HTML email is an email that is formatted like a web page using HTML, CSS, graphics, color, table columns and links
Plain text email is an email that only includes text without any coding involved
- Better visually engages users
- Easy to break up content into more digestible pieces
- Can track opens and clicks
- Better conversion rate to sales than a plain text email
- Takes more time to create then a plain text email
- Image blocking
- More chance to be placed in the spam folder if there is sloppy code
- Format is not consistent across all email clients
- An HTML email should also contain a plain text version
- Use inline-styling instead of linking am external stylesheet
- Keep the maximum width between 600-800 pixels
- Design for simplicity with grid-based layers and tables
- Don't use JavaScript or Flash in HTML emails, if animation is desired use a gif
- Use absolute links for images, so you need to host them on a reliable server
- Use basic cross-platform fonts like Arial, Verdana, Georgia and Times New Roman
- Need to consider multiple email providers and responsive design when trying to make your email consistent throughout all email providers and web browsers
- Send HTML emails to yourself to test the layout across multiple email providers and web browsers
Resources:
MailChimp HTML Email Basics
MailChimp HTML to Text Email Converter