Templates for HTML email

how to create HTML email templates ?

[harmonyjones]

What's the best way to create and use HTML email templates?

Using HTML templates reduces our workload for each newsletter, as the basic format and layout of each email stays the same and we just replace the content which consists of text.

Is there any software, product, or sourcdoe that can help us build, manage and send using HTML email templates?

Thanks.

[tedster]

You can use any wysiwyg software to build HTML email templates. BUT (and this is a big "BUT") you will tend toward code bloat if you don't hand code (or at least clean up the bloat afterwards.) Multiplying that bloat factor over every email you send will inflate your mail server overhead and expenses.

A Google search identifies a number of options for managing your templates, as well as a number of products/services for sending bulk HTML email. You'll even see many paid ads on most search returns in this topic.

I don't want to open up a thread here to a promotion war by the creators of such products, so I'd suggest anyone with specific product knowledge and experience send you a Sticky Mail with the product name.

[harmonyjones]

Thanks for your response.

I would have thought that anyone with product knowledge and experience should post the info on the forum so that the info is shared with everyone and can be debated. Isn't that the point of a forum like this ?

[tedster]

OK, I won't be a total dictator and say "No product names". After all, I'm also a user of many kinds of software, and very interested in real user experiences with various products.

What I want to guard against is the post that "looks like" a user experience, but it's really a promotional post. We're getting a whole lot of that and it's not useful. It dishonest, misleading -- and it can be hard to detect.

If you haven't read the related discussion in our Community forum, please check it out - Professional Forum Spamming [webmasterworld.com]

In the meantime, yes, people can speak to their experiences here on this thread. Let's talk explicitly about the tasks you need to perform, the specific features you would like software to automate for you. And if any products are named, let's hear both the plus and the minus.

[harmonyjones]

I'm looking for something that can

-integrate with our DB running MS SQL 2000 and

- Use HTML templates so we just need to replace the text

- Support personalizations from fields in our SQL DB

- Easy to use and manage

- Good tracking capabilites

- Can handle 10K emails per day

[SmallTime]

Those are all folks who requested the email I trust...

[harmonyjones]

Smalltime - No idea what you are taling about :-)

[harmonyjones]

Yes - this is for OPT in email newsletters, NOT for spam. We send out weekly newsletters to our users and need a way to manage this.