How to Win the Battle of Blocked Images in Emails
By Stuart Ayling, Solutions Found                                                                   

Over the last few years it has become increasingly common for email programs (both PC and web-based) to be configured by default not to display images.

What does this mean?

In short, if you rely on using images for products, headings and navigation buttons in your email newsletter, they wont be displayed if the email client program has images blocked.

So your reader (or customer) will not see what you expect them to see.

In fact they may see next to nothing – and simply delete your email.

Examples (and how we rate them)

Here is an example from Broncos Leagues club of what their newsletter looks like when viewed with images blocked. (We rate it at 6 our of 10.) As you can see, there isn’t much information at the top of the email.

And another example from Dominos, a major pizza chain. With images blocked there is not much to indicate what the offer is about. (We rate it 4 out of 10.)

This example from the Colorado Group for Mathers Shoes shows what happens when your entire email is an image. (We rate this one at a measley 1 out of 10. The 1 is awarded for effort in sending the email.)

What can you do?

The first few centimetres of an email is often called ‘above the fold’ – an old direct marketing phrase – as it refers to what viewers can see without scrolling down the page.

When you keep in mind that around 70% of people view their emails in their preview pane (not full screen), then the space at the top of the email is extremely important real estate.

Tips to minimise negative effects of blocked images:

• Ensure text shows at the top, above the body of the email.

• Include link at top of email to view the message on your website.

• Use HTML text in the body of email as close to top as possible.

• Use image Alt-text tags to describe the image.

• Use a caption (in HTML text) to accompany the photo/image.

• Use text navigation links instead of button images.

• Remind your subscribers to add your From email address to their address book, contact list, or Approved Senders list.

See image below for how we handle that for our newsletter, Email Insights. As you can see, plenty of text high up in the newsletter, text links for additional information, and using an image Alt-text tag for the banner image.

Example: Email Insights newsletter (with images blocked)







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