Hey there! Have you ever agonized over an email after you hit send, wondering if it got lost in spam or if the recipient even bothered to read it? I‘ve been in your shoes plenty of times. The uncertainty over what happens to emails after I press send used to keep me up at night.
But here‘s the good news – those days are over thanks to email tracking tools. These ingenious apps provide amazing visibility into your recipients‘ engagement with your emails.
In this post, I‘ll explain exactly how email tracking works and show you 11 awesome tools to try out. You‘ll learn how to analyze key metrics to optimize your email game. Let‘s get tracking!
A Quick Intro to Email Tracking and Why It‘s Valuable
Email tracking tools work by embedding a tiny transparent image (tracking pixel) into your outgoing emails. When the recipient opens your email, the tracking pixel contacts the email tracking server and records info like:
- Open time and date
- Number of opens/reopens
- Device and location
- Clicks on links
- Email forwards
- And much more!
This data is then compiled into reports and analytics you can use to gauge engagement and optimize your email campaigns.
Here are some powerful ways email tracking provides value:
- See if your email grabs attention or gets ignored
- Identify best time to reach your audience
- Personalize outreach based on engagement
- Prioritize follow up with non-openers
- Tweak content that doesn‘t get clicks
- Cut down on spamming disengaged contacts
- Track email deliverability across providers
- Get notified instantly when emails are opened
- View simple visualizations of email performance
- And more!
Let‘s look at some stats on how impactful email tracking can be:
- Emails with personalized subject lines have 26% higher open rates (Experian)
- 49% of emails are opened within 3 hours of being received (Boomerang)
- Cold emails get up to 50% higher response rates when sent based on target‘s typical reply times (Mixmax)
Now that you know why email tracking is so valuable, let‘s explore the top tools available in 2022.
11 Game Changing Email Tracking Tools to Level Up Your Email Marketing
Here are 11 stellar email tracking tools I recommend checking out:
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1. SalesHandy 🏆
My #1 Top Pick
If I had to choose one favorite email tracking tool, it would be SalesHandy. This tool is an absolute game-changer for boosting conversions from cold email outreach.
SalesHandy integrates with Gmail and Outlook to provide incredibly detailed tracking and analytics, including:
- Open & click tracking with timestamps
- Track number of opens per email
- Activity time tracking
- Lead scoring based on engagement
- Automated follow-up reminders
- Email templates and sequencing
- Detailed reports and visualizations
One of my favorite aspects of SalesHandy is how easy it makes crafting effective cold emails at scale. You can create sequences targeted to different recipient personas and customize follow-up timing based on engagement.
The tool helped me increase conversions from cold emails by over 15% in just 2 months by ensuring I sent timely, relevant follow-ups tailored to each prospect‘s activity.
Other key benefits:
💡 Real-time tracking notifications
💡 Prioritize outreach based on engagement
💡 Integration with CRMs like Salesforce
💡 Spam testing to optimize deliverability
SalesHandy offers a free Lite plan for basic tracking or paid Pro plans starting at $15 per month for the full suite of features. For the complete cold email marketing toolkit, SalesHandy wins my vote.
2. Mailtrack
If you primarily use Gmail and want straightforward open and click tracking for free, Mailtrack is an excellent choice.
It‘s super easy to install the Gmail extension and start seeing useful tracking data right in your inbox, including:
- Open & click tracking
- Link metrics like CTR
- Email open heatmaps
- Tracking analytics dashboard
- Gmail integration
One thing I like about Mailtrack is how lightweight and unintrusive it feels. It doesn‘t disrupt your normal email workflow like some tools.
Key stats:
- Tracks over 150 million emails per month
- Average click-through-rate increase of 14%
- Available in 5 languages
For no-fuss open and click tracking on Gmail, Mailtrack is a great free option.
3. Streak CRM
Want email tracking tightly integrated with a full-featured CRM? Check out Streak.
Streak combines robust CRM capabilities like pipeline management, contact profiles, and task automation with detailed email tracking.
With Streak, you get helpful tracking metrics like:
- Open & click tracking
- Automated lead scoring
- Activity time tracking
- Conversion and goal tracking
- Email productivity features
Streak positions itself as an all-in-one platform to manage your pipeline within Gmail itself. I like how it unifies your email tracking data with contact and deal records for a single source of truth.
While they offer a free plan, the CRM-like features make Streak better suited for sales teams willing to invest in the paid tiers. But if you want tight integration between your CRM and email tracking, Streak does a fantastic job.
4. Hunter
For straightforward, no fuss email tracking, check out the free MailTracker extension from the folks at Hunter.
As the name suggests, MailTracker focuses on providing real-time email tracking and notifications without a bunch of extra bells and whistles.
Key tracking features include:
- Open & click notifications
- Link click-through-rates
- Number of opens tracking
- Tracking analytics
- Lightweight Gmail extension
I‘m a big fan of the minimalist approach Hunter takes. If your needs are basic, MailTracker makes email tracking simple and free.
5. Yesware
Used by over 10,000 businesses, Yesware is likely the most popular dedicated email sales toolkit.
Yesware packs a huge range of email marketing and sales features, including excellent email tracking abilities like:
- Open, click, and reply tracking
- Email productivity features
- Meeting scheduling
- Email templates
- CRM integrations
- A/B testing
- Detailed analytics
With Yesware, you gain a powerhouse sales platform layered on top of email tracking. It‘s invests heavily in tracking features, with real-time notifications and visual analytics.
However, Yesware is one of the pricier options out there, with plans starting at $12 per user/month for the basic package. The extensive features make it better suited for mid-market and enterprise sales teams.
But if you want a branded sales toolkit that goes beyond just tracking, Yesware is a leader in the space.
6. Mixmax
Another sales-focused email powerhouse is Mixmax. Mixmax integrates directly with Gmail to track, analyze, and automate your email campaigns.
Key tracking features include:
- Open, click, and reply tracking
- Link and file engagement metrics
- Tracking analytics dashboard
- Activity time tracking
- Automated follow-up reminders
- CRM and calendar integrations
A core differentiator for Mixmax is its excellent tracking-driven automation. You can set up sequences and workflows that adapt to prospect activity and engagement.
For example, you could:
- Send a follow-up if no response after 2 days
- Add/remove prospects from lists based on opens
- Tag contacts who clicked specific links
- Filter and prioritize leads by activity
Powerful stuff! Though Mixmax starts at $9 per user/month, so it is best suited to funded sales teams. But if you want robust tracking and automation, Mixmax brings some of the smartest features.
7. MailerLite 💰
Best Budget Pick
If you‘re looking for an affordable all-in-one email marketing platform with tracking, check out MailerLite.
Although MailerLite focuses on email marketing automation, it has excellent basic email tracking abilities, including:
- Open & click tracking
- Link and file engagement tracking
- Email open heatmaps
- Device and location data
- Email forwarding tracking
- Activity time tracking
- Visual analytics
A core MailerLite plan starts at just $10 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers, making it one of the most budget-friendly solutions.
For solopreneurs, small teams, and bootstrapped startups needing solid tracking without breaking the bank, MailerLite is a top pick.
8. Mailtrack.io
Another easy-to-use tracking tool for Gmail users is Mailtrack.io. It‘s very similar to Mailtrack but with a few different capabilities.
Key tracking features:
- Open, click, and reply tracking
- Email notifications
- Activity time tracking
- Link and file engagement
- Tracking analytics
- Gmail and Outlook integration
A helpful differentiator of Mailtrack.io is how it spaces out and throttles tracking notifications to avoid noise. It also gamifies tracking metrics to encourage checking your stats.
For straightforward open and click tracking with Gmail, Mailtrack.io is one of the top complements to consider alongside Mailtrack, Hunter, and GetNotify.
9. GetNotify
Another tidy email tracking option is GetNotify. As the name implies, real-time open tracking notifications are a core focus.
Key capabilities:
- Open and click notifications
- Location tracking
- Basic link click metrics
- Lightweight tracking dashboard
- Gmail integration
- Free plan available
I like how GetNotify provides email open tracking alerts without a complex setup. Just install the Chrome extension, connect your Gmail, and you‘ll get notified every time an email is opened.
For quick open tracking alerts without needing advanced analytics, GiveNotify is a solid free choice.
10. Bananatag 🍌
Need an email marketing platform bundled with tracking? Check out Bananatag.
Bananatag provides email tracking capabilities alongside automation, templates, segmentation, surveys, and other robust email marketing features.
Key tracking features include:
- Open & click tracking
- Email heatmaps
- Device and location tracking
- Link and file tracking
- Tracking analytics dashboard
- Real-time tracking alerts
A basic Bananatag plan starts at $9/month for 500 subscribers making it budget-friendly for solopreneurs dipping their toes into more advanced email marketing.
For automated marketing campaigns with thorough tracking built-in, Bananatag is a solid pick.
11. Mailshake
Last but not least is Mailshake – an excellent option focused purely on boosting conversions from cold email outreach.
Key capabilities include:
- Open, click, and reply tracking
- Link and file engagement metrics
- Email productivity features
- Email templates and sequencing
- Lead scoring and prioritization
- Automated follow-up reminders
- CRM integrations
A core strength of Mailshake is its excellent database of verified company and prospect contact details. This ensures your cold outreach lands in the right inboxes.
While a basic plan is available for free, Mailshake packs the biggest punch when you step up to the $50+/month paid tiers with automation. But if cold email is your top priority, Mailshake brings fantastic tracking and optimization features purpose-built for that use case.
Key Metrics and Reports to Analyze in Your Email Tracking Tools
Once you start tracking your email campaigns, you‘ll get access to a trove of valuable performance data. But what key metrics should you focus on?
Here are the top email tracking KPIs and reports to monitor:
Open rate – Percentage of total recipients who opened the email. Industry averages range from 10-30%.
Click-through rate (CTR) – Percentage who clicked any link in the email. 2-5% is solid.
Click-to-open rate – Percentage of opens that resulted in a click. Higher indicates greater engagement.
Conversion rate – Percentage who completed your desired conversion goal.
Unsubscribe rate – Percentage who opted out or unsubscribed. Below 0.5% is good, under 2% acceptable.
Bounce rate – Percentage of emails bounced back. Under 2% is ideal, under 5% is OK.
Spam complaints – Percentage of emails reported as spam. Less than 1% is preferable.
Device breakdown – % that opened on desktop vs mobile vs webmail apps.
Email client data – Top apps your emails are opened on like Gmail, Outlook, etc.
Engagement heatmaps – See day/time most emails are opened and clicked on.
Link/file metrics – Track engagement for hyperlinks and file downloads in your emails.
Email forwarding – See who forwarded your emails on to other contacts.
Analyzing this tracking data will reveal opportunities to optimize your efforts for greater conversions.
Pro Tips and Best Practices for Email Tracking
Here are some pro tips to ensure you use email tracking effectively:
💡 Review tracking data at least weekly – Don‘t just set it and forget it! Regularly monitoring your reports is key.
💡 A/B test different approaches like subject lines, content, timing, segmentation, and analyze the data.
💡 Use activity filtering to separate engaged subscribers from inactive ones.
💡 Follow up with hyper-personalized messaging based on each prospect‘s engagement.
💡 Build sequences and automations using tracking data triggers to adapt to their behavior.
💡 Ensure your email content remains relevant – don‘t get overly obsessed with open rates.
💡 Integrate tracking with your CRM to unify insights with contact data.
💡 Avoid overdoing it on tracking notifications – too many can get distracting.
💡 Seed accounts across different providers like Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo to uncover deliverability issues.
💡 Supplement tracking with surveys to uncover reasons for engagement trends.
Wrap Up: Start Tracking for Email Success
There you have it, friend! Everything you need to unlock the power of email tracking for your marketing efforts.
Knowing exactly how recipients engage with your emails is game-changing. You can craft targeted messaging and follow-ups tailored to each contact‘s activity.
Just don‘t lose sight of genuinely connecting with subscribers in pursuit of vanity metrics. Combine tracking with automation and one-to-one personalization for the best results.
The tools featured in this post provide awesome tracking capabilities, from lightweight Gmail extensions to full-scale sales platforms. Choose the one aligned to your use case, features, and budget.
Now that you know who‘s engaging with your emails and when, you can optimize your outreach for greater success. Here‘s to boosting those open and click-through-rates!
Let me know if you have any other questions about email tracking. I‘m always happy to help fellow marketers. Now go track down those conversions!
