Incase you’ve not heard Google does something really smart. They have announced that they may automatically show images within their users inbox. Rather than awaiting the user to present permission and download the whole picture, Google will download the pictures from the original server that the whole picture came from onto their proxy server allowing their users to right away view images a part of an email.
Yipee For Users!
This is excellent news for users when they will be capable of see images and never having to go through the hassle of downloading every one which takes some time to often lots of effort than the usual quick glance at a communication deserves. It will also give anyone access to more details, as with my opinion we quite often miss plenty of valuable information in emails even as either cannot download or would not have the time to download a perception. Therefore, if the look is automatically downloaded and opened we’re going to get direct usage of the content our emails contain. On top of this fun new direction in buyer, it’ll actually be much safer for users in relation to spam and dangerous content. Emails requiring users to download an American Airlines ticket or Amazon receipt have become more and more common nowadays leading the vulnerable user offered to viruses. If images are downloaded by Google, these vulnerable users is able to sift through their mail inside a much safer manner.
Uh-Oh! For The Email Marketer
So, very good news then? No!… it might be fantastic news for the customer but why not consider the email marketer? The problem this is that if the photographs are automatically downloaded to become viewed anytime, we are going to not be able to assess our open rates. If the consumer doesn’t download the look when they actually see the mail, how we know when they have been read it or otherwise not? Analytics will undoubtedly report to us the original download by Google instead of how many times the viewer subsequently views the mail.
Another problem that email marketers might incur will not be being in a position to tell the placement of their users. When users downloaded images we were competent to check their IP address and subsequently discover their location, now that the photographs will be downloaded by Google we’re going to only know the place of Google. This information was imperative that you many marketers in being capable of recommend and still provide their customers with useful information, as an example where they may find the closest store to redeem a voucher.
One of the largest issues I foresee, is the fact with this new cache discussing going being able to determine the browser our customer is reading our email on. If we can’t distinguish about what type of browser our audience are engaging along with us upon, we simply cannot determine the kind of devices they prefer to utilize. This info is becoming ever more imperative that you us even as we continuously attempt to produce more responsive designs that will enable better user-experience. Even worse yet is always that sending the proper image on the right device will probably be virtually impossible contributing to reduced user-experience and highly reduced engagement.
All in most I must admit that I like Google’s new thought process and while all of us are moaning and complaining concerning the changes, I believe there is certainly light following the tunnel. Change is usually hard therefore we never want to embrace drastic changes, but drastic change always brings about innovation. By the beginning of pick up new tools should have been introduced allowing us marketers to try and do what we do best and look at the data we a lot want and need.