Technology in Marketing: The Top 10 E-mail Newsletter Design Best Practices

If your law firm is distributing e-mail newsletters to clients, it's not enough to just click “send.” To ensure that you are maximizing the experience of your subscribers, and thereby promoting loyal readership, you need to consider “best practices” in e-mail design.

Probably one of the most important “environmental” factors driving e-mail design nowadays is the reality that a sizeable percentage of subscribers may be using e-mail applications with image blocking “on.” When image blocking in an e-mail application is “on,” subscribers see red “X's” where your graphics would have otherwise displayed. In order for graphics in your e-mail to display, readers need to turn image blocking “off.”

Additionally, it's important to stress that e-mail is a “scanning” environment. That is, subscribers don't necessarily “read” e-mails; they scan them. For example, Nielsen Norman Group's e-mail newsletter usability study (Third Edition, June 2006) determined that users, once engaged, spend an average of 51 seconds on each newsletter in their inbox. If the content seems interesting, they may devote more time. But you've got to grab them at the “scanning” phase.

With those factors in mind, here are 10 quick law firm e-mail design tips (after the jump) to maximize readability.

1. Don't Send an E-mail Consisting of a Single Large Graphic

While graphics tend to be more visually appealing than HTML text (even when formatted with bolding, colors, etc.), do not send e-mails consisting of a single, large graphic (no matter how snazzy). The reason is simple: Any clients using e-mail applications with image blocking “on” will only see one big red “X,” as mentioned above. While you can alleviate this issue somewhat by populating the image's ALT tag with text that describes the image (see tip #5 below), the overall presentation is not very enticing or visually appealing.

Additionally, there is another issue with e-mails consisting of a single graphic that not many people are aware of. And that is that a low text-to-image ratio on SpamAssassin (a leading content filter) increases your risk of getting filtered. In other words, if your e-mail consists of a single large image, and no text, your Spam Assassin score will be higher (because your text-to-image ratio is virtually zero), and your risk of being filtered much greater.

2. Render Key Messages As Text

Instead of sending e-mails consisting of a single large graphic, the better practice is to limit use of graphics to important visuals related to the announcement, such as banners, attorney photos, and firm logos. Then render the key messages in your e-mail as text. Key “messages” include text such as article headlines and calls-to-action (e.g., Register, Read More, Full Article). This way if image blocking is “on,” the key point of your message can still be viewed in the preview pane since HTML text will always display.

3. Position Key Text in the Upper Lefthand Corner

“Eye-tracking” research shows that the human eye scans e-mail in an “F” pattern (i.e., from top left to right or down). Consequently, position your key “text” message as close to the top left corner of your e-mail as possible so it is visible within the preview pane without scrolling. At the same time, while it is a great idea to include a banner with your e-mail for visual impact, keep the banner short. In general, we recommend displaying your key message in the top left 290-360 pixels of your e-mail. This means that a banner taller than, say, 200 pixels in height will start to encroach on that valuable real estate.

Positioning your key text messages close to the top lefthand corner of your e-mail also ensures that folks with image blocking “on” who scan e-mails in their preview panes before opening, can immediately read your key messages. This makes it more likely that they'll open the e-mail to full view, and display the images included with the message.

4. Keep Your E-mails Under 650 Pixels Wide

To reduce the likelihood of horizontal scrolling, design e-mail templates to be no wider than 650 pixels. Indeed, for two-column templates, we usually aim for 600-625 pixels wide.

5. Populate ALT Tags for Images

The ALT tag is an attribute of images that holds text that describes the images. When you populate “ALT” tags for images with descriptive text, readers who have image blocking on can at least read a short description of the image. This increases the likelihood that they will activate it.

6. Include Height and Width Attributes with Images

Every image has a height and width attribute. Populating the height and width attributes for each image will help keep your e-mail intact even if image blocking is on.

7. Use Tables for Formatting

CSS-based layouts are not supported by most major e-mail applications so don't use them. Your design will render more consistently when HTML tables are used for layout. But you can use inline CSS to format content (e.g., font sizing and color), as well as effects like link behavior on mouseover.

8. Avoid Deliverability Issues

Rich Media, Embedding Flash or video in an e-mail can cause deliverability issues. It is also likely these elements will be stripped or disabled. If you want to use rich media, use a screenshot of the media linking to the “live” version on your Web site.

9. Make Sure Forms Include Links

If you're including an embedded form such as an RSVP or survey, make sure to also provide a link to a Web-based landing page alternative for readers using applications like Outlook that don't support forms. Also, prepopulate your forms with subscriber data to maximize conversion rates.

10. Always Test Your E-mails Before Sending

Always send a “test” e-mail to yourself before distributing to clients. Check all links to make sure they are working properly. If there are any forms associated with the e-mail (such as an RSVP form in an e-mail invitation), complete and submit the form to make sure it is working properly.

Also consider sending “test” e-mails to addresses outside your firm's mail server. We had one client who only tested the links at its e-mail address within the firm. Unfortunately, the links had consisted of URLs on the firm's internal, admin version of its Web site, which were not accessible to folks viewing the e-mail outside the firm. Including a test send to their account executive at our company would have caught this error.

In closing, e-mail is a great marketing tool, especially for proactively reinforcing expertise with clients and other contacts such as referral sources. Just make sure to follow the design “best practices” in this article to ensure your e-mail marketing is having maximum impact.

Joshua Fruchter, a member of this newsletter's Board of Editors, is president and co-founder of eLawMarketing, a provider of online marketing services to law firms and other professional service providers. He can be contacted at 866-833-6245 or at [email protected]. The firm's Web site is at http://www.elawmarketing.com/ and its blog is at http://www.lawyercasting.com/.

For LinkedIn and Twitter followers, subscribe to the Marketing the Law Firm newsletter at a special introductory rate. Click here – http://www.lawjournalnewsletters.com/subscribe/mlf329_landing.html. This offer is valid for new subscribers only.

If your law firm is distributing e-mail newsletters to clients, it's not enough to just click “send.” To ensure that you are maximizing the experience of your subscribers, and thereby promoting loyal readership, you need to consider “best practices” in e-mail design.

Probably one of the most important “environmental” factors driving e-mail design nowadays is the reality that a sizeable percentage of subscribers may be using e-mail applications with image blocking “on.” When image blocking in an e-mail application is “on,” subscribers see red “X's” where your graphics would have otherwise displayed. In order for graphics in your e-mail to display, readers need to turn image blocking “off.”

Additionally, it's important to stress that e-mail is a “scanning” environment. That is, subscribers don't necessarily “read” e-mails; they scan them. For example, Nielsen Norman Group's e-mail newsletter usability study (Third Edition, June 2006) determined that users, once engaged, spend an average of 51 seconds on each newsletter in their inbox. If the content seems interesting, they may devote more time. But you've got to grab them at the “scanning” phase.

With those factors in mind, here are 10 quick law firm e-mail design tips (after the jump) to maximize readability.

1. Don't Send an E-mail Consisting of a Single Large Graphic

While graphics tend to be more visually appealing than HTML text (even when formatted with bolding, colors, etc.), do not send e-mails consisting of a single, large graphic (no matter how snazzy). The reason is simple: Any clients using e-mail applications with image blocking “on” will only see one big red “X,” as mentioned above. While you can alleviate this issue somewhat by populating the image's ALT tag with text that describes the image (see tip #5 below), the overall presentation is not very enticing or visually appealing.

Additionally, there is another issue with e-mails consisting of a single graphic that not many people are aware of. And that is that a low text-to-image ratio on SpamAssassin (a leading content filter) increases your risk of getting filtered. In other words, if your e-mail consists of a single large image, and no text, your Spam Assassin score will be higher (because your text-to-image ratio is virtually zero), and your risk of being filtered much greater.

2. Render Key Messages As Text

Instead of sending e-mails consisting of a single large graphic, the better practice is to limit use of graphics to important visuals related to the announcement, such as banners, attorney photos, and firm logos. Then render the key messages in your e-mail as text. Key “messages” include text such as article headlines and calls-to-action (e.g., Register, Read More, Full Article). This way if image blocking is “on,” the key point of your message can still be viewed in the preview pane since HTML text will always display.

3. Position Key Text in the Upper Lefthand Corner

“Eye-tracking” research shows that the human eye scans e-mail in an “F” pattern (i.e., from top left to right or down). Consequently, position your key “text” message as close to the top left corner of your e-mail as possible so it is visible within the preview pane without scrolling. At the same time, while it is a great idea to include a banner with your e-mail for visual impact, keep the banner short. In general, we recommend displaying your key message in the top left 290-360 pixels of your e-mail. This means that a banner taller than, say, 200 pixels in height will start to encroach on that valuable real estate.

Positioning your key text messages close to the top lefthand corner of your e-mail also ensures that folks with image blocking “on” who scan e-mails in their preview panes before opening, can immediately read your key messages. This makes it more likely that they'll open the e-mail to full view, and display the images included with the message.

4. Keep Your E-mails Under 650 Pixels Wide

To reduce the likelihood of horizontal scrolling, design e-mail templates to be no wider than 650 pixels. Indeed, for two-column templates, we usually aim for 600-625 pixels wide.

5. Populate ALT Tags for Images

The ALT tag is an attribute of images that holds text that describes the images. When you populate “ALT” tags for images with descriptive text, readers who have image blocking on can at least read a short description of the image. This increases the likelihood that they will activate it.

6. Include Height and Width Attributes with Images

Every image has a height and width attribute. Populating the height and width attributes for each image will help keep your e-mail intact even if image blocking is on.

7. Use Tables for Formatting

CSS-based layouts are not supported by most major e-mail applications so don't use them. Your design will render more consistently when HTML tables are used for layout. But you can use inline CSS to format content (e.g., font sizing and color), as well as effects like link behavior on mouseover.

8. Avoid Deliverability Issues

Rich Media, Embedding Flash or video in an e-mail can cause deliverability issues. It is also likely these elements will be stripped or disabled. If you want to use rich media, use a screenshot of the media linking to the “live” version on your Web site.

9. Make Sure Forms Include Links

If you're including an embedded form such as an RSVP or survey, make sure to also provide a link to a Web-based landing page alternative for readers using applications like Outlook that don't support forms. Also, prepopulate your forms with subscriber data to maximize conversion rates.

10. Always Test Your E-mails Before Sending

Always send a “test” e-mail to yourself before distributing to clients. Check all links to make sure they are working properly. If there are any forms associated with the e-mail (such as an RSVP form in an e-mail invitation), complete and submit the form to make sure it is working properly.

Also consider sending “test” e-mails to addresses outside your firm's mail server. We had one client who only tested the links at its e-mail address within the firm. Unfortunately, the links had consisted of URLs on the firm's internal, admin version of its Web site, which were not accessible to folks viewing the e-mail outside the firm. Including a test send to their account executive at our company would have caught this error.

In closing, e-mail is a great marketing tool, especially for proactively reinforcing expertise with clients and other contacts such as referral sources. Just make sure to follow the design “best practices” in this article to ensure your e-mail marketing is having maximum impact.

Joshua Fruchter, a member of this newsletter's Board of Editors, is president and co-founder of eLawMarketing, a provider of online marketing services to law firms and other professional service providers. He can be contacted at 866-833-6245 or at [email protected]. The firm's Web site is at http://www.elawmarketing.com/ and its blog is at http://www.lawyercasting.com/.

For LinkedIn and Twitter followers, subscribe to the Marketing the Law Firm newsletter at a special introductory rate. Click here – http://www.lawjournalnewsletters.com/subscribe/mlf329_landing.html. This offer is valid for new subscribers only.