HTML vs. TEXT

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HTML vs. TEXT

• DC Web Women
• Blacklists, Whitelists and Read All Over
• June 17, 2003
• Gabriela Linares
• VP Marketing

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Industry Research Study 1Source Survey of
E-Mail Format Preferences and Programs, Dr. Ralph
F. Wilson, April 2003 - N954
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Industry Research Study 1Source Survey of
E-Mail Format Preferences and Programs, Dr. Ralph
F. Wilson, April 2003 - N954
HTML Readability Today
Bible Study Business
Yes 87.1 93.1
Only Partially 7.6 4.5
No 5.3 2.4
Respondents 394 468
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Industry Research Study 1Source Survey of
E-Mail Format Preferences and Programs, Dr. Ralph
F. Wilson, April 2003 - N954

• E-Mail Client Program
• Casual users

• Business users

Outlook Express 34
AOL 6.0 to 8.0 17
Yahoo! Mail 13
Outlook 98/2000/XP 12
HotMail 10
Outlook 98/2000/XP 48
Outlook Express 27
Eudora 11

• AOL users 92 of users studied used version 6.0
  and higher and could read HTML e-mail

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Industry Research Study 1Source Survey of
E-Mail Format Preferences and Programs, Dr. Ralph
F. Wilson, April 2003 - N954
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Industry Research Study 1Source Survey of
E-Mail Format Preferences and Programs, Dr. Ralph
F. Wilson, April 2003 - N954
Plain Text Preference

Bible Study Business
Dial-up Access 24.1 41.3
Broadband Access 20.3 17.3
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Industry Research Study 1Source Survey of
E-Mail Format Preferences and Programs, Dr. Ralph
F. Wilson, April 2003 - N954

• Reasons for HTML preference
• Readability (78)
• Attractive display (68)
• Ease of scanning (64)
• Overall design (64)
• Reasons for text preference
• Readability (73)
• Security from viruses (68)
• Ease of saving for future use (63)
• Ease of scanning (61)
• Download speed (54)

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Poll on HTML vs. Text preference - 2 Readers of
Splash and E-zine Tips, N600, February 2003
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Poll on HTML vs. Text preference - 2 Readers of
Splash and E-zine Tips, N600, February 2003

• Reasons for preferring text
• Can't read HTML 6
• Just want the meat without the distractions 32
• Like to read offline 15
• Ads are more intrusive in HTML 22
• Slow to download 14
• Other 11
• Reasons for preferring HTML
• HTML email can be laid out more effectively 28
• Color can be used 24
• Images can be included 21   
• Ads can be more effective in HTML 20   

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Preferred e-mail advertisement formats worldwide,
Q1 2002- 3Source Opt-In News, May 2002
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Use of anti-spam filters - 3aSource Opt-In
News, May 2002

• (21) of consumers use a Spam filter within their
  email messaging programs.
• (52) do not use this type of service and
• (27) are uncertain if they are using a filter
  feature

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Response rates per format- 4Source IMT
Strategies, Sept. 2001
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Other Industry Research 5Source Debbie Weil,
WordBiz Report, N300, May 2003

• One-third publish HTML only
• Text-only subscribers are typically less than 50
  of list recipients
• 70 survey respondents prefer HTML

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Best practices is a moving target- 6Source
Jupiter Media Metrix, May 2002

• Best practices for campaigns are a moving target,
  depending on campaign objective.
• There is no one best practice for these factors.
  Only with testing can an e-mail campaign be fully
  optimized
• Audience segmentation, message content and e-mail
  format should be tested prior to rolling out any
  campaign

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Anti-Spam filtersSpam report from the anti-spam
filter product Spam Assassin

• HTML_FONT_COLOR_RED (0.1 points) BODY HTML font
  color is red
• HTML_MESSAGE (0.0 points) BODY HTML
  included in message
• HTML_LINK_CLICK_CAPS (1.1 points) BODY HTML
  link text says "CLICK"
• HTML_FONT_BIG (0.3 points) BODY FONT Size
  2 and up or 3 and up
• LINES_OF_YELLING (0.0 points) BODY A WHOLE
  LINE OF YELLING DETECTED
• HTML_LINK_CLICK_HERE (0.1 points) BODY HTML
  link text says "click here"
• HTML_FONT_COLOR_GRAY (0.1 points) BODY HTML
  font color is gray
• HTML_FONT_COLOR_YELLOW (0.0 points) BODY HTML
  font color is yellow

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HTML vs. Text issues

• Attachments blocked by Anti-Spam Anti-Virus
  filters
• Embedded images are attachments
• Referencing images from web site does not include
  attachments
• A Multi-Part message may include attachments
• Multipart/Alternative doesnt have attachment
• Multipart/Mixed has an attachment
• Multipart/related has an attachment

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HTML vs. Text issues

• Design preferences
• Both formats are visually appealing to different
  groups
• Both formats are easier to scan according to
  different groups
• Format depends on companys image personality
• HTML protocol e-mail applications
  inconsistencies - AOL
• Text convenient for those readers that need
  specific information and dont care about format

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HTML vs. Text issues

• Size of message
• Larger size for HTML than for text only messages
• HTML with embedded images is larger than with
  referenced images
• Slows transmission and download time for dial-up
  connection users
• Recommended maximum size of an e-mail message is
  15k-20k to not alert mail watcher software

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HTML vs. Text issues

• Tracking recipient behavior
• HTML allows for tracking open-ups, click-thrus,
  frequency, date, time, personal data and
  demographics
• Same tracking capabilities available for text
  messages BUT doesnt include open-up tracking
• User reading e-mail online or offline
• HTML messages with referenced images, will not
  display correctly when read off-line
• Network firewalls sometimes strip HTML messages
  that contain links to outside sources

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Evaluate options

• HTML Text
• Offer two separate mailing lists if possible
• Provide recipient with alternative at
  registration
• HTML only
• Text-only recipients are not reached
• Test how message is viewed in different e-mail
  clients
• Attach images? Or reference web site?

• Send multi-part messages
• Providing alternative for those who cannot read
  html
• Sniffing technology is not an established
  e-mail protocol therefore is not reliable
• Text only
• Reaches entire audience
• Cut text at 60 characters
• Message can be creatively designed and easy to
  scan

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Recommendations

• There is no right or wrong format
• Determine internal capacity needs
• It is all about your recipients survey them
  about desired format
• Consider ISPs anti-virus and anti-spam measures
  AOL, MSN, Earthlink measures -- which are
  DYNAMIC
• Consider personal anti-spam applications
• Test, test, test