MindComet

Using Google Docs as a QA Checklist Alternative

Yet another Google tool can be leveraged to assist your email marketing efforts. Besides BlueSkyFactory‘s genius way of using AdWords & Wonder Wheel for developing subject lines, ExactTarget recently suggested that using Google Docs goes hand in hand with quality assurance management.

If you have a Gmail account, you can start creating forms and spreadsheets here. It’s a nice alternative to Excel or Numbers mainly because you don’t have to exhaust additional computing power with running another program; the application is already in your web browser.

Here at MindComet we use Excel spreadsheets to keep track of what’s working and what’s not with all of the email campaigns we manage, but Google Docs may just add that last bit of efficiency and collaboration we’re looking for. What, if anything, do you use to track the changes and breaks with your email campaigns? Do you simply list all of the errors, or do you consolidate them in lists that you share with your co-workers?

If you don’t currently have a QA process or method, you should probably develop one, so why not start with Google Docs? It’s free, quick and convenient. ‘Nuff said.

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Posted by Bryan Quilty on Feb. 22, 2010

The Litmus Test

If you’re managing email campaigns and you’re finding it difficult / time-consuming to properly test and QA your emails, consider this handy tool: Litmus.

Litmus delivers screenshots of what your email (or web page) looks like in every major client.  They currently test on the following platforms:

• Outlook 2007
• Outlook 2003
• Outlook 2002/XP
• Outlook 2000
• Gmail
• Hotmail
• AOL Mail
• Yahoo! Mail
• Lotus Notes 8
• Lotus Notes 7
• Lotus Notes 6.5
• Apple Mail 3
• Apple Mail 2.1

It’s a quick and convenient way to make sure that your email is rendering correctly across all clients.  It’s relatively cheap too!  Only $18 for a day’s worth of use, $55 per month for unlimited tests (ideal) and $185 a month for unlimited tests as well as 10 user accounts.

They have a blog that’s worth checking out.  They update it consistently with all of their updates and integration options.

If you’re currently using this, please comment below!  Share your thoughts!  We’d love to hear what you have to say.

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Posted by MindComet on May. 08, 2008