Email alerts and online newsletters

The aim of a email alert is to get potential customers to visit your product, service or information on your website. The aim of the online newsletter (or e-zine) is to sell your product, service or information. The technologies customers receive emails varies, so use the simplest formats: do not use images or formatting. A carefully worded plain text email can achieve the aim of getting your customers to visit the website which will include colours and images. Importantly, as the email alert has unique technical restrictions do not reuse text from other routes to market.

The simplest solution is to collect only name and email address - collecting further information has data protection requirements. Collect email addresses at all possible opportunities:

include an email subscription form on all pages on your website that include products, services or information about which they will receive updates
require registration, with email subscription, to all value added free content
offer email subscription in all purchasing processes
offer email subscription in requests for further information
include email subscription in email signature files