Image Suppression – How It Impacts You
May 18, 2008 at 8:35 pm
There’s no doubt that we all prefer image-rich emails over plain text, but thanks to the proliferation of scumbag spammers (the ones who send ‘adult’ themed emails to kids), most ISP’s now block images as a default. Apart from the visual, here’s why you need to know about image suppression:
- This impacts on Open Rates because open rates are calculated when an invisible graphic pings your server. So when you’re not getting the graphic, there’s no ping, and no reporting. But I wouldn’t be getting too hung up on Open Rates as a key measure of Email performance; they’ve not been the most reliable of metrics ever since the invention of the preview pane.
- Image suppression can make your email look awful. You have to go back to in-line styling for design, something we’ve been at for quite some time, but have only just applied to our own template. This is a crucial point; have a look at your email delivered to a gmail address and you’ll see what I mean.
- Because many people are visual and not verbal, image suppression of your super duper offer is going to hurt your response rates. Visual people are more likely to delete your email without a second thought. That is why punchy headlines, super sub-headlines, and an awareness of how to get your message across in a teeny-weeny space is a must. Learn more about writing for the online environment here.
In a nutshell, how can you deal with this brave new world?
- Design a new email template (talk to us about layout and other features)
- Don’t be hung up on open rates; focus instead on trends such as who’s reading regularly,who’s forwarding, etc.
- As always, content is key. Write well. Don’t oversell. And you’ll be grand!
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