Havenstar Email Templates
Quick Intro
Email templates are used to prepare and reuse content for communicating with your customers, such as marketing content, and important marina information. They can be personalised using dynamic variables, so that each customer receives a unique message. You can also specify standard attachments to include with every email, such as a marina map, or VHF frequencies. This article describes how to edit the advanced HTML email templates.
Where To Find It
You can access the email template configuration screen by using the Nav Bar search function - simply search "email templates" and the option will appear.
It can also be added to your Nav Bar and favourited if you want to access it frequently, or can be accessed via the Communications Centre Settings screen.
Accessing the Email Templates screen via the Nav Bar search function
Orientation
The Email Templates screen enables the following functions:
- Creating, editing, and deleting templates.
- Editing template content with HTML formatting.
- Specifying default attachments to include with every email using that template.
- Uploading existing HTML documents to use for the template.
See the screenshot below for an example of the layout.
Email Templates screen with core functions labelled.
Creating new templates
Getting started
Start by selecting a category, then clicking the green Add button to create a new template. The category will determine in which contexts the template will appear as available for selection, and which personalisation variables are relevant - more on that later.
Enter the basic details about the template:
- A unique template name
- The subject - this will appear in the Subject field on the emails.
- The "from address" - this will appear to the recipient(s) as the sender's email address i.e. if they click Reply, this will be the address they reply to.
- The "from name" - this will appear to the recipient(s) as the sender's name.
Depending on which service you are using for your emailing, there may be restrictions on what you can use as the "from address". This is to protect recipients from spam email, and improve the security of emailing services.
Editing content
To edit the body of the email, click the yellow Pen button. This will open a separate window where you can create formatted text, much like a typical text editor, such as Word. You can use different fonts, text sizes, colours, and styles, as well as include images, and also dynamic fields that can personalise each email to the specific customer - more on that below.
When you're finished, simply close this window using the X and then click the yellow Save button back in the Email Templates screen.
The email template content editor.
These dynamic fields are automatically personalised depending on the customer receiving the email. For example, you can include the customer name field, and this will automatically be set to that specific customer's name e.g. "Dear %CUSTOMER.FULLNAME%" becomes "Dear Mr. John Smith".
The available fields depend on the category of the template. Some fields are available in multiple categories. For example, the "Boat details" fields are available in almost every category, because almost every category pertains to a boat in some way. However, "Bookings details" fields are only available if a template is in the "Bookings" category.