What is Cross Platform Testing in Email Marketing?
Cross platform testing in
email marketing ensures that your emails look and function correctly across different email clients, devices, and operating systems. This process helps to verify that your email campaigns provide a consistent user experience, regardless of where and how recipients view them.
Why is Cross Platform Testing Important?
Email clients such as
Gmail,
Outlook, and
Apple Mail render emails differently. Additionally, emails can be viewed on a variety of devices including smartphones, tablets, and desktops. Cross platform testing helps identify and rectify compatibility issues, ensuring that your message is effectively communicated to all recipients.
Key Questions to Address in Cross Platform Testing
Which Email Clients Should I Test?
Focus on the most popular email clients used by your audience. Typically, this includes Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, and Yahoo Mail. Don't forget to test on both web-based and desktop clients.
What Devices Should I Consider?
Test your emails on various devices such as iPhones, Android phones, iPads, and desktop computers. Pay particular attention to how your emails render on smaller screens, as mobile email usage continues to rise.
How Do I Test for Different Operating Systems?
Ensure that you test emails on different operating systems including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. Some email clients may behave differently based on the underlying OS.
Tools for Cross Platform Testing
Utilize specialized tools like
Litmus,
Email on Acid, and
PreviewMyEmail to streamline the testing process. These tools provide emulators for various email clients and devices, giving you a comprehensive view of how your email will appear to different users.
Common Issues Identified in Cross Platform Testing
Some of the common issues that emerge during cross platform testing include: Broken layout due to different CSS support.
Images not loading properly.
Font rendering inconsistencies.
Links and
CTAs not functioning as intended.
Best Practices for Cross Platform Testing
Use responsive email design to ensure emails adapt to different screen sizes.
Keep your email design simple to avoid compatibility issues.
Regularly update your email templates to comply with the latest standards.
Use inline CSS for better compatibility.
Conduct A/B testing to identify which designs perform best across different platforms.
Conclusion
Cross platform testing is an essential component of a successful email marketing strategy. By ensuring that your emails render correctly across various clients, devices, and operating systems, you can deliver a consistent and professional experience to your audience. Leverage the right tools and follow best practices to make your cross platform testing process efficient and effective.