Email is alive and well in 2023, with global usage expanding at an astounding rate. Over 304 billion emails sent daily last year is projected to reach over 376 billion by 2025 according to Radicati Group.
However, with this email explosion comes intensified privacy concerns and deliverability headaches. Inboxes are more crowded than ever, while providers like Apple allow users to easily block advertiser pixels with a click.
This makes email tracking tools an essential piece of seeing through the noise. Detailed visibility into exactly who engages with your emails allows the refinement needed to breakthrough.
Why Email Tracking Matters More Than Ever
Let‘s briefly highlight recent email landscape trends demonstrating the value email tracking provides today:
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Inbox overload: Most inboxes receive over 100 emails daily and struggle to surface relevant content. Tracking helps confirm your emails register.
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Engagement benchmarking: Across industries, average email open rates range from 10-30%, while click rates fall between 2-5%. Tracking can benchmark your performance.
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Changing privacy norms: 72% of customers now expect transparent disclosures around email tracking. Tools allow policies to match expectations.
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Deliverability challenges: Spam filters and new anti-tracking features on iOS mail mean fewer emails land successfully, making optimization essential.
Key Types of Email Tracking
Before reviewing top software options, let‘s outline popular tracking techniques:
Pixel Tracking
This approach inserts invisible tracking pixels that communicate data when loaded. Pros: Provides extensive behavioral data. Cons: Perceived as intrusive by some.
Link Wrapping
Wraps all links to register clicks and redirects. Pros: More transparent. Cons: Limited to click data only.
Open & Click Counters
Simply logs single click/open events. Pros: Simple and transparent. Cons: Less robust event data.
Leading tools offer hybrid approaches balanced between visibility and depth, along with transparency controls.
Top Email Tracking Software Tools
Now let‘s explore the specific email tracking tools available to unlock the full potential of your email efforts:
1. SalesHandy
Trusted by leading brands like Toyota and Oracle, SalesHandy offers enterprise-grade tracking capabilities.
I especially appreciate SalesHandy‘s depth on the analytics front. Email heatmaps, time-tracking, and geo-location targeting down to the city-level provide unprecedented optimization visibility.
Advanced features like intelligent reminders and cadence automation based on recipient activity cement it as an analytics and operations powerhouse.
2. Mixmax
Mixmax stands out by embedding tracking features into a complete email productivity platform for sales teams.
Real-time behavioral alerts remain robust. But Mixmax extends further allowing you to then direct outreach follow-ups from the same interface.
Scheduling meetings, creating email templates, and automating sequencing complement the tracking tools – recommended for streamlining sales workflows.
3. Retina
Retina brings true innovation into the space by offering AI-powered email analytics.
Rather than simply reporting past open and click activity, Retina‘s algorithms actually predict future email performance. Factors assessed span message sentiment, subject line power, optimal contact timing, past response rates, and expected engagement.
While still a newer offering, expect predictive innovations like Retina to become standard as email tracking evolves.
Optimizing Campaigns with Tracking
The most common application for email tracking is confirming which messages resonate best with each audience and optimizing accordingly.
Some best practices based on the data include:
- Personalize outreach based on individual engagement scored
- Refine subject lines and calls-to-action driving most clicks
- Identify best days/times for each subscriber cohort
- Remove inactive contacts not opening over set time horizons
- Craft tailored follow-up sequences for re-engagement
The Future of Tracking – Push Notifications and More
Finally, as consumer attitudes toward transparency evolve, expect email tracking technology to continue advancing.
One innovation growing in popularity is using push notifications to confirm opens. Rather than hidden pixels, users receive prompts allowing them to consent to read receipt tracking.
Additionally, startups are exploring use of eye-tracking within email clients to eliminate external pixels altogether while gathering precise read time data.
Regardless of the specific techniques used, the importance of understanding email campaign resonance will only intensify. Combine creativity and care in message construction with the optimization visibility provided by tracking tools. This two sided approach is the golden key toward unlocking the full potential of your evolving email strategy moving forward.
