Campaign Monitor is one of a number of services that take virtually all of the uncertainty out of HTML email, providing everything from free content to managing all aspects of a campaign. The image above, for example, is a detail from a design in the site's gallery of 30 free HTML templates, which have been tested in the major clients, including Outlook 2007. So if you're doing your first newsletter, these are a safe place to begin your design. Definitely not be missed is the Articles & Tips area, with titles such as Guide to CSS Support in Email Clients, Email Design Guidelines, and How to Charge for Email Marketing. The articles are well-grounded and are geared to both in-house and freelance designers.

When it comes to the site's commercial services, probably the best deal around is paying five bucks to be able to see how your newsletter or email shot will display in the major clients across platforms, including mobile. Be prepared for a shock! Beyond that you can sign up and use Campaign Monitor for as much of your mailing campaign as you want. Just as an example of the level of service provided, a new report has just been introduced that shows which email clients your subscribers are using and to what degree. That's essential information for deciding which clients to optimize for and which you can safely ignore. Who knows, with any luck there won't be too many Outlook 2007 users on your list.