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Email is currently under careful scrutiny, because "spammers" (email abusers) have routinely broken all of the "rules" observed by the professional IT and E-commerce communities. Take EVERY precaution not to become a "spammer", even by accident.
The Rules of the Road for using email.
Because the rules are constantly changing, practices permitted and commonly used in the past may no longer be considered an "acceptable" use of email. If you have any doubts, err on the side of "DON'T".
DO
Do adopt and follow a "privacy policy" for all of your clients and customers. Publish this policy where the customer can find it (on the website or in the document being mailed).
Do honor ALL requests from a customer or client to be removed from the email address list.
DON'T
Don't sell or trade email addresses with firms or individuals that do not have explicit permission to circulate the address of an individual or firm. If there is a doubt about the supplier's privacy concerns, don't provide addresses to them, even if you have permission to give the address to someone else.
Don't put false, misleading, or gibberish text ANYWHERE in your email, particularly the address and subject lines.
Don't use mail resources (someone else's server) that you are not entitled to use, and don't ever let anyone else get access to your mail server by using scripts that allow abuse of your ISP's mail resources. If you do not understand this, talk with your ISP about how to use email securely.
Text versus HTML
Mail clients (Microsoft Outlook, for example) can receive email in more than one format. HTML uses the features of a web page (graphics, attractive text, colors, links, etc.) to provide a more attractive and functional message, but many security-conscious people will not open an HTML email because it can contain "scripts" that are annoying or dangerous.
If you want to use HTML, be sure to use mail software that provides both HTML and "text" formats at the same time. This will assure your recipient of getting a message. Avoid using word processors with a "Save to Web Page" feature, as they produce amazing volumes of "hidden" text, embedded into the HTML. If you do not use HTML editors to prepare the HTML version, have an IT professional prepare this page for you.
Never send a customer or client an email containg scripts that produce annoying pop-up screens or security concerns. This is a sure way to lose the customer forever.
Maintain your address list
Because email contact with customers can be very effective, inexpensive, and profitable, always maintain the address list after a mailing to eliminate errors, bad addresses, etc. This is the ONLY professional approach. If your address list has become too large or complex to maintain, YOU have become a "spammer" and a part of the problem.
Link's
Links are an important part of email, allowing the customer to move directly to an appropriate web page. Links with AOL "text" customers can be quite tricky, so use HTML with them whenever practical. Always include at least one link to your site and another link for an email response, as a minimum.