A good question, many experts have been debating over for awhile now, is which email format is more effective. It all depends on who you ask, many people prefer text format over HTML format. There are also many people who would rather use HTML over text format. You can pretty much draw a line right down middle between text users and HTML users, it's that close.

The truth of matter is that most effective format to use for your email really depends on offer you're presenting.

Both text and HTML email formats have their advantages and disadvantages. In this article I am going to go over advantages and disadvantages of text and HTML email formats. Let's jump right in and start with format text.

Text

Obviously real advantage to using a text format is that you have a white background with black font making it very easy to read. The text format loads fast, no matter what size email is.

If email loads fast and is easy to read how can text formats have a disadvantage?

Easy!

The real disadvantage of using text format is when you are using email as a source of marketing. To effectively use email marketing you need to use some sort of tracking software. Without tracking you will never know if subject line and/or email offer needs work.

The point I am trying to make is that people are very cautious about clicking on tracking and affiliate links. As soon as they see a lengthy url, they get impression that you are trying to sell them something and immediately delete email. With a text formatted email you cannot hide long tracking urls from recipient. With an HTML format you won't run into this problem, which brings us to...

HTML

The problem with junk email or "spam" (the popular slang for unsolicited commercial email) only seems to get worse with each passing day.

Luckily, we can fight back in ways that will actually cut down significantly on amount of spam we receive on a daily basis.

Try these tips and see if they can't cut spam you receive down by at least half.

** Don't Respond

Much of spam you receive contains an "unsubscribe" link saying something like "To unsubscribe, click here." Do NOT click that link.

Clicking it lets spammers know they've got a live email address!

** Use Mailwahser

Get a program like "Mailwasher" from Mailwasher.net that allows you to view email you receive before you download it.

The program makes it simple to delete dozens of emails, including viruses, before they reach your computer.

** Use Your Filters

Your email program most likely contains filters you can use to weed out emails containing usual spam words like "opportunity, $$$, sex, viagra" and a host of others.

You can set filters to delete messages containing these words before ever downloading them to your computer.

** Use An "Assassin"