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How to embed codes into your email?
Invisible counters, scripts, codes to
track your newsletter click through...
 

Embedding tracking codes, invisible counters...

Cookies, spywares, etc. into HTML email messages to monitor and track recipients click through rate, email client, browser, country, etc. -- is a popular method used by many emailers--usually without the recipient consent.

 

How to embed your HTML email with tracker code?

The first step is to sign-up for a few free counter trackers (see below listings of free tracker and counters). Different tracker for tracking different email message, you can rotate and reuse the same tracker for different weekly newsletter. When you sign-up, you will be given some some kind of tracker script to track visitors by their (bottom of this page)
for example: PHP scripts  JavaScript or CGI/Perl

Second step is to create a webpage for each of your tracker script, to track different email message and then reuse or rotate different webpage tracker for different email message. It is recommended to have some contents on your tracker webpage, just incase a search engine or visitor stumble onto it, the contents does not affect the tracking ability.

Third step is to "input" your given tracking script into your webpage and upload it. Normally, when you sign-up, the tracking script is given together with some instructions on how to "input" it into your webpage. Here is an example:

Normally the instructions are to input the codes, scripts etc. between the webpage HTML body

 

 
 
 

Sample of tracking script

Notes
To create HTML webpage and email without having to learn Hypertext Markup Language, free software are available for download from; 1st Page at www.evrsoft.com  or
Netscape Composer (utility of Netscape Navigator browser).

Finally, the last step is to create your HTML formatted email message (same as a webpage), input the same tracker script into your newsletter message (exactly like step 3) and email the message out to your recipients.

When your recipients read or view the email (while on-line), they will be tracked by their IP address, data collected and stored for retrieval by you from the tracker site.

To embed auto pop-up browser windows directing email recipients to any specified website. See: Embed html email

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Advantage and disadvantage of tracking your customers

The advantage - Able to gather lots of information from recipients that is viewing your tracked HTML formatted message.

Disadvantages are:

  • Recipients dislike having to pay for bandwidth to download embedded images and all kinds of bugs and HTML messages take longer to download.

  • Recipients distrust the sender or company that includes tracker without permission.

  • Recipients are aware that HTML email are not secure and that even in preview mode all kinds of "bugs" from "pop-up" annoying Ads, connect their browser to sites which they don't want to go, cookies, viruses tracking scripts and all kinds of embedded bugs and gadgets.
  • To prevent virus from spreading, many corporations system delivers HTML email as text only or are constrained by policy to disperse HTML emails as text message and your HTML email will look like goobegook.

  • America Online (AOL) users also cannot read HTML enabled email (except for those using AOL 6.0) because AOL uses a proprietary format and non standard HTML

  • Important notes
    AOL, Hotmail, Yahoo etc., expend huge effort to block mass or bulk email from getting to their users. One of the ways to avoid sending HTML and to mix your AOL customers together with other email domain--meaning that if your email list database consist of only AOL addresses, it will be difficult to get them delivered.

  • Recipients retaliate by viewing emails off-line and have the pleasure of knowing that they can't be tracked or having to download all kinds embedded web bugs gadgets.

  • MS Outlook users don't even need to disconnect their always-on Internet connection; they simple double click on the icon at the taskbar to be off-line.

Web bugs are small graphic images inserted into web pages, emails and HTML or web documents to allow companies to gather information about you without your knowledge.

 

 

 


 


 

Listings of free tracker and counters

www.fxweb.com/tracker/ Free tracker, allowed for sites with more that 500 visitors per day, very reliable, track browser version, busiest times, day, visitors etc.

www.clickxchange.com Free visitor tracker features custom counters styles, creates dynamic charts showing visitors, page views, country maps, visit durations and much more!

www.resources.htibox.com Free for up to 500 statistics and multiple page tracking

www.sitestatz.com Free webpage tracker that gives complete statistics, including referring links, browser version and more.

www.thecounter.com  Free counter, choice of private or public statistics, receive free visitors count via email, no ads are required to be placed on your website

www.showstat.com Free for non-commercial sites only.

http://usa.nedstat.net/index.html  Free for personal websites with complete list of info about your site, last 20 referrers, requires no banner ads.

http://service.bfast.com Hourly statistics with graph, daily statistics, monthly statistics and statistics for the whole year. The counter has many different styles and colors to choose from and each member ID can have 3 counters

www.sitegadgets.com  Standard website counter and Website Monitor to let you know when your site goes down plus free Download Tracker that tracks the number of times each of your files are downloaded.

www.webtrendslive.com Tracker gives statistics for unlimited number of pages, total page views, unique visitors, returning visitors, average visit length, average time spent on pages, referring domains, urls, search engines, search phrases, operating system, plugins, screen resolution, colors etc.

www.extreme-dm.com/tracking/ Tracker gives statistics, including referring links, hits received and more.

www.sitegauge.com Multiple page tracking, statistics, info about visitors, referring urls, keywords used etc.

www.sitetracker.com Complete statistics, including average load time of your site, average length of stay, referring pages and more. Required a banner for the free version.

www.fastcounter.com Very reliable counter at website, receive statistics via email.


 


 

 


 


What are JavaScript?
JavaScript are code written as text within the HTML source of the web page and is often used to check the data entered into a webpage form and the visitor's web browser interprets and executes the code rather than a web server.

http://javaboutique.internet.com - Cool collection of free Java applets for download and tutorials.

http://java-scripts.net/ Lots of cool stuff, free javascripts with easy instructions and how to tutorials.

Check out Matt's Script Archive for free CGI Scripts that you can install on your web sites that comes with with detailed installation instructions www.scriptarchive.com/

What is PHP? PHP is an alternative to Perl and the cgi-bin it is a scripting language used to process data from a web browser and then return the data in the form of a web page. For more info visit www.php.net

CGI (Common Gateway Interface): A protocol for gathering data from a Form and sending it to a program or Script such as Perl (a transfer interface) method for processing a Form. You use CGI scripts when you want 2-way communication with your readers. See: About CGI

CGI scripts are often written in the following languages:
Perl, C/C++, Visual Basic - Scripts written in the above languages are called server-side scripts as they are located on the server and are executed only when a user clicks 'submit' on a fill-out form. And JavaScript, VBScript - are known as client-side scripting languages and are located in HTML documents and are executed by your browser.

Have a look at Jacqueline D. Hamilton's on-line tutorial "CGI Programming 101." In it, she teaches you the basics of writing Perl CGI Scripts, step-by-step www.cgi101.com/class/

Perl (Practical Extraction and Report Language): The most common scripting language for processing Form data. CGI scripts are programs that act as gateways between web servers, other applications and your website visitors.


 

 

 

 

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