WYSIWYG html editor

[dbowen1]

Hi Dean,

Great program! One feature that would be great is a WYSIWYG html editor for creating html emails. It's easy for me to create html emails since I can use a program like FrontPage and I know what I'm doing, but some less experienced users probably have no clue what html even is. I've experienced this first hand with my web design customers!

I think the addition of this feature would make it easier for web developers to include ListMail Pro in their service offerings when a client says they want to deliver a newsletter from their website. And this will increase your sales.

Here are some links to some WYSIWYG html editors that you could incorporate into your application.

http://www.interactivetools.com/products/htmlarea/
http://www.interspire.com/devedit/

What do you think?

[DW]

Dan,

I agree this would be a very cool feature.  The only reason I haven't implemented it is because of the confusion it might cause.  Often, complex HTML that will show up in a web browser won't be able to be displayed in email clients.

For now, I am continuing to recommend using FrontPage.  Be sure to save your document as "HTML, Filtered" for best results.

[Noel Springer]

Another WYSIWYG suggestion

A great feature of LMP is the ability to have differently designed custom HTML pages for Thank You, Success etc.

Here would be a good case IMHO for a WYSIWYG editor.

Additionally, it would be great if there were a simple way to duplicate all of the custom HTML pages for a new list. This would ideally be selective with the ability to still edit or create your own. Perhaps a set could be selected on the basis of the list number.

Maybe a set of templates could be included in the default installation that were available for import.

Cheers,

Noel

[lajre]

I agree that some form of "what you see" editor would be a big help.  For someone who sends out quite a few emails, creating in FP, copying, pasting, changing picture links, etc. is a big hassle.  In fact i've given up on HTML emails with this program and just use text which don't look as good.  I appreciate the recent upgrades, but I believe this is an essential feature.  Just having a hypertext link feature, bolding and bulleting for enhancing text emails would be a big help.

[BGSWebDesign]

Hi DW,

I believe an HTML editor (wsywig or not) is NOT something that should be part of LMP.  Think about it, anyone using the software probably already has a decent editor, why try to include it - it's like 'throwing in the kitchen sink' - it's not needed, not important and more work for you DW.

Additionally, it would be great if there were a simple way to duplicate all of the custom HTML pages for a new list.

I DO agree with this, when a new list is created, having a way to COPY previous custom HTML pages would be a likely option to offer - that should not be hard, and would add greatly to creating the new list.

[DW]

The new modularized Custom HTML feature allows this. You can set all lists to use a single/the same template and/or copy and create new templates as needed.  The reason each list had it's own Custom HTML created from the previous settings upon upgrade is backwards compatibility.

[dbowen1]

Hi DW,

I believe an HTML editor (wsywig or not) is NOT something that should be part of LMP.  Think about it, anyone using the software probably already has a decent editor, why try to include it - it's like 'throwing in the kitchen sink' - it's not needed, not important and more work for you DW.

With all due respect I have to politely disagree with this statement. That's like saying everyone who knows how to use email also knows html. Simply not true. With a wysiwyg editor the average user would be empowered to send html emails instead of being stuck with plain text.

Even if you know html and have a decent editor it is a pain to create emails in your editor, copy, paste, test, then edit again if there are errors. Ever heard of an Integrated Development Environment?

I just think this would be a HUGE selling point that would make more web developers want to promote LMP to their clients. I just can't imagine promoting this to my clients and saying "Oh by the way, you can only send plain text." It just wouldn't fly.

With a wysiwyg editor web developers could install this for their clients and hand it off to them so they could manage their own email campaigns. A whole new market of average users could be reached with a simple addition which really isn't that hard.

I've implemented DevEdit (link above) into my content management system and it was a piece of cake. You don't have to completely code the wysiwyg editor you just have to integrate it with your app. Not much work at all. I'm half tempted to dig into the LMP code and integrate DevEdit myself since I already have a license for both.  :lol:

[DW]

You've sold me.  I can see it now - downloadable HTML newsletter templates!  That would be cool. I'll see about getting this into LMP in the not-too-distant future.

Regards

[dbowen1]

I made a video trying to sell ListMail as an add-on to a potential client's website. It shows my implementation of DevEdit (listed above) into ListMail.

Have a look.

Cheers!