Email rendering
What is Email Rendering or the visual processing of an email?
Email Rendering is the process by which a designed email is displayed in different email clients.
This visualization can vary significantly across platforms such as Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, among others.
The way an email is rendered is crucial to ensure that the message is delivered effectively and attractively to the recipient.
How does email rendering work?
When an email is opened, the email client reads and processes the HTML and CSS code to display the layout, text, images, and other elements.
This interpretation depends on how the specific email client handles HTML and CSS.
Each email client uses a different rendering engine.
For example, Outlook uses Word’s rendering engine to display emails, which can cause problems with certain types of CSS.
Other engines that are more web-oriented, like WebKit used by Apple Mail, can interpret this type of content more effectively.
Not all email clients are compatible with all modern email design features, such as CSS animations, custom fonts, and interactive elements.
This can lead to inconsistent presentation across different platforms.
The main reason for differences in Email Rendering among email clients is due to how each one interprets and processes HTML and CSS.
Some clients may not recognize certain CSS styles or HTML tags, while others may implement them differently.
These discrepancies are due to:
- Different standards and updates: Email clients are not always updated at the same pace, leading to differences in compatibility with the latest web standards.
- Platform-specific restrictions: Each email client may have specific restrictions based on its platform or the policies of the company that develops it.
- Variability in rendering engines: Since each client uses its own rendering engine, the same code can result in different visualizations.
The importance of email rendering for email marketing
In email marketing campaigns, correct content display is essential.
An email that is not displayed correctly can lead to misinterpretations of the message, reducing the effectiveness of the campaign.
It also creates a poor image of the brand due to the email’s sloppy appearance.
Therefore, understanding and optimizing email rendering is essential to ensure that messages not only arrive but also make a positive impact.
Difficulties with email rendering in different email clients
Email display across different email clients presents a number of difficulties due to the varied interpretation of HTML and CSS.
Below, we discuss some of the most common difficulties and how they affect the effectiveness of email marketing campaigns.
➤ Inconsistencies in HTML/CSS Interpretation:
Each email client has its own ‘engine’ to interpret (understand) and display HTML and CSS code.
For example, while Gmail may support certain CSS styles, Outlook might completely ignore them.
This can result in emails that look good in one email client but appear disorganized or with altered design in another.
➤ Image and multimedia restrictions:
Some email clients automatically block images or limit the use of multimedia content.
This can affect how the email is displayed, especially if the design heavily relies on graphic elements.
➤ Differences in mobile and desktop display:
Emails often look different on mobile devices compared to desktop computers.
An email’s adaptability to different screen sizes is crucial, and not all email clients handle responsive design in the same way.
➤ Limitations in web font support:
Typography choice is an essential aspect of email design.
However, not all web fonts are uniformly supported by different email clients.
This can lead to unwanted variations in the appearance of the text.
Implementing buttons and calls to action in an email requires a careful balance between HTML and CSS.
Different email clients may display these elements differently, which can affect click-through rates and overall engagement.
➤ Testing and debugging:
Running thorough testing across multiple email clients can be a tedious and time-consuming process, but it is essential to ensure a consistent user experience.
➤ Security and privacy issues:
Some email clients have strict security and privacy policies that may affect how the email content is displayed.
Especially concerning the loading of external images or tracking.
To overcome these challenges, emails must be designed with clean and simple code.
By testing across different platforms and staying updated on changes in major email clients.
Additionally, tools like Litmus and Email on Acid can be very valuable for previewing and adjusting emails before final delivery.
Best practices to optimize email display
Some of the following points have already been briefly mentioned, but let’s review them again:
- Responsive design: Use layouts that adapt to different screen sizes and email clients.
- Thorough testing: Test emails on various email clients and devices to ensure consistent, or at least correct, display.
- Clean and simple code: Keep HTML and CSS simple to minimize compatibility issues.
- Avoid complex elements: avoid using elements like JavaScript or non-standard fonts that are not supported.
Tools to improve email rendering
Email marketing tools like Mailrelay provide simple editors that allow you to create an email while avoiding most of these problems.
Offering elements with which to design the email safely and adaptably across different devices.
The success of an email marketing campaign doesn’t depend only on the content, but also on how that content is presented.
A well-rendered email will increase open and engagement rates, which in turn can lead to higher conversion and return on investment.
Conclusion
Email Rendering is a fundamental aspect of email marketing.
Its proper management ensures that messages not only reach the inbox, but are also presented in a way that attracts and retains the recipient’s attention.
By focusing on effective rendering practices and leveraging the right tools, marketers can significantly improve the performance of their email marketing campaigns.