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9.0 HTML Newsletter Design

One of the biggest mistakes the vast majority of Internet marketers make, is they use ‘Plain Text’ emails exclusively.

Now don’t get me wrong everyone should use ‘plain text’ emails, but only as a plan B i.e. HTML should be the default choice. If an email client can’t display HTML emails, your email marketing services (e.g. Aweber) will deliver the Plain Text version instead.

For the purpose of clarity lets compare and contrast ‘plain text’ and ‘HTML’ emails.

Plain Text Advantages

Consistency Of Form

Plain text is plain text. Regardless what email client the recipient is using the text will usually appear as you send it.

Personable

Plain text emails are personable as they replicate the way in which you send emails to your friends. The recipient will get a sense that you are talking to them personally.

Less Effected By Spam Filters

Provided that you avoid the use of words that trigger spam filters, plain text emails have a lower probability of being trapped in a spam folder.

Plain Text Disadvantages

Inability To Hyperlink

If sending plain text emails then you need to put a raw or cloaked link in the content. This is less effective than the hyperlinked call to action associated with HTML emails.

Lack of Emphasis

All plain text looks the same in an email, as you can’t use bold, italics, underline or font color. If it’s a big block of text, then people are less likely to read it.

Lack of Multimedia

Video or images cannot be embedded in the email.

Difficult To Break Up Into Easy To Scan Sections

Plain Text emails rely totally on line breaks or white space in order to break text into bite size chunks. It lacks the ability to break up text with images, video, highlighted area, font colors, bold, underline or italics.

Line Breaks Can Be Disjointed

Depending on the resolution of the display on the device used to read the emails, the line breaks can look disjointed and messy. This reduces the propensity of a recipient to read the emails.

HTML Advantages

Brand Consistency

HTML emails enable marketer’s to match the color scheme and design of their website or marketing materials. This level of brand consistency looks professional.

Stand Out

The vast majority of marketers use plain text email exclusively. Just by using the graphic orientation of HTML, you can really make your emails stand out from the crowd.

Ability To Hyper Link

Instead of using raw links you can hyperlink your call to action phrases. This has a definite impact on your CTR.

Track Statistics

Unlike links in plain text emails, hyperlinks in HTML emails can be tracked in terms of click through rate. This is a very effective measure of the conversion rate of your email copy.

Emphasis

Email subscribers are scanners not readers. HTML can facilitate scanning by highlighting important points using bold, italics, underline, font color and / the yellow highlight tool.

Can Embed Video And Images

HTML emails enable you to embed video and images inside the copy. This serves to accentuate your message and provide the recipient with a rich multimedia experience.

Can break content into bite size chunks

Marketers can use bold, italics, color variations, video, images and other elements to break up text in to easy to read chunks. This makes it more likely that their entire email will be read.

Optimized For Mobile Devices

Most HTML templates are optimized for mobile display. These means that they will appear perfectly formatted on mobile devices such as an iPhones and iPads.

HTML Disadvantages

Can be More Formal

You wouldn’t ordinarily send your friends a HTML email, usually its plain text. For that reason HTML can sometimes be perceived as more formal and slightly less one to one.

Can be trapped by SPAM Filters

HTML has a greater array of elements that can add to your spam score and thus trigger a spam filter.

Display Can be Inconsistent

Depending on the email client, the email can display differently.

Images Are Often Blocked

Popular mail clients such as Gmail, automatically block images. They require the recipient to click a link that says ‘always display images from this person’. If this link is not clicked, the images will not display.

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11.0 Principle #9: Color Psychosis

The color used in a website is perhaps the most over looked principle when it comes to boosting a sites conversion rate. Psychologists have long realized that different colors have different effects on moods, feelings and emotions.

For examples certain colors can reduce anxiety, improve focus, increase metabolism, raise blood pressure, and even cause eyestrain.

The vast majority of marketers select colors based on personal preference, with little consideration for the effect they have on the buying process. Considering color theory suggests that different colors provoke different subconscious emotional responses, you may be oblivious to the fact your site color may be damaging your sites conversion rate.

Therefore you need to split test different background colors, to determine what impact each color has on your conversion rate. I recommend using my WP Profit Detonator script in order to get the best results.

In order to guide your color selection process consider the following effects different colors have on the human mind:

Black

While many people associate black with mourning or great for making you look slim, from an Internet Marketing perspective it is representative of ‘power and authority’. Use it when you want to emphasize your expert status in a particular subject matter.

White

White is used to depict space, clarity, sterility, purity and innocence. From a website perspective white is essential for putting space between on page elements in order boost clarity and readability. It is also a preferred color choice if you niche is of a clinical or medical disposition.

Red

Red is used to depict strong emotions such as love, warmth and comfort. It is also considered an intense color that triggers feelings of danger, anxiety, warning or urgency. Red is thus worth using when you need to add emphasis, or bring urgency to the attention of the site visitor. You will note that is the preferred choice of copy writers when it comes to headlines, sub headlines, CTA arrows and as a ‘warning’ pertaining to limited time offers. It is the perfect color if you are active in the dating niche.

Blue

Blue is synonymous with masculinity, peace, tranquillity, security, coolness, serenity and feelings of calmness. Blue has been proven to lower the pulse rate and body temperature.

Blue is also attributed to feelings of sadness or moderation i.e. weight loss programs suggest people eat food from a blue plate.

If your website is in the weight loss, muscle building or stress relief niches, then blue is an excellent color choice.

Purple

Purple is indicative of royalty, wealth, wisdom and spirituality. If you are in the luxury goods, wealth building, property investing, stock market investing, self-help or religious niches, then purple is an apt choice.

Orange

The color orange is created by combining ‘yellow’ and ‘red’. It is flamboyant, extravagant and full of energy. It brings to mind feelings of excitement, enthusiasm and warmth. It can be effectively used by Internet Marketers to draw attention to something important.

Yellow

Yellow is a color that needs to be used in moderation. Although it promotes feelings of happiness and warmth, it is also the most fatiguing color on the eye due to the high amount of light reflected. Using yellow as a background for your website would lead to eye strain, and make you want to leave quickly. Why do you think ‘Ryanair’ have yellow headrests at the back of every seat on their airplanes?

However Yellow used in moderation can be extremely effective. It would be worth using yellow as a highlight tool to emphasise points of importance within your sales copy.

Green

Green is the color that symbolizes nature, tranquillity, good luck, healthy, jealousy, fertility and money.

Green is also attributed with relieving stress and having a calming effect. Television studios keep guests waiting in a ‘green room’ before their appearance on a TV program.

If your website is in the self-help, money making, or healthy and fitness niches then green is an excellent color choice.

So the next time your web designer is creating your site templates / graphics, ask him or her to knock out a few different color variations based on what you have learned over the last couple of paragraphs. Split test these different variations, and take careful note of their impact on your conversion rate.

12.0 Principle #10: The Headline Funnel

The Headline is one of the most important principles when it comes to trapping a prospects attention, and driving them into your sales funnel. It is comprised of 3 different parts:

The Pre Headline

The Headline

The Sub Headline

So many marketers misunderstand and misuse headlines. They virtually never use neither ‘pre’ nor ‘sub’ headlines, and seem to think ‘headlines’ are only for sales pages. This is not true. Headlines should be used everywhere. On sales pages, squeeze pages, blog posts, authority sites, and as a powerful way to start your email sales copy. In fact I started using the ‘headlines’ from sales pages as the first line in my email promotions. It hooked the reader like nothing else.

If you leverage the ‘headline funnel’ as outlined below, you will notice a huge improvement in your conversion rates. GUARANTEED!

The Pre Headline

The Pre Headline is used to really grab the attention of the site visitor. It needs to instantly give them a preview as to what the entire page is all about.

If your offer is targeting ‘Tinnitus suffers’, then it should tell them out straight that this page is extremely useful to anyone suffering from tinnitus. If its targeting ‘Internet Marketers’ looking for more traffic, then it should tell them so.