Using Dreamweaver to create email marketing piece (Newsletter)

[Guest]

Is there a way to produce an email marketing piece using Dreamweaver? I created a design in Photoshop and placed it in my email temporarly, but I am not able to put the links, etc. in the graphic.

I would like to design a page in Dreamweaver and be able to put it into an email page so that people can see it as such and be able to click on the links within the email.

We would also like to do a newsletter in the same fashion so that we can email it directly in the email.

Thanks!

Heather

[Nadia-P · Accepted solution]

Lots of tutorials on how to do this  🙂  You create a simple html page, but use inline styling instead of using a stylesheet:

Start here:

http://www.sitepoint.com/article/code-html-email-newsletters/

http://www.sitepoint.com/article/designers-guide-html-email/

http://www.sitepoint.com/article/principles-beautiful-html-email/

Mail Chimp and iContact have some excellent templates and tutorials to help you get started with HTML email campaigns.

http://www.mailchimp.com/resources/

http://www.icontact.com/home/index2

CampaignMonitor does not recommend the use of image maps because of poor support by Gmail:

http://www.campaignmonitor.com/blog/post/2432/do-image-maps-work-in-html-ema/

MailChip recommends being careful with image placement as many email clients will automatically block images when the mail is first loaded:

http://www.mailchimp.com/articles/stupid-html-email-design-mistakes/

Hope this helps  🙂

--

Nadia

Adobe® Community Expert : Dreamweaver

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[J Cellini]

Nadia,

I think this is the second time this happened--I stepped on your response. It was not intentional; you are just quicker than I am. As I was working on a response, you finished yours and posted it. Coincidentally, it was on the same topic.

John

[Nadia-P]

I think this is the second time this happened--I stepped on your response. It was not intentional; you are just quicker than I am. As I was working on a response, you finished yours and posted it. Coincidentally, it was on the same topic.

John,

no need to apologise or worry about it - it's the nature of the forum  🙂  Would be good if there were a 'flag system' to let people know someone is on the case.

Often times you'll see the timestamp of two posts being exactly the same.  I guess luck of the draw whose post comes in first  🙂  I've also answered a post believing I was the first one, only to find it was answered at exactly the same time or a few seconds later.

Glad to see you participating in the forums by the way - haven't seen you around previously - by that I mean - via the NNTP forums what we all loved prior to this new forum changeover  🙂

[Stella1251]

I would like to know the answer to this too. I read some of the articles from the sites/links Nadia directed us to, but I guess I still don't get how you get the code into the actual email. I see how it needs to be created and how the files need to be on a server, but how do you get them into the email? I'm guessing you don't copy & paste??  I've heard you need a 3rd party software or something, but I don't get it.

Confused........ 

[Guest]

You need to create the web page in Dreamweaver. Be sure all image paths and links are absolute. Save the page. Open your e-mail client (Outlook or whatever you use). Start a new e-mail. In the body of the e-mail, insert the file you just created and saved as text in the body. You should now see the page you created in the body of the e-mail. It is always a good idea to send a test e-mail to yourself before sending it out to your intended target.

[Stella1251]

a-walton wrote:

You need to create the web page in Dreamweaver. Be sure all image paths and links are absolute. Save the page. Open your e-mail client (Outlook or whatever you use). Start a new e-mail. In the body of the e-mail, insert the file you just created and saved as text in the body. You should now see the page you created in the body of the e-mail. It is always a good idea to send a test e-mail to yourself before sending it out to your intended target.

Hi a-walton,

When you say insert the file, do you mean the .html file? As in attaching the file to the email? I only work with Lotus Notes at work, but I will try something else at home. When I attach an .html it doesn't display anything in Lotus.
I tried saving as a text file too and I get the same result. I also tried copying the text from the code and pasting into the body of the email, but I just see the code.

I will try at home or try again here at work. Maybe I missed a step. I appreciate your response & patience. I will definitely test this email. I have never done it before & just wanted to learn how to do it

Thank you!!

[JoeDaSilva]

Make sure you include a physical street adress as well as an unsubscribe link in your email, otherwise you'll be in viloation of US law.

http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus61-can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business

[Guest]

Yes, I am talking about the .html file. Each e-mail client is different. I can only instruct you in Outlook on a PC because that is what I use. I don't use Lotus notes. You cannot paste the code into the e-mail because as you discovered you will see the code and not the formatted newsletter. For Outlook place your cursor in the body of the e-mail you are creating. Click Attach File. An Insert File pop-up box appears. Go to the location where you saved the .html file and hightlight the file but do not double click it. At the bottom of the pop-up box is an insert button with a dropdown arrow. Click on the dropdown arrow and select Insert as Text. This will then place the formatted newsletter in the body of your e-mail. Again, this is for Outlook on a PC. You may have to experiment with your e-mail client to see if you have any similar options. Hope this helps.

[Stella1251]

Thank you a-walton. I will try that at home, I do have outlook and a PC. I'll see if there are similiar things for Lotus. Thanks very much for your response! Have a great weekend.

[osgood_]

Stella1251 wrote:

I would like to know the answer to this too. I read some of the articles from the sites/links Nadia directed us to, but I guess I still don't get how you get the code into the actual email. I see how it needs to be created and how the files need to be on a server, but how do you get them into the email? I'm guessing you don't copy & paste??  I've heard you need a 3rd party software or something, but I don't get it.

Confused........ 

html emails can be sent from 'Outlook' if youre on a PC. Google 'Sending html emails in Outlook'

From Mac you can send from Entourage, again Google 'Sending html emails in Entourage'

I have neither so use a simple php script which I upload to my server and send it that way. I don't think any are suitable for bulk-mailing that's why you probably need to investigate one of the online mailing services mention in the thread above

[Nancy OShea]

HTML E-Mail & Newsletter Blasts

http://alt-web.com/Articles/HTML-Emails.shtml

"Sending Limits

Most server hosts, ISPs and web e-mail providers like G-mail put limits on how many messages you can send per minute/per hour/per day.  If unsure, check with your provider before you send a blast. You wouldn't want to violate your

Terms of Service Agreement . At a minimum, you'll probably need a dedicated bulk e-mail sending software like

PIMEX MailExpress that sends mail in small blasts spread out over time. If your list is larger than 20,000 names or you can't wait  to send out all your e-mails, using a bulk e-mail service such as iContact, MailChimp or Constant Contact is highly recommended."

Nancy O.
Alt-Web Design & Publishing
Web | Graphics | Print | Media  Specialists
http://alt-web.com/
http://twitter.com/altweb

[osgood_]

Hi Nancy

http://www.pimexonline.com/mailproduct.html

Don't know one for the Mac by any chance do you?

[Nancy OShea]

@Osgood,

R10BatchMail works on Mac OSX

http://www.r10batchmail.com/

I haven't tried this one so let me know how it works for you.

Nancy O.
Alt-Web Design & Publishing
Web | Graphics | Print | Media  Specialists
http://alt-web.com/
http://twitter.com/altweb

[osgood_]

Nancy O. wrote:

@Osgood,

R10BatchMail works on Mac OSX

http://www.r10batchmail.com/

Terrific! I'll test it out and see if I can get it to work.

Thanks

Os.

[osgood_]

Reportng back:

Yes R10BatchMail seems to work very well. I've only tested it for a short time but it seems to be getting the job done successfully.

I'll give it a more thorough run out whilst the trial period continues - if it proves to be successful I'll purchase a copy, got to be worth it for £20.

Os.

[Guest]

If we don't want to keep track of the emails at this time. Is there a way

to just upload the code into an email using Dreamweaver CS3? Basically at

this time I have an invite to send out to several customers and would like

it to look professional and have links in it (similar to a web page look)?

If not any other suggestions. We would just like to use our current email

program that we have instead of an outside company.

Thank you!

Heather A. Farkas

Marketing Designer/Database Coordinator

Phone: 414-359-0523

Fax: 414-359-1469

Nadia-P <forums@adobe.com>

09/02/2009 09:30 AM

Please respond to

clearspace-1373323098-134699-2-2220764@mail.forums.adobe.com

To

Heather Farkas <hfarkas@jacobusenergy.com>

cc

Subject

Using Dreamweaver to create email marketing piece

(Newsletter)

Lots of tutorials on how to do this You create a simple html page,

but use inline styling instead of using a stylesheet:

Start here:

http://www.sitepoint.com/article/code-html-email-newsletters/

http://www.sitepoint.com/article/designers-guide-html-email/

http://www.sitepoint.com/article/principles-beautiful-html-email/

Mail Chimp and iContact have some excellent templates and tutorials to

help you get started with HTML email campaigns.

http://www.mailchimp.com/resources/

http://www.icontact.com/home/index2

CampaignMonitor does not recommend the use of image maps because of poor

support by Gmail:

http://www.campaignmonitor.com/blog/post/2432/do-image-maps-work-in-html-ema/

MailChip recommends being careful with image placement as many email

clients will automatically block images when the mail is first loaded:

http://www.mailchimp.com/articles/stupid-html-email-design-mistakes/

Hope this helps

--

Nadia

Adobe® Community Expert : Dreamweaver

[J Cellini]

Yes, you can use Dreamweaver to create an email marketing piece. The problem with Dreamweaver, though, is that it produces good clean html code. When you produce an email marketing piece, you are not creating it for web browsers but for email applications that are way behind in html and css technology and you have to write html code from the stone age with a lot of deprecated tags and inline css. Images need absolute paths.

MailChimp can provide you with some very good advice on creating an email marketing piece. Check out its Email Marketing Articles and Guides page.

[heidiinwanderlust]

This is the best...I just had a call from a recruiter.

I am new with Dreamweaver....but only because I need to get the experience practically, to use it, and I told her so in so many words.

I have not had good luck with saying I am proficient when I am not, just to get the job, especially when the company expects perfection from the get-go.

That aside, I told her I DO know Dreamweaver is not the only option for email marketing.

I have access to all I need for a  Mail Chimp crash course, and told her so, letting her eknow I am willing to stay up several nights to learn with some skill...in an attempt to convince someone I am a good designer who works hard.

I mean, take your pick. What do they NOT want you to know out there!

This forum is awesomely helpful and very insitefull.

I will continue to follow.

[Striker Sumesh]

Hi All,

I have a perfect tutorial on "How to create HTML Email Newsletter in Dreamweaver" posted on PepFry.com. It explains the traditional or the actual way of creating a HTML email newsletter.

You can also find the responsive versions of the Email Newsletters as well:

1. Fluid responsive html email newsletter
2. Fixed responsive html email newsletter

Hope that helps all newbies!

Thanks!

Sumesh M.S