I’ve read lots of opinions on which is better. A lot of e-mail marketers pushing HTML newsletter solutions will swear that HTML is best. However, here’s an interesting test survey on MarketingSherpa.com that shows there’s not a big difference… both work about equally.
Personally this has been my experience. I run a monthly e-newsletter for a client and we send out a plain text e-mail newsletter with lots of hyperlinks to full articles on the web site (including a link right at the top to an HTML version of the entire e-newsletter). Some people click to the web version of the newsletter (identical in content), others scroll through the plain-text email and click through to articles of interest.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record (scratched CD? corrupt MP3 file?), what’s more important than the platform is the presentation of the content. I get lots of cluttered, poorly focused, salesly HTML web marketing that fail to communicate quickly and effectively. In such a case a well written, logically organized, easy to navigate, plain text e-newsletter that offers me information I need is going to make me click.
How about you? Got an opinion or a study on this topic?
Please comment.
