7. What are my options for mailing my newsletter?
8. Why do some of my subscribers say my newsletter is unreadable?
9. Why does my HTML newsletter take so long to download to my email
program?
10. I've edited my newsletter and now it looks terrible at my AOL email
address. Why?
1. Can I make changes to the templates?
Yes, you may edit the templates in any way you wish.
2. I don't like any of your templates. Where can I find more?
Many word processor programs - such as Microsoft Word and Corel Word Perfect - have
templates available within the software package. Look there to see if any fit your needs.
You can also do a search on your favorite search engine. Just type in key phrases such as
"newsletter templates", "ezine templates", or "HTML
templates".
If this still doesn't do the trick, consider using an Email Automation Service. These
services offer many professionally designed templates along with subscriber forms,
publishing and tracking tools, and email sending. One such service that gets my approval
is from GetResponse.
3. Can I sell or give away the templates?
You may use the templates for the purposes of creating an e-mail newsletter for yourself
or your company. Please do not distribute the templates. If you know someone who would be
interested in the templates, refer them to: http://HomeBizTools.com.
4. Do I need special software to edit the templates?
Editing the HTML templates requires the use of an HTML editor. Editing the plain text
templates requires a text editor. If you don't already have an editor, you can find a
large selection at http://www.download.com.
5. Can I edit my templates with the same software
you use?
I personally prefer to edit my HTML newsletter with Microsoft FrontPage: http://www.microsoft.com/frontpage/.
Another good HTML editor which performs well is CoffeeCup. You can download it at: http://www.coffeecup.com.
I create and edit the text version of my newsletter with NoteTab. You can download a free
version of this software at: http://www.notetab.com/.
6. How do I copy and paste the source code
of the templates?
Copy and paste instructions are included with each template. If you need more detailed
instructions, please visit The Newbie Club
for assistance on this and many other topics related to computer proficiency.
7. What are my options for mailing my newsletter?
I prefer to use an autoresponder for some of my publications. It
saves loads of time and removes many of the routine operations
associated with doing it all yourself. Two good choices are GetResponse Autoresponders or aWeber.
You can also choose to send it out yourself through your ISP or
network. I use GroupMail
Pro, a mailer program well-suited for
managing your subscriber list and sending out mass mailings from
your PC.
Another powerful mailer program favored by many publishers is Gammadyne Mailer. This is
shareware, but registering the software greatly enhances its performance.
8. Why do some of my subscribers say my newsletter is unreadable?
Not all email programs can read HTML email. This is why it's important to send a plain
text portion along with your HTML newsletter. If you use one of the mailing services
mentioned above you can easily send both a HTML and text version of your newsletter at the
same time.
Alternately, a tag line can be used as a method of telling people without HTML compatible
email programs that they need to switch their subscription to the plain text version of
your newsletter.
My newsletters are not always formatted to deliver
a text version along with the HTML version. However, it does contain a plain text message
to inform people with incompatible email programs that they need to switch to the text
version of the newsletter.
Below is an example of how this is accomplished.
The bolded line is an instruction to the recipient's email program - it
tells the program to display what follows as plain text. The paragraphs in italics
are what the recipient actually sees:
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
This is a HTML Message. You need a HTML Capable Email Client in order to be able to
view it correctly.
If you can read this message but the rest of this e-mail contains strange characters, your
e-mail program is not compatible for HTML e-mail.
Please take a moment to visit us at http://www.yoursite.com and change your subscription
to the text version of this newsletter.
Or you may send an e-mail to us at mailto:email@yoursite.com with the words
"TEXT" in the subject line.
Thank You!
9. Why does my HTML newsletter take so long to download to my email
program?
A unusually large file can cause this problem.Try to keep the size of your newsletter
around 25K. Large file sizes can occur when graphics are not optimized, and will cause
trouble for your subscribers who have slow modems or limits on the file size of email they
can receive. Also, web-based email readers can turn large emails into attachments, thus
reducing the likelihood your newsletter will be read.
10. I've edited my newsletter and now my subscribers are
complaining that it looks terrible. Why?
Before mailing your newsletter you should run a few test mailings to yourself. It's not a
bad idea to test your newsletter with different email accounts, such as Yahoo or Hotmail.
An email client may use compression and content formatting practices which do not preserve
the original style you designed into your newsletter. For instance, external style sheets
are normally scripted in web pages within the HEAD section, however for email the script
should be inserted below the BODY tag.
- If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for improvement, just let us know. Please
use our online form.
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