WHAT
IS HTML?
Hyper Text Markup Language, lovingly called HTML by the internet fraternity, is
in fact just like any other language used for conversing and communicating. It
specifies the structure of documents enabling them to be retrieved via the
internet using the World Wide Web. HTML is a set of symbols or codes compiled
in a file displayed on the World Wide Web browser page. The markup actually
advises the web browser on how a web page's words and images are to be
displayed to the end-user. For a page to be displayed as intended on various
systems, which is an inherent requisite of all web generated matter, the layout
of the page must be formatted in a particular manner so that it makes sense on
different kinds of workstations.
HTML is a computer
language designed for website creation. The basics of the HTML are very simple
and can be followed easily. HTML text can be made using a rudimentary
text-editor or a powerful graphical editor. The creation of HTML is quite
fantastic given its simplicity and it is constantly being revised to meet
improving standards of the e-community. The World Wide Web Consortium is the
international body designing, revising and regulating this virtual language.
Using Hypertext, one
moves across the web – clicking on texts called 'hyperlinks' that take him from
one to another page at the click of the mouse, with no adherence to any set of
patterns or order. One can travel to any site or page at whim. The markup is
secured through tags when certain types of texts are designated to look a
certain way. A markup code is technically called an element and casually
referred to as a 'tag'. HTML is made up of different series of short codes,
typed in a text file - these codes are called tags. The text, is saved as an
HTML file and is viewed through a browser like the Internet Explorer or the
Netscape Navigator. The tags separate normal text from HTML code seen as words
between the < brackets >. Images, tables and other appurtenances on a
page look so, due to these instructions but the tags are invisible and only
their results are seen on screen.
The HTML is a
variation of the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) which is the
universal standard for text markup. Text markup focuses on the structure rather
than the appearance, so that documents can be recycled and used while the
appearance and the visual details depend on the reader's software. HTML is
generally adhered to by the major browsers like Internet Explorer or Netscape
Navigator. It is the browser that actually reads the HTML text and translates
or rather deciphers it to present the text in a readable form. HTML allows the
sender to properly express quotations, headings, bulleted lists, emphasized
text, subscripts, superscripts and other visual cues to enhance readability and
beauty.
HTML Email has been
opposed for a long time now by different people for a number of reasons but it
has increasingly been adopted for personal and business mail. HTML mail is more
complex than plain text apart from being incompatible occasionally in various
platforms and software. A few email clients do not render HTML mails properly,
meaning that users of MSN or Hotmail cannot at times read or view their mails
properly. Yet more and more businesses and individuals prefer HTML mails for
email marketing and amazingly, more readers prefer reading HTML mails over
Text.
HTML
OR TEXT: TIME OF TRUTH
HTML email versus Text email causes a heated debate amongst those in email advertising.
However, there are a number of issues that a business should take into
consideration before making a decision either for or against sending HTML email
in their advertising campaign.
HTML Email Format and Its Advantages
HTML emails, whether
they are messages or newsletters, have a few advantages over other formats such
as:
- HTML emails are
ideal if you are sure that recipients can view them.
- HTML email
newsletters can accomplish a more effective layout
- Ads are more
eye-catching and effective in an HTML mail than a text mail
- HTML emails can
include tracking scripts or invisible visitor counters to receive reports
on message viewed or click through by recipients
- HTML emails can
insert interactive hyperlinks that take users to webpages or sites of interest
- HTML can insert
code to automatically open the browser and connect to the web-page
- HTML can include
Pop-up windows to grab viewer attention
- HTML emails
embed sounds, movies clips and images that download automatically from
your web-page when message is viewed allowing you to speed-up sending
emails (as images needn't be included when sending)
- HTML
emails include banner ads with navigational links to sites
- HTML allows you
to include images, graphics, multiple columns, various fonts and colors
and lay out the message like a web page
- HTML emails
include survey FORM tags with submit buttons, sponsorship links
information, forward to a friend links, subscribe and unsubscribe links
and more....
- HTML provides
the ability to track open-rate - the rate of email list members that open
and view your newsletter divided by the total number of members on your
list.
- Click through
tracking of the links within your newsletter can be cleaned up visually
- HTML reinforces
your visual brand identity with graphics
- HTML provides
ability to send rich media such as audio, flash, movies
- You will be able
to judge how many of your subscribers are actually opening your ezine by
having images pulled from the web when the message is opened.
- You can serve
interactive text or graphical ads to subscribers, thus improving
performance for your advertising clients. You'll also be able to track the
actual number of impressions and click-throughs on their ad, rather than
just the number of recipients.
- You have more
control over hyperlinks and other elements in your ezine. You don't have
to worry about including a visible "mailto:" before all email
links (although you would need this in the HTML code), and so on.
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