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I am starting a 'business push' campaign and would like to fire out a few very simple HTML emails, something with a basic bit of branding to catch the recipients eye. I have a good knowledge HTML and CSS and understand the fundamental rules of 'designing like its 1997' when it comes to HTML email. However, I am adding very basic code, in this case a table, into my email window, firing it off to myself to open, only to find there is nothing there, besides completely un-rendrered HTML.

Below is the code I am adding 

    <table style="width:300px">
    <tr>
      <td>Hello</td>
      <td>is it me</td> 
      <td>you're looking for</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Nightfever</td>
      <td>Nightfever</td> 
      <td></td>
    </tr>
    </table>

Could any one please help me with this a little.

Any tips would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

user3380148
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  • by un-rendered html do you mean you can see the table but not the styling? – JamesMarc Mar 31 '14 at 16:36
  • @JamesMarc I have added the code to my original question, and it is the code that is being delivered when I receive the email, no table, no styling. Quite literally the html text – user3380148 Mar 31 '14 at 16:37
  • How are you generating/sending the email? Are you using a server-side language or just your email client? – j08691 Mar 31 '14 at 16:40
  • I am using my email client, in this case an iCloud account @j08691 – user3380148 Mar 31 '14 at 16:41
  • It is worth noting the the industry standard is not to use html in email. Wheteher or not your html email displays as you intended is at the mercy of the recipient and their email client settings. Gmail strips most html content, images are generally blocked, and html is badly supported. That said, You can make a html page, open it locally, and then press `cmd` + `i` to get Maill.app to email it – wrossmck Mar 31 '14 at 16:54
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    @RossMcKinley Just about everything you wrote is incorrect. HTML is the industry standard for marketing communications and Gmail displays HTML just fine - it blocks some CSS which is easily accounted for with inline styling. – John Mar 31 '14 at 17:20
  • @john according to this http://www.email-standards.org/clients/gmail/screenshot/ gmail does not support css in the head, and strips id's and classes from the source. I probably should have re-phrased to say some clients don't render some aspects of html emails correctly, but you generally can't tell what client your target is using to view emails on – wrossmck Mar 31 '14 at 19:41

1 Answers1

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If you're simply pasting HTML code in to a new email window then it treats it as plain text so you will see the code you typed.

HTML emails have to be "processed" before sending in order to receive the design. A service such as Active Campaign will process your code for you and let you see the HTML email.

There are also a number of free templates you can look at from tutorials, boilerplates, Mailchimp and Campaign Monitor to name a few that you can play with.

David Randall
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  • Perfect diagnosis. So it's a matter of signing up with one of the above services, creating a campaign and there'll process it? – user3380148 Mar 31 '14 at 16:47
  • @user3380148 That's right. Have a look around and see what one meets your requirements. There's plenty out there, the above were just off the top of my head. – David Randall Mar 31 '14 at 16:49
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    To add to David's resources, [check out this thread](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2229822/best-practices-considerations-when-writing-html-emails/21437734#21437734) - it has a lot of information to get you started in the world of html email design. – John Mar 31 '14 at 17:25