Sending Plain Text Best?

I send everything using html. However, I keep it very simple. I just do it, so I can use hyperlinks instead of urls and to track opens.

If you want to stay out of the spam folder, you really need to be testing using seeds accounts. If something goes to the spam folder, then you need to know how to test and figure out what is causing it. This is regardless if your running your own server or using a service.

Typically you are looking at 1 of 3 things that is the cause. 1) Back-end set up: SPF, rDNS, etc... 2) IP/domain reputation: sending domain, sending IP, links, hosting, etc... 3) Content: which can be a host of different things, including the template your using.

It's really isn't rocket science and shouldn't take you 10-20 mins to figure out which area the problem is happening with. However, fixing the problem could take longer and if it is content, it may take longer to identify exactly what it is with in the content. But you can quickly figure out that it's something in the content.

Additionally, you really want to know the domain breakdown of your lists...what domains exists the most / percentages. So you know which domains are the most important to have seeds for.

Try a text email with one sentence and make the entire sentence a clickable link.

Sending plain text email is the best choice yes. It works really well with gmail.
In fact it is a rule to have at least 400 characters in your newsletter and the image to text ratio should be maximum 30 to 70% (if you send HTML newsletter).

You will hear that plain text emails are best. But... I sure found that NOT to be true at all. When I changed over to a mobile friendly newsletter HTML format my opens and clicks grew drastically. My inboxing also went way up.

Test different formats and see what seems best for you. Also always have seed accounts in your list like DIABLO said.

Re's
Rob Whisonant

I am also use plain text only. It is good till now

Does HTML emails make your emails go to spam? That's really your question.

Not really, just about every email client sends "HTML" by default. Even if you think you have no HTML in your emails, you most likely do.

For instance in my email client I can type in

Then when I view the source I see this..
So it looks like plain text, but it really isn't. So before jumping to the conclusion HTML emails are sent to spam, check your configuration sending an email to "mailtest@unlocktheinbox.com" and do some inbox placement testing, it just might be one or two ESP Providers that's sending your emails to spam, for different reasons.

Sometimes, I'll have to make different versions of emails to send to different domains.

The optimal version, and a not so optimal version, it's a little more work, but I rather have 50% the ESP that deliver the best layout, actually deliver it. Then let the other 50% deliver a sub-optimal version. To maximize sales.

[ PLAIN HTML is THE BEST ! ]

Plain text could be good BUT everyone uses html.

BUT dont put images or fancy tricks....

So use html, for hyperlinks etc, BUT dont use any images, or graphic text,
obviously the logo of your company is good.

So the best is SIMPLE and EFFECTIVE.

There are so many reason why you could be hitting the spam folder. Many don't even know if they are having a problem.

You really want to know the domain makeup of your list and you want to have seed accounts and be testing your deliverability. You can do this for free, so there is no reason not to be doing it.

Granted most lists are going to be heavily made up of the big 4...gmail, yahoo, aol, hotmail. If you at least know the makeup and are testing, then when you have a problem, you will know how big of a deal it is. Where if your having a gmail problem it may be effecting 60% of your list. Where if it's aol, it may only be 5%.

I have a custom tool that calculates the domain makeup for any list. It's inside another program, but I will get my programmer to make it stand-alone and I will give it away to anyone that wants it. As it's an important precursor of deliverability testing. However, it's windows based.

It cost nothing to create seed accounts and if it's too much of a hassle, you could get someone to do it for you.

I prefer sending out HTML email and usually keep my emails short. 4 to 5 sentences, 1 CTA and 2 - 3 links max.
Like Diablo said having emails ending up in the SPAM folders could be a number of factors.

html email often leads to advertising , to minimize the possibility of up to text

1) Check your SPF, rDNS settings
2) Check IP/domain reputation
3) Content: check spam score before send out your campaign and test several time to increase
mail authenticity.