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Something Wrong With My Aweber Stats? No Opens But Unsubscribes

by Liam Hamer
4 replies
In the last few weeks, I've started working again on a list that I haven't really worked on for the last year or so. I've made a few changes, added a bunch of follow ups and am sending out broadcasts every now and then too. I am also getting new subscribers. The problem is, my stats are showing that nobody is opening my messages :confused: My open rates have never been high, but at least a few people have opened them.

At first I thought it was due to my titles, or the subscribers just weren't interested in what I had to offer. Now though, I'm wondering if it is a stats/tracking problem with Aweber. 3 days ago, 4 people unsubscribed. Yet my stats say no messages have been opened for the last week. To unsubscribe, you have to obviously open the message! I'm really confused about this, but at the same time am slightly optimistic that the lack of opens isn't because my titles suck :p Any help and advice much appreciated

Edit: Hmmm, just had a search and found this:-

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...explained.html

Is this my problem? I only send plain text E-Mails, not html ones. Are plain text E-Mails untrackable?
#aweber #opens #stats #unsubscribes #wrong
  • Profile picture of the author Lainie
    Yes, plain text emails are untrackable because of the way Aweber tracks opens...

    Html emails contain a tiny 1 pixel by 1 pixel graphic that is inserted to track open rates...

    Even this isn't foolproof though.

    Check how many of your list use gmail and similar email clients because on html emails a tiny 1 pixel by 1 pixel graphic is inserted to track open rates... and in gmail and some others - there is a specific link in the top of the email that most people miss. It asks if you would like to display graphics from this sender.

    If they know there aren't any graphics - it's easy for them to overlook it and not approve the display... Hence the autoresponder is unaware that the email has been opened as the graphic link was not displayed.

    So it could be that you actually have a far higher open rate than you thought.
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    • Profile picture of the author Liam Hamer
      Originally Posted by Lainie View Post

      Yes, plain text emails are untrackable because of the way Aweber tracks opens...

      Html emails contain a tiny 1 pixel by 1 pixel graphic that is inserted to track open rates...

      Even this isn't foolproof though.

      Check how many of your list use gmail and similar email clients because on html emails a tiny 1 pixel by 1 pixel graphic is inserted to track open rates... and in gmail and some others - there is a specific link in the top of the email that most people miss. It asks if you would like to display graphics from this sender.

      If they know there aren't any graphics - it's easy for them to overlook it and not approve the display... Hence the autoresponder is unaware that the email has been opened as the graphic link was not displayed.

      So it could be that you actually have a far higher open rate than you thought.
      Yeah, I know when my wife was sending out E-Mails in html for a list she had - she was getting an excellent open rate. I think I'm going to have to send both html and text from now on. I am trying to improve this entire area, listbuilding is admittedly somewhat of a weakness for me so it doesn't help when I can't see if anyone is opening my E-Mails
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Liam Hamer View Post

    Are plain text E-Mails untrackable?
    Not entirely, but "pretty much".

    Aweber will count as an "open" (by reasonable inference) anything from a plain text email that qualifies as a click-through, so it's not quite accurate to say that no plain text emails get their open-rate monitored.

    But that's all.
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  • Profile picture of the author Coby
    I was gonna say "Plaint Text Emails" but you have already figured that out.

    Another option is also that they can get a "follow up" message and unsubscribe so it wouldn't show up on the broadcasts stats.

    Good Luck
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