Altaire is a company that loves to challenge what’s possible in email content, but we also like to make sure as many people as possible benefit.
Our team of email developers use a real device lab to test every email they build and every piece of technology they create. This means potential issues are spotted and resolved in real-life situations. All emails are fully tested and working at the time of deployment.
Of course, the very nature of email means that things keep changing and email clients are continually updating. So, while Altaire is pushing the boundaries, sometimes the boundaries push back. Every month the developers test their technology against their device lab to make sure they still work with email clients, regardless of updates.
We boast a whole host of tech solutions to use in our emails coming from four categories:
- Contextual content
- Live content
- Interactive content
- Animated content
Each of these are designed to grab the customer’s attention so they click through. So far the results are fantastic, increasing interaction with the emails that deployed the tech. Here’s a quick overview of some of the most effective.
Contextual content
This personalises the email content to such a level that almost each one is unique to the individual customer reading it. All the options available work from the point of open and optimise themselves according to the data they receive.
For instance, it’s entirely possible to change the content depending on the weather. As bank holidays in the UK are so utterly unpredictable, this means a company can have different versions all set up to go and only those in an area where it’s raining will have content for indoor activity. Meanwhile, the lucky few with the rare burst of bank holiday sunshine get to think about barbecues, or whatever else the email may suggest.
Live content
If contextual content stems from the point of open, live email content is all about keeping up-to-date in real time. Want to keep an eye on the betting odds of a game, then no problem. Your email will show you the live odds, constantly updating to make sure it’s accurate.
One of our most impressive pieces of tech is the clock; no matter what time of day you open the email, it will correctly display the current time and continue accurately ticking round whilst you’re in the email.
Interactive content
This email tech requires some interaction from the customer, a tap here or a tap there to see everything the email has to offer. While the previous lot are purely functional, these ones add some fun to the user experience. Tap and Reveal is one of the most popular, it intrigues the customer by hiding a layer with an enticing cover, once they click the CTA their offer or prize is unveiled.
Interactive content also provides a way to make the whole experience more convenient. With Active Search the customer can search whatever takes their fancy and go straight to the page on the website. This decreases the amount of clicks it takes to get to their destination.
Animated content
Again, this brings some fun to the email, but this time doesn’t need any interaction from the customer. One of the most popular forms of animated content is a gif but Altaire is pushing that further and offering alternatives. The most effective email content is the Pan and Zoom.
This animation zooms into an image and pans across it to several points. With this capacity for a story narrative it’s much better for showing the customer the benefits of what’s offered.
Tech is important for the advancement of emails. Attention spans are getting shorter and it’s necessary to have a way of holding people for longer. The creation of new tech also makes it essential to keep improving code in emails for the best possible experience. Altaire’s most recent achievement is to force the Gmail App client to show the mobile breakpoint instead of the desktop when viewed on a mobile device.
If you’re interested in the email technology Altaire offers then head on over to our email tech website.
