If you market through email, you must have this checklist before you push the launch button. This will give you the peace of mind in knowing that you will launch a successful campaign.

1. The “Must‐Have” Email Checklist:
Confidence in launching campaigns
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October 20, 2010
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2. Webcast Housekeeping
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3. Today’s Presenter: Marci Hower
Vice President, Interactive Services
Marci oversees Metrics’ Interactive Services Group, providing leadership and
vision for the team responsible for online direct marketing initiatives. She is
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responsible for the competitive strategies, service offerings to maintain leading‐
edge capabilities, evaluation of key partnerships and business development.
Marci has over 15 years experience in online direct marketing. Prior to joining
Metrics, Marci was a Business Development Manager with a national e‐strategy
consulting firm and a partner at Precision Dialogue. She was also an integral part
of growing a start‐up company as the General Manager of a Midwest interactive
agency.
A local thought leader, Marci is honored to be a past president of DMA Cleveland. Marci is also a past recipient of
Crain's Forty under Forty award, and she is a frequent speaker at events and seminars.
Marci blends her experience in sales, marketing, design and interactive technologies to help clients implement
their online strategies:
All Rights Reserved © 2010 | Metrics Marketing Group 3

4. The “Must‐Have” Email Checklist
Confidence in launching campaigns
Launch
Checklist &
Testing
Creative and
Template
l
development
Campaign
C i
Ideation/Creation
All Rights Reserved © 2010 | Metrics Marketing Group 4

5. The “Must‐Have” Email Checklist
Confidence in launching campaigns
• Email Envelope
• Header/Footer
• Preview Pane
• Content
• Code
• Testing
1/18/2011 5

6. Email Envelope
Email Envelope
 = Checklist item
1/18/2011  = Best practice suggestion 6

7. Email Envelope
Email Envelope
 Is the display address correct?
s e d sp ay add ess co ec
 Brand identified
 Check the “reply to” address, does it work?
 Mailbox that relates to the content, but not necessarily a
person directly
 Subject line is clear and short?
 Under 50 characters
 Front loaded actionable words read like a headline
Front loaded actionable words, read like a headline
 Relates directly to content
 Spelling correct?
Spelling correct?
 = Checklist item
1/18/2011  = Best practice suggestion 7

8. Header/Footer
 = Checklist item
1/18/2011  = Best practice suggestion 8

9. Header/Footer
 Is the sending address in the footer?
s e se d g add ess e oo e
 Is there an unsubscribe link and does it work?
 Are you able to unsubscribe from the first click?
y
 Is there a privacy link and does it work?
 This email was sent to ? Link work?
 View as a web page link work?
 Mobile view?
 Showcase offer within text in header
 = Checklist item
1/18/2011  = Best practice suggestion 9

10. Preview Pane
Preview Pane
 = Checklist item
1/18/2011  = Best practice suggestion 10

11. Preview Pane
Preview Pane
 Have you viewed the email without images?
a e you e ed e e a ou ages
 Do the images have alt tags?
 Is there a mobile view?
 Can you see the call to action clearly without images?
 Call to action links should not be text within images
 Allow for many links within content, and make sure you
can view main message within first screen load
I h
Is the preview pane presentable?
i bl ?
 = Checklist item
1/18/2011  = Best practice suggestion 11

12. Content
 File size range: 40k – 50k
e s e a ge 0 50
 Page width 500‐650 pixels
 Are standard fonts used?
 Universally supported fonts: Arial, Times New Roman,
Verdana and Tahoma
 At least 10 pixels, 10 points or size “2” for legibility
 Images hosted on ESP?
 V if h
Verify that all images load correctly?
ll i l d l ?
 Should the images have links and do they work?
 A th i
Are the images sized correctly?
i d tl ?
 = Checklist item
1/18/2011  = Best practice suggestion 12

13. Content
 Is there personalization and does it work?
s e e pe so a a o a d does o
 Test the “Dear John” rule
 Are there default settings for open fields?
g p
 Has the data been cleansed?
 Review all caps and initial caps in database
 Is there dynamic content and have all versions been
tested? Including default settings?
 Are there SPAM warnings?
 = Checklist item
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14. Content
 Did email pass content and validation checks within
d e a pass co e a d a da o c ec s
ESP tool?
 Are there special tracking codes to be added to links?
 Are the special tracking codes in place and working?
 All links have been tested and work?
 CTA should be near top of email in image and text
 Text version is formatted correctly?
 Rich media should be avoided
 Rich media is best viewed on the landing page
 = Checklist item
1/18/2011  = Best practice suggestion 14

15. Code
 = Checklist item
1/18/2011  = Best practice suggestion 15

16. Code
 Make sure all tags are close and have proper end tag
a e su e a ags a e c ose a d a e p ope e d ag
(<table><tr><td><div>)
 Are there background images? Are they needed?
 Design without CSS positioning, use standard HTML tables
 Avoid CSS for layout
 Avoid CSS for margins
 Specify Accurate table widths
D i
Design without forms
ih f
 Avoid using scripts
 = Checklist item
1/18/2011  = Best practice suggestion 16

17. Testing
 = Checklist item
1/18/2011  = Best practice suggestion 17

18. Testing
 View live sample data
e e sa p e da a
 Test in email clients that are prevalent for your list
 Consumer: MSN, Gmail, Hotmail, AOL, Yahoo, Comcast…
 Business: Outlook, Lotus Notes, Groupwise, others
 Send to your internal list
 Send to your test list
 Use third party tools: Pivatol Veracity, Litmus
 Tests list should include variable and personal data
 = Checklist item
1/18/2011  = Best practice suggestion 18

19. Testing
 = Checklist item
1/18/2011  = Best practice suggestion 19

20. Questions?
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21. Upcoming Metrics Marketing Webinar
Upcoming Metrics Marketing Webinar
Utilizing Eye Tracking to Increase Conversion and the
Overall Customer Experience
Overall Customer Experience
November 18, 2010 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST
Presenter: Cathy Zapata, VP, Research & Customer Experience
Learn more at http://events.metricsmarketing.com
Metrics Marketing Archived Webinars:
http://events.metricsmarketing.com
1/18/2011 21