[87maniac]

I design & produce HTML emails and use MailChimp to deliver.
HTML emails are a black art / standard web code does not apply.

Basic Rules of email marketing:
- Do not use templates. Use HTML email (same as Fortune 1000 companies)
- If your email looks like spam, it will be perceived as spam.
- Hire a talented graphic designer who understands HTML email marketing.
- Poor design is bad business. Good design will increase sales & customer loyalty.
- Be sure to test before sending, broken emails are worse than spam.
- Use a high quality list. Users should opt in to receiving your emails.
- Many of my clients buy commercial lists, in the false belief that huge lists
will result in huge returns.
(that never works- Recipients report spam and MailChimp will suspend your account.)