Not all email programs automatically display images.  Gmail is one that does not – at least yet.  You have to click on the “display images” to see them.  So if images are not displayed, what shows?

When you upload an image into an email in Infusionsoft, you have the option to put in text in the alt text section (alt meaning alternative).  In some cases, default text “Interesting Image” is here – change it!  Put something descriptive in there.

You can also use merge fields to draw more attention to it.  For instance, in the header, I say, “First Name, can’t see images?  Click ‘Display Images’.”  I do this by using the merge code for first name.

Why is it important for readers to display images?  If you’re looking at the reporting and want to know the number of opens, images have to be displayed for this to report accurately.  See, there’s a hidden little image embedded into the emails so you want your readers to display images.  If they read the message in preview or don’t display images, it doesn’t record as an open.