Robert F. Abbott, author of A Manager's Guide to Newsletters: Communicating for Results, writes this artice on email newsletter usability.
Internet addresses pose a special challenge for writers and publishers when it comes to email newsletter usability
I don't know about you, but I find it frustrating when I have to copy and paste an address into a browser, or into a separate email window. Especially when I know how easy it is for the writer or publisher of the email newsletter to put in 'live' links that allow readers to reach a destination or to create a new email message.
I also object to email newsletter links that get contaminated by punctuation marks. I'm referring to web and email addresses immediately preceded or followed by a punctuation mark. They mean I have to copy and paste the link, then eliminate the offending punctuation mark before I can go on.
Let's deal with that latter issue first: If you plan to include Web addresses and email addresses in the body of your email newsletter, use chevron marks, which you may also refer to as the less than "<" and greater than ">" symbols. By putting them around the addresses, you keep them distinct and easy to copy. It also reduces the likelihood you will add a punctuation mark right after the address,and make it non-clickable.
Turning to the other issue, it's also easy to make your addresses immediately clickable. Do this by fully writing out URLs of Web pages and by putting "mailto:" (without the quotation marks) before email addresses. For example, rather than writing www.managersguide.com for my A Manager's Guide to Newsletters site, I would write http://www.managersguide.com . (note how I left a space between the address and the punctuation marks). When you add the "http://" (without the quotation marks) you will see the link change color and be underlined, which means it has become clickable.
Looking at email addresses, put the word "mailto" plus a colon before the address. For example, mailto:info@yoururl.com rather than simply info@yoururl.com . When a reader clicks on an address with a "mailto:" before it, a new message will automatically pop up in their email program, with your address already in the TO field. That also has the advantage of reducing errors in transcribing or copying and pasting.
Also, be wary of URLs that split at the end of a line. While the URL may not split in your email program, it may do so in the subscriber's. I usually try to set up addresses in my email newsletter so the URLs fall at the end of a paragraph, and then put in a return before them, so they are on a line by themselves.
Finally, after you've emailed a test copy of your newsletter to yourself, test the links on the copy that arrived at your IN box. Click each link to ensure your readers can get to your page or to their email program with just one click. No copying, no pasting, no transcribing - just one easy click.
In summary, by taking these few simple steps you will increase your email newsletter usability, making it easier for your readers to respond, to do what you want them to do. And if they can respond, you're more likely to get the results you want.
Next, read my article on email newsletter format ideas, to help keep your newsletter looking good in most conditions.
Email Newsletter Usability copyright Robert F Abbott 1999-2007