MailChimp is the way to go. They show you open rates, etc. We have found that simple, text only, large font emails tend to get opened more often, with a much higher conversion rate. People just aren't willing to wait 5 seconds to let fancy emails load.
I agree with you about using the simple type of email without a lot of fancy art to get in the way of the message. A bit is ok. I do think this simpler type of message does help with conversion rates.
I disagree with you in that those type of emails get opened more as until the person opens it up there is no way for that person to know whether it's a "fancy" or "plain" type of email. They all look the same until opened up.
To be more specific, if someone clicks on an email to open it, but that person clicks away before it finishes loading I don't consider that opened. But yes, fancy or plain won't impact the number of people who try to open it.
It requires personal interaction?
I never had AOL. I've been a yahoo mail man since the early daysBut most people receive emails on their phones these days instead of their computers.
Remember that great feeling you would get back in the day when you heard "You've Got Mail" ?
1995?You might not be old enough