Tracking opened emails?

[supajj]

How can you track opened emails using ListMail?

Or

How can one embed a tracking link in a graphic that triggers a hit when loading as the email is opened?

Or

Perhaps you can suggest a script that can be used?


Thanks! :lol:

[DW]

This is possible, however it is recommended that you use text-only email as remotely linked images are often blocked.  This is because linked images can be used by spammers to confirm your email address as active.

Check out this post for a script:

Customization, Integration -> Track how many times an HTML message was opened
http://www.listmailpro.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7

[supajj]

Thanks for guiding me to your previous posting and the archived script!

I have been testing the email tracking features on the site:

www.readnotify.com

I have been able to track both text (only) and html emails.

It works by adding and extension to the recipients email address in your list before sending.

Let me know if you think it is a valid system and if you could add something like this to expand Listmail's tracking features?

Thanks!

[DW]

How does the text-only tracking system work?  I don't understand how the script gets information back from the client.

[supajj]

I am not completely sure?

I was hoping you could give it a whirl and and let me know? You seem to have a lot more experience with this stuff than me....

The trial is free...

One can use multiple methods of tracking on each mail out.

The most obvious of which is by adding an extension code (which appears invisible) to the end of the recipients email address. It seems to trigger a response back to their server. You can view if it was opened and how long it was open/read... since the email address is in plain text format....?

Thanks!

[paulzaiter]

Hi

How do you add the code to 40,000 email addresses?

Paul

[BGSWebDesign]

Hi,

This looks interesting, what did you find out Dean?   Anyway, it appears to be quite expensive, as I found in their FAQ this:

additional email credits may be purchased at US 0.02 each (minimum purchase US $20.00).

For a list over 100,000 that would come to $2,000!

Let us know if you find anything else about this technology, I'm not sure I understand how it works.

Thanks,

[BGSWebDesign]

Dean,

You state in your followup:

This is possible, however it is recommended that you use text-only email as remotely

That script you reference in the Customization, Integration board is for an <IMG> tag in an HTML Email.  I'd like to know how anyone could use that in a text only email, as it won't open?  If it does open, it falls under HTML Email which, as I stated results in 30% blocked emails.

If you have an option that works in text only please let me know.

[DW]

Brett,

Going through old posts... organizing the forum.

Text-only tracking seems to be possible... ! Check out that site "supajj" recommended, www.readnotify.com.  I haven't had a chance (yet) to research this more but am definitely willing to consider it if you can explain it to me.

Regards

[BGSWebDesign]

Hi DW,

I haven't had a chance (yet) to research this more but am definitely willing to consider it if you can explain it to me.

I believe I looked at that site before, here's the problem I see with it, at first glance, from the website:

Simply add:   .readnotify.com   to the end of your recipients email address

It seems like they are asking you to add that, AND then to send everything through their servers... this would never work... it doesn't seem it's possible, and I don't believe it ever WILL be possible to add this type of tracking - UNLESS someone at microsoft/yahoo/aol get's smart about setting up/creating 'SENDERID' features which has been talked about for years...    Even if they do, I don't know if it would allow OPEN tracking...

The ONLY way I know to do this is with an invisible .gif file embedded in the message which has several problems as we've already discussed in this post... hence my opinion:

It is IMPOSSIBLE to reliably and safely track opened email...  

Please don't rack your brain on it, you've got much more important things to work on ...  Split-Test tracking, etc....  (can't wait for that)...