Common Mistakes to Avoid

Here are some of the most common mistakes people make when coding HTML emails:
1. Not coding “absolute paths” to their images. Remember, attaching graphics and
using “relative paths” won’t work. You need to host the images on your server,
then link to them in your code.
2. Using JavaScript, or ActiveX, or embedding movies. That stuff just doesn’t work
in HTML email.
3. Getting over ambitious with designs. Designing HTML email isn’t the same as
designing web pages. You can’t have all the CSS-positioning, DIVs, DHTML, and
complex, embedded tables like you can in web pages.
4. Forgetting---or refusing---to include an opt-out link. It’s stupid and
unprofessional not to allow recipients to unsubscribe from your list. Oh yeah, it’s
illegal, too. Be sure to read and understand The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003.
6. Letting your permission “grow cold.” If you’ve been collecting opt-ins at your
website like a good email marketer, but you haven’t sent an
email in several months, your subscribers have forgotten all
about you. So when they receive a full blown email newsletter
from you “out of the blue” they’re going to click their “this is
spam button” in their email application (related blog post: Surviving the inbox
whack-a-mole game). Don’t let your permission grow cold. Send occasional
emails. If you’ve been collecting emails for years, and you’re only just now
sending your first email to everyone, you should send a little “re-invitation” to
your list. Something like, “A really long time ago, you subscribed to my email list.
Well, I’ve finally got some time to start sending my really cool newsletter, and I
want to make sure you still want to receive it. Click here to sign up...” At the very
least, send an email and place some kind of text at the top that reminds them of
where and when they opted in. People usually forget about opting-in to
something after about 6 months or so.
7. Sending to a list without permission. This is the worst offense. Lots of
“innocent” marketers, who “mean well” commit this heinous crime. Here are
some common ways legitimate marketers can inadvertently become known as
“evil spammers:”
Getting an email list from a tradeshow. “But I’m exhibiting there, and the
tradeshow host said it would be okay, and when people purchased
tickets, the fine print said that we could email them, and...” Nope. You’re
spamming. Don’t do it. If they didn’t give you permission to email them,
they didn’t opt-in to your list. If they didn’t opt-in, you’re spamming.
Even if you can legally send them email marketing, those recipients are
more likely to report you for spamming them. Then, you’ll get
blacklisted. Plus, your company will look really slimy. Don’t do it. If a
tradeshow host is collecting email addresses, then they should be doing
the emailing. It’s all about permission, and setting expectations.
• Getting a list of “fellow members” from some trade organization. Just
because they joined a club, and the club posted contact information so
everyone could keep in touch with each other, it doesn’t mean each
member gives you permission to send them newsletters and offers. If you
sent them a personal greeting from your own email account, they
probably wouldn’t mind. That’s what the organization’s “members list” is
for. But add them to a list and send them a huge email newsletter, and
you’ll be reported for spamming. Don’t do it.
• They go to events, and swap business cards. The business cards just get
thrown into a “prospects” pile. Years later, they get an intern to finally
type all the contact info from those cards into a database. Then, one day
out of the blue, they send a big, fat email newsletter to everyone. As if
they actually want to hear from you! Trust us, they don’t.
• Fish bowl of business cards. Similar to the example above, but they hold
an event, and collect business cards in a fishbowl to win a “door prize.”
The people who dropped their business cards into the bowl wanted the
coffee t-shirt you’re giving away (plus all the fame & glory). They didn’t
opt-in to your list.
8. Using a WYSIWYG to “code” your HTML. WYSIWYGs are notorious for generating
absolutely horrible HTML. They insert so much junk code, it’s unbelievable. Even
the ones that generate “clean” code don’t know how to “rig” things to work in
email applications (like sticking your embedded CSS below the body tag). To
code HTML email properly, you need to learn a little HTML. It’s really not that
hard. Plus, you can download free HTML email templates at our website:
http://www.mailchimp.com/resources/templates/
Forgetting to test. Thoroughly. When you send HTML email, you’ve really got to
test it in as many email applications you can. Then you have to test on different
operating systems. Then different ISPs (we’ll explain shortly). If you keep things
simple, and build a rock solid, thoroughly tested template for each newsletter,
you won’t have to test so much. But you should always send at least a few
campaigns to yourself before sending it out to your entire list.
10. Sending nothing but a big, gigantic graphic as their HTML email. Sigh, that’s
what spammers do. And since most email programs block images by default,
what do you think your recipients see when (if) they open your email? Many spam
filters will block your email if you don’t have a healthy balance of images and
text.