html-emails

Html emails – Dos & Don’ts

April 14, 2024 . Erica Keys

Creating HTML emails can be fun and satisfying; seeing your or your clients’ email designs come alive in the web browser and inboxes can be exciting. However, anyone who has spent any time trying to code emails can tell you that it isn’t always the easiest task to do, and can sometimes be done right frustrating. So it can help a lot know some basic dos & don’ts, here are tips that I hope will be helpful.

Dos:

  • Use Semantic HTML: Utilize semantic HTML elements wherever possible for better accessibility and SEO.
  • Use inline CSS: Inline CSS is the most reliable technique to ensure that your emails render consistently across different email clients. Most email providers support this technique, so you’re most likely to get the best results with little formatting issues.
  • Test, Test, Test: Regularly test your HTML emails using tools like Litmus or Email on Acid to troubleshoot and ensure that your emails are rendering properly on various email clients and devices
  • Keep it Simple: Keep your HTML emails simple that way you can ensure compatibility and faster load times on various email clients & devices. Avoid designs and layouts that too complex.
  • Use Table-Based Layouts: Table-based layouts are the most reliable and consistent method to code HTML emails due to inconsistent CSS support in email clients.
  • Develop for Mobile: To ensure that your emails look good and are functional on mobile devices use responsive layouts.
  • Include Alt Text for images: Alt text aka Alternative Text provides text description for images that for some reason cannot display, and helps to ensure accessibility.
  • Provide a Plain Text Version: It’s always a good idea to include a plain text version of your email for recipients who prefer or require it. This will also improve deliverability and accessibility.
  • Optimize Loading Speed: By minimizing file sizes, optimize images, and use efficient coding practices to ensure fast loading times for your HTML emails.

Don’ts:

  • Rely Solely on Images: Avoid creating emails that rely images for critical content, many email clients block images by default, so important information may be missed.
  • Use JavaScript: Most email clients do not support JavaScript, so avoid or limit use of it as it may lead to rendering issues or even be completely ignored.
  • Embed Video or Audio: Embedding video or audio files directly into HTML emails is not widely supported and may result in unpredictable rendering.
  • Overuse of Fonts: Limit the number of fonts used to ensure consistency and improve loading times. Use to web-safe fonts or embed custom fonts sparingly.
  • Ignore Accessibility Guidelines: Always ensure that you comply with accessibility guidelines, include proper use of alt text, semantic HTML, and keyboard navigation.
  • Include Flash Content: Flash is not supported by most email clients and is a security risk.

Welcome to html-emails – Let’s Dive into the World of Email Development!

April 14, 2024 . Erica Keys

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the inaugural post of html-emails! I’m thrilled to embark on this journey with you as we delve into the dynamic and ever-evolving realm of email development.

Through this blog, I hope to share insights, tips, best practices, and emerging trends in email development. Html-emails aims to be a valuable resource for all levels of expertise.

Thank you for joining me on this exciting journey. I can’t wait to see where it takes us!

Warm regards,

Erica Keys-HTML Email Developer