Why learn how to code email
Both of these are great options. If you have no interest in code and want a simple email built quickly, then a drag-and-drop editor is handy.
If you’ve got some experience in code but aren’t interested in learning the specifics of email code, then an email framework can help remove the need for some of the specialist knowledge.
However, these tools have their limits. You may need help getting the exact look and feel of the email you aim for. This happens when you want to stand out by doing something different.
If you find a bug in the code, all you can do is report it to the tool and wait for them to fix it; depending on how many others are affected, this could take a very long time, or maybe never get fixed.
If you were to move to a new job, being able to code from scratch is a much more desirable and transferable skill.
Emails are built using HTML and CSS. These are very visual languages, meaning you can quickly and easily see what is changing in the output as you write the code. These languages are the same ones used for every website you visit. Although coding for the web is different from email, the need to understand HTML and CSS is the same and will set you up well if you want to look at building websites later.
And once you’ve mastered one computer language, it can help with learning more as many of the concepts overlap.
Ok, not everybody loves it as much as we do at Parcel; some folks don’t enjoy it and try to avoid it. Others aren’t sure at first but learn to love it over time. The only way to know is to give it a try. A few of the things we love about coding email are;
- Problem-solving - Writing code is a series of little puzzles, which can be very rewarding when you solve them.
- Always changing - Email is an old format, but even so, people are still finding new ways of doing things all the time. And as email clients are constantly changing things, it’s like a constantly evolving game.
- Community - There is a good collaboration culture among email developers. People are constantly sharing new ideas and helping each other solve complex issues.
Although some points may make things sound daunting, it’s only as complicated as you want. If you find something too difficult, you can always simplify the design to something more achievable and then build it up as you grow more confident.