What is "Mobile First" Formatting?

"Mobile First" Formatting is a feature unique to Mail-List.com.

This option makes email easier to read on small screens. In 2018, 75% of consumers reported using their smartphone most often to check email. Some use their smartphone exclusively. Others read and delete some messages, and leave others for their desktop. Because of these statistics, it's best for Mailing Lists to plan for mobile viewing.

Subscribers using Mail-List.com send 20% or more of their List messages from a smartphone. "Mobile First" is designed to reduce bad formatting, fragments from replies, noise, and bulkiness of email. Just the important words show up on a smartphone screen.

The features of "Mobile First" Formatting are described below.

How it works

The features of "Mobile First" Formatting start by converting all incoming email to plain text. This conversion eliminates color, graphics, background images, logos in signatures, etc.

Plain text allows the email to fit the width of a small screen, no matter the size. Just scroll to read the entire message. Nobody likes to pinch and zoom or scroll sideways to read an email. In fact, surveys show that the majority of people will delete an email, rather than battle bad formatting.

While email formatting has improved, there is no standard for HTML email. With dozens (or hundreds) of ISPs and email apps available, all sorts of strange formats can be coming into your email discussion group. Using "Mobile First" Formatting guarantees all Subscriber's messages are readable.

Clickable Attachments

"Mobile First" Formatting allows you to use the Clickable Attachments feature. This turns ordinary attachments into a link inside the email. Subscribers can choose whether or not to view the attachment. Subscribers also like being able to view the email on a smartphone, but then download attachments later from their desktop.

Clickable Attachments also makes emails small and quick to load. Cellphone users are not wasting bandwidth on attachments they don't need or want.

More importantly, the lack of a physical attachment eliminates one of the biggest reasons emails are blocked as spam or viruses.

SMS/MMS Text Messaging

Text Messaging to your Mailing List is allowed by adding a Subscriber's phone number to the List.  Emails are then sent as text messages. Subscribers can reply to the text just as they can reply to an email.

Trim Replies

When this feature is enabled, only the first few lines are included in reply messages. All those annoying previous message fragments from Outlook and Gmail users are eliminated. Subscribers can concentrate on what the person said and not be distracted by previous messages.

Remove Disclaimers

Snip Disclaimers option removes legal disclaimers and confidentiality notices inserted by corporate gateways.

Nobody pays any attention to these long-winded notices, anyway. Besides, it does not make sense to claim confidentiality on a message sent to a group Mailing List.

Shortened URLs

Replacing long URLs with a short version helps prevent line wrapping that can break the link. This feature is similar to services like TinyURL and Bit.ly, except done automatically for you.

Stop Other Attachments

This option prevents Vcard address book and Calendar attachments from being sent to the Mailing List.