What is Asset Size in Email Marketing?
In the context of
email marketing, asset size refers to the total file size of all the elements within an email. This includes images, GIFs, HTML code, CSS, and any attachments. The overall size of these assets can significantly impact the performance and deliverability of your emails.
Why is Limiting Asset Size Important?
Limiting asset size is crucial for several reasons: Deliverability: Large emails may be flagged as spam or may not be delivered at all. Many email clients and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have size limits for incoming emails.
Load Time: Heavier emails take longer to load, especially on mobile devices or slower internet connections. This can lead to a poor user experience.
Engagement: Emails that load quickly are more likely to engage users. Slow-loading emails can frustrate recipients, leading to higher bounce rates and lower click-through rates.
Cost: Some email service providers charge based on the size of the emails sent. Larger emails could result in higher costs.
What is the Optimal Email Size?
The optimal size for an email, including all assets, is generally considered to be under 100 KB. Staying under this limit helps ensure better deliverability and faster load times. Some experts recommend keeping the size even lower, around 50 KB, for optimal performance.How to Reduce Asset Size?
There are several strategies you can employ to reduce the size of your email assets: Optimize Images: Use image compression tools to reduce the file size without sacrificing quality. Formats like JPEG and PNG are generally more efficient.
Minimize HTML and CSS: Clean up your HTML and CSS code to remove any unnecessary elements. Use minification tools to compress your code.
Use External Links: Instead of attaching large files, provide links to external resources like your website or cloud storage.
Limit Use of GIFs: While GIFs can be engaging, they are often large files. Use them sparingly and consider alternatives like static images or short video clips hosted online.
Tools for Measuring Asset Size
Several tools can help you measure and optimize the size of your email assets: Litmus: Offers detailed analytics on email performance, including load times and asset sizes.
Email on Acid: Provides pre-deployment testing to help identify issues with email size and deliverability.
TinyPNG: A useful tool for compressing PNG and JPEG images to reduce their file size.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
When aiming to limit asset size, be mindful of the following pitfalls: Over-Compression: While it's important to reduce file sizes, over-compressing images can lead to poor quality, negatively impacting the user experience.
Ignoring Mobile Optimization: Ensure your emails are optimized for both desktop and mobile devices. Mobile users are more likely to experience slow load times with larger emails.
Neglecting Code Hygiene: Always clean up your HTML and CSS code. Excessive or redundant code can bloat the email size unnecessarily.
Conclusion
Limiting asset size is a critical aspect of successful email marketing. By understanding its importance and employing strategies to keep your emails lean, you can improve deliverability, user experience, and engagement. Use available tools and best practices to ensure your emails are optimized for performance without sacrificing quality.