Email Aesthetics
It`s an old, old saying, but it`s true: you only have one chance to make a good first impression. And in email, the first impression is always visual -- a consumer LOOKS/SEES before he/she READS.
Imagine walking by a grotesquely garish storefront with all kinds of things hanging off the front porch, every floor painted a different color, and odd music playing through loudspeakers. Would you want to walk in the front door? No way! You`d assume that the owner is a kook, at best, or a deranged axe murderer, at worst.
Did you ever have an ugly looking email land in your mailbox? You know what I`m talking about: an orange background and yellow borders, multi-colored text in all sizes from gigantic to microscopic, a message that looks like it was created by a crazed six-year-old? If you did, I bet you didn`t feel the urge to read it. You probably just wanted to delete it as quickly as possible.
=> PUT OUT THE WELCOME MAT You want your email message to be friendly and inviting, not bizarre and scary. The suggestions below -- and they`re just suggestions, not hard and fast rules -- will go a long way towards making recipients` eyes say "come on in!" to your message.
=> DO`s and DON`Ts FOR ATTRACTIVE EMAILS
-DON`T use COLOR fonts in your message. (Leave that to junior high girls who want to write about Britney and Justin)
-DO use BLACK TEXT ON A WHITE BACKGROUND. (When you`re "speaking" in black-and-white, people will give their full attention to your message without being distracted by your color scheme.)
-DON`T use UNCOMMON FONTS. (If someone`s system doesn`t recognize the font you`ve selected, they could see gibberish instead of your brilliant message).
-DO use the email marketers` FAVORITE FONTS: Arial, Times New Roman, and Courier New
And please.
-DON`T use flashing buttons or banners in your email! (Your prospects have undoubtedly gotten their fill of "bells and whistles" when they`ve surfed the Internet. They don`t need more from you.)
=> GET HYPER" WITH EMAIL HYPERLINKS
An "email hyperlink" is just techno-talk for a link in your email to a website, or email address. Sounds simple enough, and it is -- unless you try to contact a prospect on AOL who may not be able to receive "clickable" links.
Don`t worry. There`s a "fix" for this: simply type mailto: in front of your email address (no space in between, and include the : )
=> ALWAYS USE SIGNATURE TAGS
Today, it`s common practice on the Internet to tell people about your product or service with a SIGNATURE TAG, which is 3-6 lines of text (usually) that is automatically added to every message you send.
If you`d like to add a tag to your messages, simply open your email program. Find the SIGNATURES TAB (located in the TOOLS/OPTIONS menu in Outlook Express). Follow the (simple) instructions for creating a sig file. Easy as pie...and the results will amaze you.
Sincerely,
Steven Ackerman
If you would like to subscribe to my entire series of helpful articles and my FREE internet home business tips and website marketing secrets newsletter with hundreds of moneymaking tips and tricks. Just go to my website, "Work at Home Ideas and Opportunities" at http://ackerman55.com . Enter your contact information and click the "Free Signup!" button. Your privacy is guaranteed.
You may remember a time before there was email?a time... Read More
I think first of all, everybody deserves to have a... Read More
Every day, I receive at least 300 emails. I will... Read More
You hear it all the time... email signature, sig file,... Read More
An autoresponder is a software program that automatically sends a... Read More
E-mail promotion Internet marketing can help your home-based business expand... Read More
Setting up and using email autoresponders on your site is... Read More
You've done the hardest part; you've captured your prospect's email... Read More
Computer viruses are usually a bad thing. They can compromise... Read More
Newsletters are often thought of as easy, do-it-yourself communications projects.... Read More
In this digital day and age, communicating through email is... Read More
How many times have you realized that your email simply... Read More
Writing ads for either your own products or affiliate products... Read More
In the business world, the primary focus is on selling... Read More
If you are active on the web promoting your products,... Read More
I had great feedback from my last article, and was... Read More
Do you read all your Ezines? Or do you file... Read More
What does the flu have to do with building your... Read More
If Gutenberg were alive today he would be in publishing... Read More
Email - today's preferred business communication tool - provides you... Read More
I have a special new email address. It's in addition... Read More
Sending autoresponder messages is one of the most powerful email... Read More
Like most other prime search engines, the ability to freely... Read More
The easiest way to acquire an email list for your... Read More
I recently undertook an email advertising promotion, using a number... Read More
Most folks starting out on the Internet have tried free... Read More
When we speak about viral marketing, we are not talking... Read More
Although it may not be practical to put a dollar-sign... Read More
1. Ask visitors to subscribe to your e-zine. It's a... Read More
A chained auto-responder is a sequence of emails that gets... Read More
Setting up and using email autoresponders on your site is... Read More
There are many services available to help your with building... Read More
A responsive opt in list is an unbelievably powerful money-maker... Read More
How do you get the most out of your list?We... Read More
Many companies begin their online sales ventures with the wrong... Read More
No matter what type of business you operate, you need... Read More
You've launched your web site. You've implemented a public relations... Read More
Before I do this, let me describe how autoresponders work.... Read More
One of the greatest challenges facing business owners and managers... Read More
Let's give a definition to autoresponder first. So, what is... Read More
Keeping your email lists fresh is critical to the success... Read More
How did you sell your last product? Imagine that I... Read More
Developing and executing a successful e-mail marketing campaign is becoming... Read More
One major asset that every internet or affiliate marketer needs... Read More
If you do business as an affiliate, then you're constantly... Read More
When I was first introduced to an autoresponder I thought... Read More
Sound familiar? Ever wondered what happens to those unopened emails... Read More
"I want to sell my company's products on the Web,... Read More
Autoresponders, or responders, are simply programs that allow you to... Read More
Running a contest for your e-zine subscribers or web site... Read More
Email Marketing Email Marketing |