images swapping in an email

how can you make images swap around in an email

[kaybee]

hello,

I am designing an email page, it has been designed in Photoshop and built in Dreamweaver.

I want a square in this email within which a few images swap around.
I know i can have the image swap on rollover, but I want the images to swap every so often by themselves.

I have been told javascript/dhtml does not work in email boxes, can you help, is it possible?.

(dont really want to use gifs or flash).

Thanks for any help.

[aspdaddy]

Hi kaybee,

Are you designing an html email ? if so it will depend on the users email client and settings , whether javascript works or not.

As far as I know, the three ways you mentioned to do image swapping ( flash/gif/dhtml ) are the only ones available.

[BlobFisk]

As aspdaddy mentioned, the availability of this sort of interactivity in an email is very much dependent on the email client, and the MIME types that their mail server allows them to receive. Many corporate system administrators block emails with any embedded scripts in them, so as to minimise the risk of viral infection.

I would suggest (and you may not like this!) that you stick to text and small graphics - that way you can be sure that the majority of people will see the message your mail is trying to get through. Users who disallow images (like me!) will still see the text, although the broken link symbol is a big put off.

[papabaer]

Hello kaybee, and welcome to Webmaster World! You can find a wealth of information on the topic by performing a site search (link at top of page) for html email.

The most important question you need answered is not "how to do it," but "will they see it?" Many people simply do not accept html email unless they choose it as an option for an opt-in list. Security issues and the huge amount of spammers using the technique have had negative impact.

Depending on your targeted audience, you may have much better results by sending a text message with a link to your html page.

Once again, welcome to Webmanster World.

[richlowe]

Since this kind of thing seems to be used primarily by spammers, I tend to block all HTML email unless it is from a newsletter where I specifically asked for it. I send my HTML newsletters to one email account and my regular mail to another, which has HTML blocked.

I never allow HTML scripts (javascript, activex, java, etc) to be executed from an email under any circumstances.

Richard Lowe

[smokin]

Another point to consider is that even if html is blocked, chances are that the virus scanner (if its installed) will prompt the user about the script and recommend not opening the email. So either way your email will probably only be seen by a percentage of your recipients.

IMHO you should create 2 versions of your email; an HTMl version(minus the script) and a text version.

[kaybee]

okay, okay,
I get the message, its not a good idea.
I think I'll stick to my html email, and for those you don't even like images, well I guess they'll just be missing out, I'll leave them to their boring documents.

Thanks guys for the advice

[OhMyPixel]

Sometimes simple is more affective. I know that when I receive my e-mail on AOL and it has massive amounts of HTML tags I automatically delete it. I think this goes for a lot of people ESPECIALLY those who don't know HTML themselves. A nicely developed e-mail with a good layout would be more acceptable. Then (ah ha!) you could link to a website or webpage with a more colorful alternative.

For the time being e-mail will continue to be "boring" - personally I like it that way. That means no pop-ups or poorly designed e-mails with crazy javascripts.

that is all.

-OMP (yeah, you know me!)

[tedster]

The one thing I appreciate (but see very little of in my inbox) is HTML email that does simple font formatting to enhance the message - but no images or over-the-top anything. Only a nicely formatted text message with just enough HTML to accomplish that much.

None of my clients use HTML email (I've talked them out of it in several cases), but if we did wade into to those waters, this would be the first test.

AH, there's that magic word, "test". Before committing to any email program I would test the effectiveness of plain text vs. minimal formatting vs. "full tilt HTML" to see which was better at converting or drawing the click.

Everyone's market is different, and why guess when you can test!

[kaybee]

Testing is vital, thats why thats been done, before I decided to go ahead with a html email, and yes I agree that the layout and usability of the email needs to be simple with an impact, which if you are a professional designer can be obtained.

But personally an effective simple email does not have to be plain text. I always stop to look at an html email. Yes if I am waiting for a specific email I do read a text email, but if someone wants to gain my attention about a random offer, it has to be html or I am not stopping.

At the end of the day if your a good designer or a company that can invest in a good designer who also knows the basics of usable html pages, then your on to a winner.

Let a bit of colour into your lives and maybe you'll enjoy 9 to 5.

(and no I dont know a OMP or whatever it was)

[OhMyPixel]

Haha. The last line in my previous post "yeah you know me!" was from a very popular old school hip-hop song verse "O.P.P., yeah you know me!". "OMP yeah, you know me!" isn't to far from it :).

Maybe you didn't understand what I was saying in my previous post. MANY PEOPLE do not have the facilities to view HTML based e-mail. If your target audience has HTML based e-mail, good - if they don't your going to run into trouble.

If I receive any e-mails with a layout/picture that is HTML based - I automatically delete them because experience tells me they are ADS. And just like when a telemarketer calls - I hang up OR when i go to a website that has pop-ups i close the windows without looking. IHMO, e-mail is MEANT to be simple.

But what ever works for you, k? :)

[kaybee]

k,

omp, you need to start with images cos your text aint too good, omp is not opp, done.

ps, nice site, abit uncomplete?