Many email applications suppress images in HTML emails by default. To counter this reality, it is a "best practice" to populate the "ALT" tag for the key images in your HTML emails.
What is the ALT tag (a/k/a "ALT attribute")? As explained by Wikipedia, "the alt attribute is used in HTML and XHTML documents to specify text that is to be rendered when the element to which it is applied cannot be rendered." In other words, if an email recipient can't see your images (because they are suppressed), the ALT attribute describes the nature of each image for them using text. This is a helpful way to encourage subscribers to display the images in your emails if they are suppressed by default.
For example, let's say you distribute an email invitation that includes a graphic that says, "Register Today." Some recipients may not see that graphic, but if you include an ALT attribute that reads "Register Now," readers will see that text and understand that the image should be clicked to register for the event being promoted.
As explained by Wikipedia, ALT text is also useful in the following additional contexts:
- For people with low bandwidth connections, who may opt not to load graphics - this way such site visitors can understand the nature of the images on your web page
- For people using handheld devices
- For people with disabilities who use assistive technology, such as refreshable braille displays or screen readers (indeed, using meaningful ALT tags is necessary to comply with accessibility standards for people accessing the Web with devices other than a standard browser)
- Search engine optimization: most search engines interpret the meaning of objects by analysing their alt attribute - in its webmaster guidelines, Google advises to "make sure that your TITLE tags and ALT attributes are descriptive and accurate."
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