Email Design Tip #2: <img> is everything

One of the main benefits of HTML email over plain text email is the ability to include images. However, there are a number of factors to consider when including images in an email:

i) Always use the full path for an image. For example:
<img src=”http://yoursite.com/image_name.jpg” alt=”image title” />

ii) Never put important information into an image
– When designing always think what will the creative look like with the images missing, because this is what most recipients will see before clicking “Download images”

iii) Always use Alt tags. – Never use spam phrases in the alt tags, “Call now to claim your FREE prize” for example.

iv) Keep the image filename neutral – “image1.jpg”, “title.jpg” etc. Not: “click_here.jpg”, “register.jpg”.

v) Always optimise the image – Try to keep the total email size below 100Kb. Bigger emails might overwhelm your server bandwidth.

vi) Remember that JPEG and GIF are the only image files acceptable for email use.

More useful email design tips are available in the Essential Guide to HTML Email Design, to download it simply click here.