How to Create and Send an HTML Email Form Using PHP

An HTML email form is often used in email marketing to generatea greater response from potential customers. However their isnot much information on how to actually create an interactivehtml email form or template to achieve this.

Part 1 of this article discussed how to create and send simple html email. In this article we will create an interactive html email form.

Benefits of creating an html email form

*generate immediate interactivity with your customers.*use of visually appealing graphics, icons and forms. *all the most popular email software now support html email. *ability to track responses *create interactive questionaires, surveys and newsletters.

Here is the step by step process how to create an html emailform:

1. Create your interactive html email form page in your favoritehtml editor including any graphics or icons to make it lookattractive.

Make sure you always use absolute urls for graphics(ie http://www.ihost-websites.com/htmlmail/header.gif ) and anabsolute link for your formmail script ("http://ihost-websites.com/htmlmail/formmail.php"), otherwisethey won't appear correctly.

Here's an example of an interactive html email form viewed as aweb page.

http://www.ihost-websites.com/htmlmail/newsletter.htm

If you want to see the html code used for the form, click onInternet Explorer and go to: view - source.

2. Name your html formmail page (ie newsletter.htm) and save it.

Keep your html email simple by eliminating the meta tags (ietitle, description, keywords). Don't use large graphics asthese will slow down the loading time of your email plus quicklyfill your customer's inbox capacity.

3. Obtain a copy of the php formmail script and save it to the same directory as your newsletter.htm page.

(You can get a copy of this script by sending an email to htmlemailformscript@ihost-websites.com).

4. Name this script.. formmail.php - this script will processthe html form page (newsletter.htm) you created above. You can alsouse this script in combination with an html form on your web site.

5. Edit your newsletter.htm page - make sure you have the correctform action otherwise your form won't work ie

(form action="http://www.ihost-websites.com/formmail.php" method="post" target="_blank")

Insert different titles and images for your newsletter or contact form.

6. Edit the php formmail script.Replace the title, email and confirmation comments with your own.

7. Create a new directory on your current web site namedhtmlmail (ie www.ihost-websites.com/htmlmail/).

8. Place your html formmail page, graphics and script into thehtml directory. This will help keep all your files organized.

If you don't currently have a web site, then register a domainname first, design your html email form and upload all files(form, graphics, script) to your new web host (make sure yourweb host carries the php feature).


10. Test the new html email form on your server first. Check thatyour html email form page works corrrectly when submitting yourform - you should receive a confirmation immediately uponsubmission.

You are now ready to send your html email.

11. Open your Email Software - in outlook express (since it's themost popular) go to:

Create mailFill out the to and subject fieldsPlace your cursor in the body of your email messageCheck insert - text from fileIn "files of type" box scroll to "HTML Files"In the "look in" box scroll to the saved html page on your computer. (newsletter.htm)

12. Email a test to yourself and friends who have differentemail programs before you send it to your subscriber list. Thiswill ensure your html email will appear correctly to all yourcustomers.

Now you have a template you can use to send out your htmlemails. You then won't have to repeat this process again.

You can also alter the look of your html email template bychanging the graphics and/or fields, then uploading the changesto your server.

Try using an html email form for your future questionaire,survey, ad or newsletter.

You will be pleasantly surprised!

Resources

PHP formmail script Send an email to: htmlemailformscript@ihost-websites.com Groupmail - free version allows a list of up to 100