The Rendering Run-Around

1. I already get a test message from my [designer/agency/esp/design-software] and review it before I mail. I don’t understand what all the hoopla is about - isn’t what I see what my customers will see?

Probably not - unless you are actually viewing and approving of what that email looks like in all the different email readers that your customers use (“email readers” or “email clients” are what your customers use to actually read their emails such as Outlook (2000,2003, 2007), Lotus Notes, AOL, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.). Different email readers can and do render the exact same email differently. This means WYSI-*not*-WYG; it’s one of the main problems being highlighted in the many articles and it’s a legitimate one. The only way to have a true perspective on what your customers actually see is to literally view your email using the same software or web-based email readers that your customers use. This means if you just view the email in Outlook XP on your desktop, all you know is what the email looks like in Outlook XP – you don’t have any idea whether its actually rendering properly in any other version of Outlook or anywhere else for that matter.

See an example of how one email may be rendered differently from one reader to another.

2. Doesn’t my [Agency, Designer, ESP] already QA my email in the various email readers for me?

Probably not but its worth asking. Automated solutions that allow you to view a message across the most important email readers are fairly new to the market and adoption, while growing, is still low. It would be a timely process and potentially operationally prohibitive for most companies to do this manually (although we do explain how in #6 below). The proof, however, is in the pudding … next time your [agency,designer,esp], etc. says they are done QA’ing your email, simply ask them for screenshots of your email in Express*, Outlook XP, Outlook 2003*, Lotus Notes, AOL 9*, AOL.com, Hotmail*, Yahoo, and any other email readers relevant to your customer base. For those with an asterick, remember to ask for a screenshot with both images on and OFF because the default is images-off and its important to see your email both ways.

Note, even though its unlikely this is part of your standard service, many leading ESPs and Agencies will provide access to leading rendering solutions offered by DSPs for an additional subscription fee. To see a list of agencies and ESPs that have integrated and/or offer you access to the leading rendering solutions, see the Email Experience Council’s (eec) comparison of DSP offerings.

3. Are images “off” by default in every email reader/client?

No. In fact, in terms of pure numbers, images are “on” by default in most email readers. What we mean by this is that in most email readers when your message appears it appears with images displaying by default. Unfortunately, while a larger quantity of email readers have images “on” by default, some of the most widely used email readers have them “off” by default. This means when your message arrives, your images do not display by default and, depending on the email reader, are replaced with white space, grey boxes, or something more onerous like a security warning. Below we’ve provided examples of some of the more popular email readers and whether images are on or off by default:

• Images are “On” by default in: AIM.com, AOL.com, Cox, Comcast, Earthlink, Outlook 2002, Roadrunner, Lotus Notes, Yahoo’s inbox folder.
• Images are “OFF” by default in: AOL 9, Gmail, Hotmail, Mozilla Thunderbird, Outlook 2003, Outlook 2007, Outlook Express 6, Windows Live Mail

4. I was told using Goodmail turns my images on everywhere, is this true?

No. First, Goodmail is currently only deployed by AOL and Yahoo (transactional emails only) and so it currently has no impact whatsoever on image rendering, delivery, or labeling in any other email reader or at any other ISP or desktop email reader. Second, as noted above, in AOL.com images are already “on” by default so it would be a tad misleading to say Goodmail turns them on when they are already on although it will suppress the initial ‘do you know this mailer’ page that may display prior to displaying the email. In Yahoo classic images are also already “on” if your email is placed in the inbox ; so, like AOL, it would be a tad misleading to say Goodmail turns them on when they are already on if your mail is being placed in the inbox. There is a new Yahoo BETA interface but since this is still in BETA it is unclear how images will be handled at this point.

Currently, Goodmail does turn images back “on” in AOL 9. Since images are off by default in this reader, it is accurate to say that Goodmail can make a difference in AOL 9. If, however, the only reason you are exploring the Goodmail program is the image-on benefit, you may first want to explore whether you are on the AOL Enhanced Whitelist (a free service for qualified mailers – see the answer to #5 below) as well as encourage your customers to add you to their Address Book as both of these will turn images-on in AOL 9 as well.

5. Some 3rd parties companies offer you the ability to get "white listed" and thus say the images render. Is this true?

No. There are many ISPs that allow mailers to apply for their whitelist. However, there is currently only 1 major ISP where being on the ISP’s whitelist will turn images “on” but no 3rd party can “get you on” this whitelist. The only ISP where whitelisting turns images back on is AOL. The benefit is only pertinent to AOL 9 and not AOL.com – since images are already on in AOL.com. The benefit of images turn back on is only applied if you are on AOL’s Enhanced Whitelist and does not apply to AOL’s Standard Whitelist. And, finally, no 3rd party can “get you on” the AOL Enhanced Whitelist no matter how much you pay them. This is because you can not apply for the Enhanced Whitelist. You can register for the AOL Standard Whitelist which is free of charge. AOL shifts standard whitelisted mailers on and off the Enhanced Whitelist based on a 30 day rolling window that measures performance through complaint rates (staying below .1%), spam trap hits and unknown user rates. Thus AOL’s Enhanced Whitelist is a benefit awarded to mailers who maintain their measurable reputations and is not for sale.

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