Hey everyone, I’m having some trouble with our new email system at work. We just switched to HubSpot from another platform, and I’m trying to create templates in their Drag & Drop editor.
I managed to recreate our complex newsletter, but there’s a problem. When I forward the test email in Outlook, the whole layout goes wonky. This is a big issue because we need templates that anyone can use, even if they don’t know HTML or CSS.
Has anyone dealt with this before? I’m looking for ways to make sure our templates work well with both HubSpot and Outlook. Any tips or tricks would be super helpful. Thanks!
I’ve been down this road before, and it can be frustrating. One thing that really helped us was using a responsive email framework like MJML. It’s designed to create email templates that play nice with various clients, including Outlook.
We also found that keeping things simple is key. Avoid multi-column layouts and stick to a single column when possible. This drastically reduced our forwarding issues.
Another trick we use is to always include a web version link at the top of our emails. This way, if someone encounters display problems, they can easily view the intended layout in their browser.
Lastly, don’t underestimate the power of good old plain text. We started offering plain text versions of our newsletters, and some recipients actually prefer them. It’s a win-win: they’re easy to create and virtually foolproof when it comes to forwarding.
I’ve encountered similar issues with HubSpot and Outlook compatibility. One approach that worked for us was simplifying the template design. Complex layouts often break in Outlook, so we opted for a more streamlined, single-column design. This significantly improved forwarding consistency.
Another tip: avoid using background images or fancy CSS styling, as these tend to cause problems in Outlook. Stick to basic HTML tables for structure and inline CSS for styling. It’s less flashy, but much more reliable across email clients.
Lastly, always test your templates thoroughly. Send test emails to various Outlook versions and other popular email clients to ensure compatibility before finalizing any template. It’s time-consuming, but saves headaches down the line.