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SURVEY SHOWS HTML EMAIL PREFERENCE

(FUNNY-EMAIL.NET) --- A 2003 survey has revealed increased preferences for receiving styled HTML email. Wilson Internet Services has released a survey of data taken earlier this year showing almost 99% of internet users are able to view professionally styled email and 78% actually preferred it over plain-text email.

In the survey, almost 500 business users and 500 casual users were asked why they preferred to receive a particular email format. The study focused on recipient preferences.

78% PREFERRED HTML EMAIL

• 78% stated readability
• 68% stated professional attractive display
• 64% stated ease of scanning
• 64% stated overall design

The preference for HTML based email has shown a marked increase in average consumer internet usage in recent research.

18% PREFERRED PLAIN TEXT EMAIL

• 73% stated readability
• 68% stated security
• 63% stated ease of saving
• 61% stated ease of scanning
• 54% stated download speed

Two thirds of the business/technical email users seemed to prefer security and saving features. Plain text email was viewed by only 18% of all subjects.

MOST POPULAR EMAIL PROGRAMS: CASUAL USER

• 34% stated Outlook Express
• 17% stated AOL
• 13% stated Yahoo!
• 12% stated Outlook
• 10% stated Hotmail

Outlook Express and AOL makeup for over 50% of all casual/consumer email users. Outlook Express, often bundled with Windows and Internet Explorer, can access Hotmail and other POP3 email accounts.

MOST POPULAR EMAIL PROGRAMS: BUSINESS/TECHNICAL

• 48% stated Outlook
• 27% stated Outlook Express
• 11% stated Eurora

Three quarters of business/technical email users surveyed prefer either Microsoft's Outlook or Outlook Express with only 11% using Eudora for business purposes.

"What this says", stated John Willig of FUNNY-EMAIL.NET, "...is that the landscape's changing. Viewing HTML with a good email client seems to be the trend. The business/technical user is concerned firstly with security with both groups strongly preferring HTML styled email."

The social-psychological data is pointing to readability as a major factor in choosing HTML email with an attractive professional display. Almost two-thirds of these also indicated preference to the ease of scanning and overall design as deciding factors. Both groups thought whatever method of viewing email they were using was better in readability than the alternative.

Considering email trends, the next generation email surveys may not only include cyber-psychological but socio-ecomonic data as well.

"With Americans alone sending over 1 trillion emails a year, it's not hard to see where email clients and styles are playing a major role in preferences. These popular email clients will soon come with anti-virus and anti-spam protection. Being that electronic mail is how most people online communicate and also the most common use of the internet, the preferred method of cyber-communication is email."

"Email is a wonderful, strange, and funny thing. Just wait 'till we can all quickly download and view video email...Sweet."