Why create a plain text version?

1. Mail Client spam filters are much more likely to filter an email that does not include a plain text version as well as the HTML version.
2. Some people prefer plain text and have their mail client settings configured to only display plain text. No plain text version = blank email.
3. Some mail clients and mobile devices cannot display HTML emails.

How it works

When you create both an HTML version and a plain text version of an email, Suite26 will automatically send the email as one combined email. If a recipients’ email client can read HTML, they receive the HTML version, but if the recipient’s email client cannot read HTML, then they receive the plain text version and not a blank email.

How to create your plain text version

After you have finished putting the finishing touches to your HTML version of the email, simply highlight all the content (select All) and press copy. Then click on the Plain Text Content tab, and paste it in. This will insert all the text content in a plain text version without your graphics and using minimal formatting.

For more information or help with creating your plain text version, please call 0845 313 0912.

With a few modifications to the code, here is how to set it up:

First you have to add xmlns: v=“urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml” to your html tag.

Secondly, within your style tag, add the following selector:

v\:* {
behavior: url(#default#VML);
display:inline-block;

Then finally, within your table cell, you must add:

<td width="600" height="402" valign="top" bgcolor="#000000" background="images/yourimage.gif">
<!—[if gte mso 9]>
<v:image id="image" style='position:absolute; height:402px; width:600px;top:0;left:0;border:0;z-index:1;' src="images/yourimage.gif"/>
<v:shape id="text" style='position:absolute; height:402px; width:600px;top:0;left:0;border:0;z-index:2;'>
<![endif]—>
<p align="center" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#ffffff; font-size:18px;">This is the text in front of the background image.</p>
<!—[if gte mso 9]>
</v:shape>
<![endif]—>

Consistency is key. Using a custom email template will give your emails a familiar look and feel each time you send, helping your customers instantly recognise your brand. Using a custom built template for your company and brand is a great way to direct traffic straight to your website.  By providing links to key landing pages, you are making your products and services easily accessible to your recipients, as well as directing your customer to exactly where you want them go to.

In short, custom built email template designs at a minimum help improve delivery, promote brand exposure and increase traffic to your specific landing pages.  So, are you using a custom email template for your email marketing campaigns?

For more information on how to order your custom built email template, please visit http://www.26.co.uk/customEmailTemplate

From the comfort and convenience of your own office you can now become an expert in the art of email marketing with Suite26.

Master how to:

• Import your contacts with ease

• Create and send targeted and personalised email campaigns in minutes

• Import your own customised template, logos, links and more to personalise your messages

• Track, follow-up and improve on your campaign performance

• Collect email addresses and build your database from your website

• And much more...

We guarantee you'll be able to create and send HTML emails, track responses and measure the effectiveness of your email campaigns to your customers. See firsthand how easy it is to use Suite26 to expand your business.

Call Ricky or Mark on 0845 313 0911 or email enquiries@26.co.uk to book or find out more about your One-2-One training session.

Free Suite26 Training Seminars
Every Wednesday throughout February 2010.

We've put together another jam-packed, interactive seminar, which teaches you everything you need to know to grow your business using email marketing.

It doesn't matter whether you're a complete novice or have some experience of email marketing, as we show you how Suite26 makes it quick and easy to:

• Manage multiple email marketing campaigns
• Create and send professional looking, personalised HTML emails with images and logos
• Import your existing contact lists and create targeted customer groups
• Track and analyse individual customer responses
• Measure and improve on your campaign performance.

Your seminar includes:

• Helpful How-To Guides
• 250 FREE email credits + 250 if you book early
• A Free Lunch

Venue: Unit 2, 6 West Road, Harlow, Essex, CM20 2DU

Dates: Every Wednesday throughout February 2010

Running times: 11am - 2pm

Check out the full range of benefits you get when you attend a Suite26 training seminar.

Call 0845 313 0911 today to book your free place or to find out more about these seminars. Don't delay, book by Friday 8th January and receive 250 FREE extra credits.

Please feel free to invite anyone else you know that is looking to use email marketing to help develop their business.

Taking place at our Harlow offices, this three-hour interactive seminar is jam packed with detailed information, tips and know-how, which will equip you with everything you need to know to use email marketing to grow your business. Whether you’re an email marketing novice or expert, we’ll show you how Suite26 makes it quick and easy to:

-          Manage your email marketing campaigns.
-          Create and send professional, looking personalised html emails.
-          Import existing contact lists and create segmented customer groups.
-          Track and analyse individual customer responses AND
-          Measure campaign performance.

The Seminars are designed to fit in around your busy schedule and each free seminar comes with: 

-          Helpful Tips & FREE Support.
-          750 FREE Email Credits (1 credit = 1 email address you send to).
-          A FREE Lunch.

If you would like to attend one of our new Suite26 training seminars or wish find out more information, please contact us on 0845 313 0911 or sales@26.co.uk

Don’t delay, book your place by 7^th August 2009 and receive an additional 250 free email credits on top of the 750 email credits you earn for attending. That’s potentially 1000 free email credits for you.

The default view online link as shown below will always take the recipient through to whichever version they received (TEXT or HTML):

[viewonline]Click here to view this e-mail in your web browser[/viewonline]

To override this default behaviour, just edit the code as show below:

[viewonline:HTML]Click here for the HTML version in your web browser[/viewonline:HTML]
[viewonline:TEXT]Click here for the TEXT version in your web browser[/viewonline:TEXT]

For more details please see our help article about adding unsubscribe and view online links to your e-mail campaigns.

Many of our customers have their e-mail campaigns designed by agencies which then host them online to view, whilst some customers design their campaigns in a program such as Dreamweaver and then host their on their own webspace for testing.

When you create a new campaign with Suite26 you simply need to enter the URL where your campaign is hosted when you reach stage 3 of the add wizard:

Suite26 will then go to that URL and get the HTML and CSS along with downloading the images into the File Manager.

After a few seconds you should automatically have your campaign content created and fully hosted within Suite26.   The import process will even automatically create the plain text version based on the text within your campaign.

All you need to do is check the content, make any final adjustments or changes and you are ready to send!

We now support both the existing editor, TinyMCE, and the new editor, FCKeditor, leaving you free to switch to whichever editor you find easier to use.

Above, the FCKeditor in use and below the TinyMCE editor.

For current users of Suite26 you will find that we have left the default WYSIWYG set to TinyMCE to avoid confusion.  New users of Suite26 will have FCKeditor set as the default.

To switch to the editor your prefer, or to disable the editor completely, just click on the Options tab and then Preferences.

From this feedback we would like to announce two small new features which may be useful in some circumstances.

Disable WYSIWYG Editor:

Some users design their e-mail templates in their favourite design program (Dreamweaver etc) and host the images for their mailer on their own servers.  In these cases it may be desirable to bypass the built-in WYSIWYG editor functionality. 

To turn off the WYSIWYG you will need to click on the Options tab, then Preferences and tick the Disable WYSIWYG Editor checkbox. With the editor disabled you will simply be provided with a standard text box to paste your HTML code into.

Disable Link Tracking:

Suite26 has always had the ability to turn tracking (opens & clicks) off on a per e-mail basis (available from the Send Campaign wizard), but it is now possible to disable tracking for a specific link within a campaign.

You may want to do this if you have a link which you wish to insert personalised information into (such as a membership number or e-mail address).  To disable tracking for a specific link you will need to switch the WYSIWYG editor into HTML code view and edit the link to add so that it contains rel="s26-no-track" - your link should look like this:

<a rel="s26-no-track" href="http://www.mylinkhere.com/mylink.html">

If you require any help with these new features or need further information, please e-mail support@26.co.uk and we will be happy to assist.