I spent quite a bit of time early this week, figuring out our new system for mailing out Logical Tips. I tested out a bunch of mailers myself and was even given a demo of a really *expensive* option. I also learned more than I ever wanted to know about HTML e-mail.
For years, Web designers have had to design Web sites that are compatible among several popular Web browsers that most people use to surf the Internet. At this point, the two top browsers are Internet Explorer and Firefox, so I always test my sites in both programs.
That inconvenience pales by comparison when you start getting into designing compatible HTML e-mail. I now know why so many e-mail newsletters are either plain text or look terrible. A lot of people seem to figure they’ll design for one e-mail program like Outlook Express and leave it at that. But then your e-mail can be almost illegible to people using American Online.
Fortunately, I know people who connect using some of the big providers like AOL and MSN, so I asked them for feedback on the HTML e-mail templates I’m developing for the "new look" of Logical Tips. I’m getting close. Next week, you and I will all find out if I succeeded. (Yes, this is the last Logical Tips that will be going out in exclusively plain text format… egad!)
Interestingly enough, in the four years that I’ve been sending out Logical Tips, no one has ever asked me to send it out in HTML format until this week. Fortunately, I was able to say, "stay tuned…in a week, your wish may be granted!"