Do you guys think that most people have html capable email programs?

I want to send a newsletter to all my clients but didnt know if i should jazz it up with some images and html...

When users sign-up for your mailing list, you could provide an option where they could choose whether to receive messages in a text-only or HTML format.

And of course, when you send out a newsletter, you'd have to distribute the letter in both formats.

I think that would be the best way to handle this...

My e-mail client supports HTML formatted messages, but I don't like to receive e-mail in this format, so...

I think most every client supports html...
BUT*
If they use neomail (which is part of CPanel)..
Then HTML is very bad! :D

Never have understood why people would use neomail over a e-mail client:rolleyes:

Well its for my HostApproval site and nobody has choosen html or text(they are all members with listings). The email i want to send out is to inform the members that there have been updates to the system.

Send a text based email which announces that HTML version which is available @ ...........

That's what Sitepoint.com are doing - worked very well for them from what I've heard.

Actually, SitePoint found they had better click-throughs for products in the text version, even if the HTML pickup rate was higher.

Click-throughs to articles were higher in the HTML version though... Let me see if I can find the article :)

I'd side with text based e-mails. That way you know that all your readers will be seeing the same thing, and not having some see 20 lines of css before they get to their message, then reading line breaks and styles scattered throughout their message. Always cater to the lowest common denominator is my philosophy, that way you know the look is consistent, if nothing else.

I agree with Warren. Text or Text by default and user choice for HTML.

I dislike HTML email myself; not all users have up to date email clients - some of them disable HTML for security reasons - in general its just evil. And if your HTML email ever needs to be forwarded to a list server, many will outright reject.

Stick to basics...

another point in this debate would be the simple fact of resolution and window size. Theres a difference in mail clients from say outlook express to that of what you'd see in neomail or squirlemail, so you'd need to spend a lot of time making sure everything looked ok at different resolutions in different programs. That's a lot of work for an e-mail message, I definately like the idea of text based e-mail being nothing but text. You can fancy it up a bit anyway, with some "specialty characters" or something like that.

I'd go with text emails too, even if many could receive html.

As already mentioned, at least that way you know for sure what everyone is getting. I would only go for html if it is really needed.

I agree with Jim. Unless they have told you whether or not they can or cannot accept HTML, you should probably stick with a text email. Afterall, you want everyone to be able to read your email, right? ;)

The vast majority of HTML e-mail I receive is pure spam. Actually, a lot of the truly useful e-mails that I used to receive (e-zines, etc.) changed over to using HTML e-mails, but I unsubscribed as soon as they did.

HTML e-mail can be abused, is generally slow to load, the "creators" of it generally put little to no thought into the display (windowed display of the majority of e-mail clients), plus some webmail clients (Neomail in particular) just do not support it. (Good for them).

Stick with plain text, especially for something like an "update" e-mail. :)

/rant over ;)

Generally html email doesn't work on AOL.

My email client is HTML capable. First thing I did was to turn off HTML..

It's just a personal choice, but I don't see the purpose of html email. It just makes the message bigger, wastes bandwidth, and often makes it harder to read the message. If I really want someone to see an html document, I will post it somewhere and send out a link to it.

Places like overture and Yahoo all send html emails without asking if you are compatiable....