Show HN: Responsive Email Templates • Hacker News Board

Re: Show HN: Responsive Email Templates

#61

Post by tommaxwell » Sat, Dec 01, 2012, 7:14 AM UTC

maqr wrote: post #41

Am I the only one who is far less likely to read an HTML email? If I see that I need to click to allow external images for my email to load, I'm probably just going to delete it. It's amazing to me that HTML email can be effective for marketing. If you send me a paragraph of text, I'm going to read it on my mobile. If you send me an HTML email, I'm going to archive it right away on my mobile. If you send me too many…

I prefer HTML emails in many cases. However, most aren't responsive and for the longest time Gmail for Android hasn't supported pinch-to-zoom (I think it does in 4.2).

Re: Show HN: Responsive Email Templates

#62

Post by dedakia » Sat, Dec 01, 2012, 7:26 AM UTC

jwarzech wrote: post #23

This came at a perfect time for me as I've spent the last week working on designing newsletter templates.

I'm pretty glad I saw this on the day that I learn I'm undertaking the project of implementing an email newsletter system :)

Re: Show HN: Responsive Email Templates

#63

Post by huhtenberg » Sat, Dec 01, 2012, 8:17 AM UTC

joshfraser wrote: post #42

maqr wrote: post #41

Am I the only one who is far less likely to read an HTML email? If I see that I need to click to allow external images for my email to load, I'm probably just going to delete it. It's amazing to me that HTML email can be effective for marketing. If you send me a paragraph of text, I'm going to read it on my mobile. If you send me an HTML email, I'm going to archive it right away on my mobile. If you send me too many…

I did some A/B testing on this a few years ago and found that HTML email had a better response rate for me. My methodology wasn't perfect, but I shared the results on my blog anyway: http://www.onlineaspect.com/2008/01/25/the-value-of-split-te...

That was 4 years ago. Things change way too fast for your sampling to remain relevant for this long.

Re: Show HN: Responsive Email Templates

#64

Post by biot » Sat, Dec 01, 2012, 9:05 AM UTC

hk__2 wrote: post #28

And what about real e-mail, e.g. text-based? An e-mail is not a webpage, for me it’s nonsense to put HTML in it.

If you receive a book from Amazon via snail mail, do you expect the entire book to be in Courier 10pt with no use of images, color, or other fonts, even for the cover? Do you expect ASCII illustrations in the book? Why would you expect something different for email then?

Re: Show HN: Responsive Email Templates

#65

Post by nihonjon » Sat, Dec 01, 2012, 9:16 AM UTC

maqr wrote: post #41

Am I the only one who is far less likely to read an HTML email? If I see that I need to click to allow external images for my email to load, I'm probably just going to delete it. It's amazing to me that HTML email can be effective for marketing. If you send me a paragraph of text, I'm going to read it on my mobile. If you send me an HTML email, I'm going to archive it right away on my mobile. If you send me too many…

I've done email marketing for some pretty big companies over the last 3-4 years, as well as a few smaller ventures. When it comes to generating revenue, HTML wins across the board in my experience with general goods' EC, daily deal, education and food.

The users of this board aren't exactly the type of people who impulse buy.

Re: Show HN: Responsive Email Templates

#66

Post by laurencei » Sat, Dec 01, 2012, 9:36 AM UTC

Perhaps on your homepage you can have an option like "email me a demo now".

Looking in the browser doesnt actually help me test the 'email responsiveness'.

I'd like an example emailed to me, so I can test on my iPhone, my computer, my ipad etc.

Re: Show HN: Responsive Email Templates

#67

Post by sambeau » Sat, Dec 01, 2012, 9:51 AM UTC

If you are sending emails to business clients support for Outlook 2000-2003 & Outlook 2007 is still essential. I'm afraid you need to code them like it's 1999. MailChimp have a guide on how to do it right: http://mailchimp.com/resources/guides/email-jitsu/

Fortunately a is (and always has been) responsive.

For non-business clients (who would be unlikely to use Outlook at all) these look great.

Re: Show HN: Responsive Email Templates

#68

Post by adrianhoward » Sat, Dec 01, 2012, 9:56 AM UTC

huhtenberg wrote: post #63

joshfraser wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did some A/B testing on this a few years ago and found that HTML email had a better response rate for me. My methodology wasn't perfect, but I shared the results on my blog anyway: http://www.onlineaspect.com/2008/01/25/the-value-of-split-te...

That was 4 years ago. Things change way too fast for your sampling to remain relevant for this long.

It's been what I see in tests too. A well designed HTML mail will generally beat a plain text mail in response rates... including the one we did for $client last week ;)

Re: Show HN: Responsive Email Templates

#69

Post by adrianhoward » Sat, Dec 01, 2012, 10:01 AM UTC

maqr wrote: post #41

Am I the only one who is far less likely to read an HTML email? If I see that I need to click to allow external images for my email to load, I'm probably just going to delete it. It's amazing to me that HTML email can be effective for marketing. If you send me a paragraph of text, I'm going to read it on my mobile. If you send me an HTML email, I'm going to archive it right away on my mobile. If you send me too many…

Am I the only one who is far less likely to read an HTML email? If I see that I need to click to allow external images for my email to load, I'm probably just going to delete it. It's amazing to me that HTML email can be effective for marketing.

You're not alone - but you are in a minority (well - apart from here probably ;-). Most people don't really understand that there is even a difference between HTML and plain text mails.

The difference that most people act on is a well designed vs a poorly designed email - whether that be plain text or HTML. A badly designed text mail will lose to a well designed HTML one. A well designed text mail will beat a poorly designed HTML one.

Since you have more design options for HTML you can normally make the HTML mail be the most effective option.

Re: Show HN: Responsive Email Templates

#70

Post by smickie » Sat, Dec 01, 2012, 11:39 AM UTC

I just don't see the point in responsive emails at the moment, all of our smart phones have the technology to support big beautiful newsletters that you can get on desktop/web email clients.

If I receive a 600px wide email on my iPhone I can zoom and pan around it. I feel the same way about websites, I don't want my mobile browser to redirect me to a crippled mobile website with half the content. Especially when I have a browser designed to view desktop websites on a smaller screen.

I think we should wait and see if responsive emails are just a fad or is going to become the mainstream.

That being said, this is a fantastic tool for creating responsive emails.

Shameless plug: I made https://www.mailrox.com/