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October 2005
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Optimization
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Designing Emails For the Preview Pane and Disabled Images - Survey Results and Implications Revealed
By Loren McDonald
Two advances in email clients are combining to deliver a double whammy to email marketers: the preview pane, which allows a reader to view just a narrow strip or square of an email message without formally opening it, and a blocked-images feature that prevents images from downloading unless the reader requests them.
Used individually, each one is probably throwing off your open rate and preventing users from seeing your most critical information. In tandem, it means your email performance will be reduced significantly if you don't redesign your emails to deliver key information as quickly as possible. Read Full Article.
Full Article | Feedback
Previous Optimization Column
25 Quick Tips to Boost Email Marketing Usability
Here are some additional articles and tips to help when exploring email design and coding issues:
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Dear Reader,
A big thank you to everyone who participated in last month's Preview Pane/Image Blocking Survey. This issue presents some very compelling findings, along with recommended fixes you can implement to minimize the widespread impact of small preview panes and blocked images.
As you can see, the results made such an impact on us that we've taken our own advice and launched a new design for The Intevation Report with a new Preview Pane Header, based on our conclusions from the survey.
Loren McDonald
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Delivery Trends
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Standardizing the ISP Spam Complaint Feedback Loop: A Very Good Thing
Nearly all ISPs and Mailbox providers now give their users a "Report Spam" button in the email client interface. This helps ISPs fine-tune filters, monitor user satisfaction and block objectionable senders when necessary. However, this process creates some specific problems for senders whose messages get blocked... Read Full Article
Full Article | Feeback
Previous Delivery Trends Column
Where the Email Marketing Services Industry is Evolving
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The Lab
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Timely Email Reminder Boosts Survey Participation
By Loren McDonald
Along with the Preview Pane and Blocked Images survey EmailLabs conducted in September, we also tested using reminder emails to boost participation.
This was a tricky proposition. We wanted to get as many participants as possible, but we did not want to alienate those who did not reply to the survey invitations.
We mapped out a three-stage invitation strategy... Read Full Article.
Full Article | Feedback
Previous The Lab Column
Top Five Email Opt-In Usability Mistakes
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Quick Tips
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How to Get on an ISPs Whitelist
By Kirill Popov
Even though the email industry is moving toward authentication and certification to separate spammers and phishers from legitimate
senders, "whitelists" and "blacklists" are still the first line of
defense for many ISPs and individual users.
They use both lists to determine whether your email gets delivered as you intend, to the inbox instead of the junk folder and with images intact instead of blocked.
Essentially, the whitelist allows your email in, and the blacklist keeps it out.
This month, we'll show you how to get on a whitelist. Check back next month to learn how to stay off or get off a blacklist. Read Full Article.
Full Article | Feedback
For related articles and tips, check out the following:
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> EmailLabs V4: Just released, the new version of the EmailLabs application introduces many new features as well as an updated look and feel. Some enhancements include a Dynamic Content Message Builder, a task management system, seedbox monitoring, a new message creation process and many others.
> WebSideStory: Mutual clients of EmailLabs and WebSideStory can leverage data based on both Web site and email activity to target campaigns based on behavior and create trigger campaigns on the fly.
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StatsWatch
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Integrating Web Analytics With Email Programs Improve Results
In a recent Jupiter Research Report, marketers who integrate Web analytics with their email marketing programs improved the results of targeted email campaigns. The report states that using clickstream data on average produced open rates of 33%, click-through rates of 14% and conversion rates of 3.9% from targeted email campaigns. This was compared to mass mailing average open rates of 20%, click-through rates of 9.5% and conversion rates of 1.1%.
Other Email Marketing Statistics | Feedback
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Ask EmailLabs
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How Do I Re-Opt In My Email List?
Q. My company wants to start sending a newsletter to our customer
database of several hundred thousand names that we collected over the
years. What's the best way to re-opt these people in without bouncing
thousands of email addresses? Should we send a reminder that they gave us their email addresses and will receive the newsletter unless they opt out? Or, should we just start with the first edition and see who opts out?
A. Whoa! Don't start designing that newsletter just yet. You need to solve three critical problems first...Read Full Article
Read Full Article | Got a Question? Ask EmailLabs
More Email Marketing FAQ's
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Regulatory and Privacy Watch
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Using the Act to Can the Spam
By Kirill Popov
Recent cases brought against two of the world's most prolific spammers illustrate that the CAN-SPAM Act is helping to bring some pain to the spam world, despite continued criticisms that the 2003 law doesn't go far enough... Read Full Article
Full Article | Feedback
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About EmailLabs
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EmailLabs is a leading provider of high-performance email marketing technology solutions to agencies, publishers and marketing, sales and customer service departments of middle-market and Global 2000 companies. The EmailLabs email marketing platform is provided as an ASP (Web-based) service, and is easily customized and integrated with a company's Web site, sales force automation and CRM technologies. The company provides email marketing solutions to more than 400 companies, including Nokia, Agilent, PalmSource and Jupitermedia. Headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., EmailLabs was founded in 1999 and is a subsidiary of
Lyris, Inc. (OTCBB:JLHY).
For more information, visit www.EmailLabs.com or call 866.362.4522.
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