Email Basics - Part One
Email Basics - Part One: Continued
FTP Basics - Part Two
FTP Basics - Part Two: Continued
Zip/Unzip Basics - Part Three
Graphics Basics - Part Four
Graphics Basics - Part Four: Continued
Icon Basics - Part Five
HTML Basics - Part Six
HTML Basics - Part Six: Continued
Text Editor Basics - Part Seven
Autoresponder Basics - Part Eight
Autoresponder Basics - Part Eight: Continued
Ezine Basics - Part Nine
Ebook Basics - Part Ten
Electronic mail, better known as email, is the most important
tool used on the Internet. It's much faster than snail mail,
less expensive and enables you to instantly communicate
with your visitors and customers.
Although most Internet Service Providers include email
accounts for their customers, these accounts really aren't
adequate for a Internet business -- especially if you get a
large amount of email. Not only do the email addresses
contain your ISP's name, but they are also very limited on
features and options.
There are many email programs available on the Internet.
However, the best program I've found is Eudora. Eudora is a
standalone email program that works with any ISP. It will
enable you to easily organize your email by filtering your
messages into specific mailboxes. This feature alone can
save you a great deal of time. What's more, your email
address will be your own domain -- not someone else's.
One of my favorite features is the ability to create an
unlimited number of personalities. What this means is that
you can specify the "from" address depending on the
message you're writing. For example, if you're answering a
support request, you can set up a personality that displays
support@yourdomain.com or whatever you'd like as the
"from" address. Best of all, it's free. For further information
about Eudora, visit:
http://www.eudora.com
Although writing an email message may seem simple, there
are some important issues that need to be taken into
consideration.
Subject Line
The subject of your email is the most important part of your
message. Your subject should be short and provide a
summary as to what your message is all about. This is
especially important if you need to grab your readers'
attention. For example, if you send out a mailing to your
ezine subscribers, you want the subject to instantly grab
their attention and intrigue them to open your message.
Just because they subscribe, doesn't mean they'll
actually read your publication.
Formatting
Although there has been a great deal of controversy over the
best email format -- HTML or text, text is still the best option.
HTML messages may look nice; however, not all of your
readers will be capable of viewing your message. If you'd
really like to use HTML, the best way to accommodate all of
your readers is to create two versions and allow your readers
to make the choice.
Line Length
When you begin typing your email message, keep in mind,
some email programs don't automatically wrap the text. What
this means is that although your message may look great to
you, your email recipient may receive your message as one
long sentence or it may look something like this:
Thank you for your interest in our
products.
We are dedicated to providing you
with quality
products to assist you in your
endeavors.
To prevent this problem, limit your line length to under 65
characters per line. This can be accomplished by using a
hard carriage return (hit enter) at the end of each line.
Shelley Lowery
www.web-source.netCopyright ? Shelley Lowery 2002.
About the Author:
Shelley Lowery is the author of Ebook Starter - A complete
ebook design kit. Subscribe to Etips, for a wealth of quality
information to assist you in Web Design, Internet Marketing
& Ecommerce. All new subscribers receive a free copy of
the highly acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing
Strategies." http://www.web-source.net/cg...