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October 2003
PDF vs. HTML:
Which Format Is Best
for Your Purposes?
Marketers find it frustrating when technology gets in the way of their message. The most common stumbling block in electronic marketing communications is using the wrong format. Here’s a
look at the pros and cons of HTML and PDF formats when posting files on Web sites and broadcasting content via e-mail.
Posting PDF files
When posting files to a Web site, a major advantage of using a PDF (portable document format) document is that you can be sure the target audience will see
the message exactly the way you intended.
“A PDF will print out or display exactly how it was designed, regardless of which type of system the user is on,” explains Carrie Doty, President of Doty Complete Computer Solutions,
Irvine, CA. “Fonts, layout—all will be the same.”
Moreover, because the creator can make a PDF so it can’t be altered by the recipient, PDFs are generally considered to be more secure and thus a good choice for important documents.
In addition, PDF technology allows marketers to create PDFs with hyperlinks to online content. This is a big advancement that makes PDFs a much more attractive option.
The main disadvantage of using a PDF file is that the recipient must have Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view the file. A few years ago this was a major issue, but now most people have
at least some version of Acrobat Reader on their workstations. More than half a billion free Readers have been downloaded to date.
Unfortunately, readers don’t always have a current enough version to take full advantage of recent PDF enhancements. To benefit from the latest features such as the ability to embed
multimedia in a PDF—video, audio and flash animation, for example—recipients need the latest version of Acrobat Reader, version 6.0.
Version 6.0 will only work on Windows 98 Second Edition or newer. Version 5.0 of Acrobat Reader does not work on any operating system prior to Windows 95, Second Edition. Those who do not have Reader, in general, would have to download it.
Another disadvantage of posting PDFs on a Web site is that a Web host can track hits to the PDF file but not to the individual pages within it. This makes it more difficult to get
precise feedback on your marketing messages.
Posting files: HTML
With HTML (hypertext markup language) format, your message won’t always look the same. The clients and prospects you’re targeting use different browsers,
different versions of the same browser and different default settings. The way an HTML message displays changes depending on these factors.
Security might also be an issue with HTML. Readers can view, save and even make changes to the source code on their own.
On the other hand, one of the positives of posting an HTML to a Web site is that an HTML file typically loads faster into a browser and takes less space on the server than a PDF file.
Thus, HTML files are cheaper to maintain if your host charges for storage space.
In addition, HTML is a universal language, meaning viewers can read an HTML file using any number of different software programs and browsers like Internet Explorer, Netscape, etc. A PDF
is only readable with Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Finally, every HTML page on a Web site can be tracked for activity by a Web host. For example, your host can track how many times a page has been viewed and what links a viewer clicked
on when visiting the page.
Broadcasting of HTML and PDF files
Click-through rates are the name of the game in broadcast e-mail. A major advantage of HTML e-mails is that most get through to their
intended target. That’s because HTML e-mails require no attachments and are thus less likely to be blocked by a client’s e-mail server. All of the layout and design can be done right in the e-mail body, and the
viewer can see these features immediately when the e-mail is opened.
However, both AOL 9.0 and Microsoft Outlook 2003 are incorporating blocking strategies that may make it more difficult to view HTML elements in your e-mails. We will report on these in
more detail in upcoming editions of MarketScope.
When sending out broadcast e-mails with PDF files, fewer people are likely to see your message. That’s because companies fear computer viruses and often set up firewalls that filter out
attachments, including PDFs. The only way to avoid this would be to include a summary in the e-mail of what is being sent and include in the message a link to the PDF file posted online. But in that case,
response rates will likely drop, since many people will not click on a link.
“People want to have the material to read right then and there,” Ms. Doty notes.
FPS regularly works with financial services companies to maximize the impact of e-mail and online communications. To learn more, contact FPS President Vince DiPaolo at 847-501-4120 or
e-mail him at vince.dipaolo@fpsc.com.
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