In Praise of The Email Standards Project

Published on 29th November, 2007 by Stephen Lewis

A few days ago, the Email Standards Project was officially launched. Put simply, Email Standards have the potential to completely change the quality – and economic viability – of HTML email, much as Web Standards did for web sites.

If you’re a business owner, and think that this only applies to us nerdy web designer types, think again. HTML emails can provide a better return on investment than any other form of direct marketing, but without decent support for Email Standards the cost of developing them escalates dramatically, as does the likelihood that a decent proportion of your customers won’t even be able to read your carefully crafted missive.

Speaking as a nerdy web designer, I dream of the day when I will no longer weep silent tears of frustration as the simplest of HTML email layouts falters in Outlook 2007 or Gmail.

I also silently wish for the moment when a perfectly reasonable client request for a good-looking, on-brand HTML email can be answered with a simple “Yeah, sure”, instead of the sort of response typically reserved for those demanding the moon on a stick.

To find out why Email Standards are the stuff of dreams, both for the people who create HTML emails, and for the people who pay people to create HTML emails, have a quick read of “Why Web Standards Matter for Email” on the Email Standards Project web site.