What is Fallback in Email Marketing?
Fallback in email marketing refers to the alternative content or design elements that are displayed when the primary content cannot be rendered properly. This is crucial because not all email clients support advanced features like custom fonts, complex CSS, or images. Fallback ensures that even if the email client fails to render the primary content, the recipient still receives a readable and functional email.
Why is Fallback Important?
Fallback is important for ensuring
email deliverability and enhancing the user experience. When an email client doesn't support certain features, fallback mechanisms prevent the email from appearing broken or unreadable. This is especially significant for maintaining brand integrity and engagement rates. If users consistently receive poorly rendered emails, they are more likely to unsubscribe or mark your emails as spam.
How Does Fallback Work?
Fallback mechanisms typically involve using simpler HTML and CSS properties that have wide support across various email clients. For instance, if an email uses a custom font, a web-safe font like Arial or Times New Roman can be set as the fallback option. Similarly, if an image fails to load, alternative text (alt text) can provide the necessary information. This ensures that the email remains functional and informative, even if it doesn't display as originally intended.
Common Fallback Strategies
Fonts
Custom fonts may not be supported by all email clients. To address this, specify a fallback font in your CSS. For example:
font-family: 'CustomFont', Arial, sans-serif;
Images
Not all email clients display images by default. To ensure your message gets across, use
alt text for images. This text will be displayed if the image fails to load, providing context to the recipient.
CSS and Styling
Complex CSS might not be supported by some email clients, especially older versions of Outlook. Utilize inline CSS and avoid advanced selectors and properties to maximize compatibility. For example:
.button {
background-color: #4CAF50; /* Fallback */
background-image: linear-gradient(#4CAF50, #2E7D32);
}
Best Practices for Implementing Fallback
Test Across Multiple Email Clients
Before sending out your email campaign, test it across various email clients like Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and Apple Mail. This will help you identify any rendering issues and make necessary adjustments.
Use Responsive Design
Responsive design techniques ensure that your email looks good on both desktop and mobile devices. Media queries can be used to adjust the layout based on the screen size, but always provide a fallback for clients that don't support media queries.
Keep It Simple
The simpler your email design, the more likely it is to render correctly across all email clients. Avoid overly complex layouts and stick to basic HTML and CSS for maximum compatibility.
Tools to Help with Fallback
Several tools can assist you in implementing and testing fallback strategies.
Litmus and
Email on Acid are popular options for email testing and previewing across multiple clients. These tools can help you identify rendering issues and provide insights into how to fix them.
Conclusion
Fallback mechanisms in email marketing are essential for ensuring that your emails are rendered correctly and remain functional, regardless of the email client used by the recipient. By understanding and implementing fallbacks for fonts, images, and CSS, you can enhance the user experience and maintain high engagement rates. Always test your emails thoroughly and keep your design simple to maximize compatibility.