Unlike print stationery however, the concept of pages does not exist. An email message is always one page, no matter how much text it contains. Typical email stationery templates account for this by starting out short, roughly 3 inches in height, and "stretching" as needed while the message is composed.

Concerns
There is a common perception that email stationery doesn't really work properly. If it did, every business would use it, right? This perception is incorrect. Today, a reputable vendor employing proper HTML programming techniques and appropriate approaches to graphics optimization can ensure that:

• Transmission / receipt of email messages is not slowed down.
• There is no significant impact on the amounts of bandwidth used.
• The chances of email messages carrying viruses are not increased.
• Messages composed on stationery pass firewalls & SPAM filters properly.
• Email stationery renders correctly on the recipient's side.

It is however, necessary for users to understand that replies to messages sent on stationery will sometimes come back with the stationery missing. This is because some email programs such as AOL will not transmit the stationery HTML, although they receive it without problems. Similarly, some corporate firewalls allow the transmission of plain text messages only, meaning that the stationery HTML is stripped out upon reply.

Benefits
The use of email stationery allows organizations to use everyday do quite a lot. What follows are some specific benefits.

Standardize communication
Branded email stationery ensures that all the email communications leaving the company have the same standard branding and look and feel.

Maintain professional look and feel
Email stationery ensures that email communications adhere to the same high levels of professionalism that is required at all points of customer contact.

Drive website traffic
The links embedded in email stationery can be very effective in driving website traffic.

Ensure effective and efficient branding and marketing
Email stationery increases the effectiveness of overall marketing and communication by leveraging every-day communications with clients and other relevant parties.

Increase sales and service due to better communication
Email stationery allows you to increase new business as well as to augment retention efforts by improved communication with existing clients.

Conclusion
Your brand is measured at every point of contact. Today, you probably send ten times more email than paper mail. If your organization is typical, they have overlooked email as a branding tool.

The use of well-designed email stationery of the same caliber as printed letterhead and business cards is an emerging trend amongst corporations.

With 85% of your written communication being in the form of email, corporate-wide adoption of standardized email stationery represents an inexpensive, yet powerful, untapped marketing opportunity.

Rex Weston is a career entrepreneur and software developer. He is the founder of StationeryCentral.com, a leading supplier of custom email stationery for business, as well as BuzzLetter.com, the pioneer of permission-based marketing programs involving the distribution of branded email stationery templates to consumers for their personal use. He can be reached in Wisconsin at 920-648-5408 or by emailing rex@buzzletter.com.