It's been said that creating an HTML-based email in 2009 is like developing a web page in 1999. It's sadly true; the coding is archaic and, compared to modern 2.0 functionally, the limitations are huge.
So when email marketers want to convey motion and visual direction they use animated GIFs. Prior to Flash, simple GIF animations were the order of the day. Nowadays the use of animated email is increasing. Why? Firstly, animated GIFs are well-supported by the major email clients and webmail interfaces, second, it helps marketers to stand out, and most importantly, they seem to work.
Stronger ROI
A recent A/B test by BlueFly found an animated email pulling in 12% more revenue than the non-animated equivalent. Likewise, a case study on Marketing Sherpa, Lake Champlain Chocolates experienced a sales increase of 49% at Christmas in relation to a campaign using animated GIFs compared with a campaign the previous year.
More Advantages
Firstly, marketers can use a relatively small amount of space to highlight multiple products, special offers, or calls-to-action, as well as increase click-through rates to hosted videos. Smart marketers can also use animation to encourage scrolling in exceptionally long (or horizontal) emails.
The Disadvantages
The most relevant compatibility issue is how animated emails render in Outlook 2007. That is, only the first frame of the animated GIFs is displayed. So you'll want to communicate your message in the first frame, just in case. You’ll also want to keep in mind that the size of the animated GIF (in kilobytes) can negatively affect the speed and order of which your images are displayed.
With a solid understanding of your objectives and an experienced email designer you’ll be able to increase click-through and conversion rates using animation.
