AOL began disabling images in its web based email service today. Previously AOL set images disabled as the default setting for the desktop client, but starting today, images will also be set to disabled in their web based client as well.

This is noteworthy to anyone running email campaigns due to the fact that open rates are typically tracked with a 1×1 pixel image. Combine that with the large amount of AOL email addresses in most email campaigns and you have the recipe for some serious statistical variance in future email metrics. Since most AOL users will now have images turned off by default, you could see a large decrease in open rates depending upon the amount of AOL email subscribers to your email list.

Ideally, you will want AOL email users to have images turned on in order to maintain statistically reliable email data. In order to accomplish this, it may be in your best interest to educate your AOL email customers on how to turn their images back on. There are 3 way to accomplish this:

1. Your subscribers turn their images on manually
2. Your subscribers add your email address to their address book
3. Your IP address is on AOL’s Enhanced Whitelist

Each method can be accomplished in a different manner:

1. Have your subscribers enable images by the show images link for “This Message” or “This Address” that appears at the top of every email.
2. Encourage subscribers to add your email to their address book by a simple reminder or through a promotion.
3. The Enhanced Whitelist is a subset of the general whitelist. If you meet strict delivery standards, it is an automated mechanism by which messages to AOL members are displayed with images and links enabled. The Enhanced Whitelist is only available to senders that are already on the general whitelist. Inclusion in the Enhanced Whitelist is done automatically based on the sending behavior for the past 30 days. Behavior is evaluated by individual IP address, not by overall domain. Keep spam complaints and unknown user rates low to qualify.