Putting a linked image in a Snap WebHost email

Snap WebHost allows you to send email invitations and reminders to a list of respondents. You must set up emails in a database link in Snap. You can make further changes to them after uploading your survey to Snap WebHost. This worksheet describes how to insert an image into a Snap WebHost email and then link it to a website. It assumes that you have already set up the survey in Snap with a database link which includes invite and reminder emails.

Background

When you upload a published survey to Snap WebHost, you upload the survey itself, any images used in the questionnaire and the information from the linked database that Snap WebHost needs to send out the emails.

Once you have uploaded the survey, the only information that Snap WebHost has is the data that was in the published zip file. It cannot access information that was on your PC or local network. If you want to use an image in the emails that you did not use in your survey, you can do this by adding it to the published zip file before you upload it. If the image is already on the internet, you can insert a link to the image.

Since Snap WebHost can send out HTML emails, you can insert links, styles and HTML code into the emails. If you are experienced in writing HTML, you can edit the email directly in HTML. (Note that Snap does not provide support for HTML coding.)

Summary of steps

Step 1: Adding an image to the published zip file
Step 2: Inserting the image in the email
Step 3: Adding a link to your image
Step 4: Test that the email is as you expect

Step 1: Adding an image to the published zip file

1. Create the graphic that you want to use in your email. Check that it is a suitable size (small) and resolution to be in an email. Save it as a png, gif or jpg format.
2. Set up a survey for Snap WebHost that includes a database link with invitation emails as described in the help topic: Setting up email invites for Snap WebHost.
3. When creating the emails, insert the survey link, and any database fields (such as the name of the respondent) that you wish to use in the email.

   

4. Save your database link and publish the survey with the link selected (as described in the help topic: Selecting the database link).
5. Make a note of the location of the published zip file.

   

6. Copy your image and paste it into the zip file.

Step 2: Inserting the image in the email

1. Upload your published zip file (including the extra graphic) to Snap WebHost as described in Upload the published survey to Snap WebHost.
2. Click on the name of the survey and then select the Messages tab. A summary of the email messages will be displayed.

   

3. Double-click the first invite pane or click its Edit link. The email editor opens.

   

4. Click in the body of the email at the place where you would like the graphic to appear, then click the insert image button  button on the toolbar.
5. The Insert image dialog appears, showing all the images in the zip file.

   

6. Select the image that you added to the zip file. (You can search for images by typing any part of their name in the search box at the top right.)
   When you select an image, its URL appears in the Web address box. (If you wish to insert an image that is elsewhere on the internet, you can type its web address in here without adding it to the zip file.)
7. Enter some text that describes the image in the Alternate text field. This will be used by screen reading software or displayed if the image is not downloaded in the email.
8. Leave the Width and Height boxes blank.
9. Click [Insert] to insert your image.

Step 3: Adding a link to your image

If you wish, you can add a link to your image so respondents can click on the image to go to a web page.

1. Select your image by clicking on it.

   

2. Click the link button . The Insert hyperlink dialog opens.
3. Enter the URL that you wish to link to as the address.

   

4. Enter the text you wish to appear when the respondent hovers over the image as the ToolTip. (This way the tool tip is dealt with depends on the respondent’s email server.)
5. Check the Open link in new window option to show the linked page in a new browser window.
6. Click [Insert].
7. Make any other required changes to your email. You will need to include an opt out option to conform to Snap’s terms of use.
8. Click [Save] to save your email.

Step 4: Test that the email is as you expect

Your edited email will be previewed in the Messages pane.

1. Click the Test link to send a test message to yourself to confirm that the graphic appears correctly in an email.

   

2. Enter your email address in the dialog box and click [Send].
3. Close the dialog.
4. Check your emails. When the email arrives open it to confirm that it looks as you would expect.
5. Click the picture to confirm that the link you have inserted is correct.

   

Conclusion

This worksheet has described how to upload extra images to Snap WebHost and insert them in an email invitation.

If you would like to know about uploading respondent addresses, see the worksheet: Identifying your respondents in a Snap WebHost survey.

If you would like to see the help on Snap WebHost’s email editor, see the topic: Using the email editor.

If there is a topic you would like a worksheet on, email to snapideas@snapsurveys.com