The purpose of this website is to allow users to create HTML-Emails without the need for an expensive html-editor package or the services of web professionals. It produces concise, efficient html code, without the use of 'CSS Styles', and suitable for Schools Mailserver mailings.
The idea is to type your own page, just as you would in Word, add pictures and links, etc. A from-scratch approach. You can paste in content produced by Word; the system will strip some formatting.
Please do not paste HTML code produced by Word or Publisher. This invariably produces emails which are unsendable (by us). [Word is a 'machine' and generally produces html code which is 6 times bigger than that produced by a human; hence taking 6 times longer to send the emails.]
How to get started
- You can start with a clear page if you like, but the provided templates give you a box (table) of optimum width, in which you can construct your mail. Templates are basically variations on single-column or two-column layouts. The main oddity with html is that pictures 'flow' like text, one after the other, which makes it difficult to have a pic top-left and a pic top-right, wthout using a suitable template (table layout).
- Have a look at the editor; - at the bottom is the html-view button <>, and the important UPDATE button; Update after any changes; - at the top all the usual editing buttons.
- Use the Image Manager to upload and insert pictures for use in the email. We recommend reducing the size of images to the required size before uploading. (www.shrinkpictures.com offer free picture re-sizing.)
- Use the Document Manager for uploading files such as PDF and Word documents onto the server for linking from your mail.
- Type your text. Note that text is formatted into Paragraphs. Pressing RETURN gives a new Paragraph with blank line between; Pressing SHIFT-RETURN just gives a line break.
- Don't forget to use the UPDATE button, at the bottom, after making changes to your page. (Update means SAVE)
more help coming soon.
Hints & Tips
The most effective mail is:
- concise ... short & to the point
- contains an image which will attract attention or impress;
- contains your clickable email & web addresses;
- from a named sender rather than just company name;
See example emails: Sample Emails
Avoiding Spam Filters:
Certain words and effects used in emails are likely to trigger some spam filters which some schools use. The best way to check is to send the email to yourself and see if your own filters notice it. The strongest effect on spam filters comes from mails which come from known anonymous spam-servers. If you/we send from our own email addresses, things should be OK.
Try to avoid:
- WHOLE LINES OF CAPITALS;
- too high a graphics to text ratio; eg. 80% grahics 20% text
- fonts bigger than size 3; use H1 H2, etc. instead
- words like FREE SPECIAL OFFER and RED
more hints & tips coming soon!
How the diy-emails system works
- diy-emails provides an online interface for creating, editing and testing HTML-Emails for the purpose of bulk email marketing.
- diy-emails produces highly optimised emails for email marketing which use the minimum of resources: bandwidth & time & hence money.
- images are automatically linked into emails from our website and hence don't have to travel with the email, saving bandwidth and time. It also presents good netiquette by not dumping large pictures in recipient's mailboxes.
- brochures /flyers in the form of PDF files, Word docs, etc., can also be automatically linked into emails from our website so the viewer can click, open, and even print your brochure/flyer; again whilst avoiding filling recipients mailboxes with large files. It also avoids you having to reproduce your brochure in the email so that you can keep it simple.
- emails are automatically stamped with the line "if this email does not display properly, please click here".
and a copy of the email is automatically placed online. This is so that recipients of your mails in some schools and offices who use text-only mail-readers, can click through to read the full colour email online.
- diy-emails makes testing easy by enabling sending the email to yourself as many times as you like, until you are satisfied!
- diy-emails makes it easy to produce emails of the optimum width so you can be sure they will print properly.
- diy-emails saves you having to buy a copy of Dreamweaver or other html editor.
- diy-emails enables you to construct optimised html-emails suitable for sending via the SchoolsMailServer™ mailing service, (whilst avoiding their £85 email conversion charges).
admin@diy-emails.co.uk
