regarding the last point, don't assume people know how to do this. Usability research suggests that if you give people instructions on how to add addresses to their address book or trusted sender list, it greatly increases uptake (Marketing Sherpa email Benchmark Guide 2007). This might mean setting up a page on your website with basic instructions and screenshots of the major email clients. All the best Robin Houghton Comments? Drop me an email. enewsworks Tel: 01273 470010 1 Lansdown Place Lewes East Sussex BN7 2JT If this email has been useful, please forward it to a colleague. Have you been forwarded this email? Subscribe here to fortnightly email marketing tips or subscribe to my Blog at enewsworks.blogspot.com. Copyright © 2007 enewsworks is a trading name of Robin Houghton Communications Ltd Registered in England, Company number 5141855. Registered office: 55 Russell Row, Lewes, BN7 2EE