Whenever possible, avoid using URLs as the text of a link.
For example, your message might link to http://bronto.com - with text “http://bronto.com” instead of “Bronto.com” or “Bronto HQ” or “our homepage.”
Some email clients may interpret links with URL text to be malicious and therefore flag your message as “spammy”. Here’s why:
Bronto embeds tracking codes in message links that first point back to us, then point to the target site. These embedded tracking codes enable us to track clicks on your messages. (This is a very common practice with email marketing providers, by the way.)
If you look at the URL of the link, you’ll see that it points to us and not the intended link. Once the recipient passes through Bronto, we forward them to their intended destination.
This is a similar tactic practiced among phishers - the link looks to point one place, but really points elsewhere. Hence, the negative impact on message delivery.
Luckily, this is a pretty easy problem to mitigate. Instead of using URLs as the text, we recommend that you link with text like “visit our website” or “learn more”.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Eric,
You might want to clarify why Bronto embeds tracking codes in the email messages - to gather click-through data which is displayed in the reports Bronto generates for its customers.
- Clayton
Thanks for the feedback, Clayton.
I added a few more lines for clarification.
Eric
Eric-
Is the same true for the alternate text versions of my HTML emails? Which is the better format to use for links in those messages?
Thanks-
Gabe
Good question, Gabe.
Bronto does not embed tracking codes into plain text messages - thus, there is nothing to worry about.
When formatting links for plain text messages, I recommend that you include the URL on a line by itself. Something like this:
Read the Bronto Blog:
http://blog.bronto.com
This makes it easier to copy/paste.
Eric
Another benefit of using Eric’s form of putting the URL on its own line is that many email editors will go ahead and format these links into links that a user can click on (Thunderbird does this for example), even if it is in a text format. By putting the link on its own line you ensure that other formatting (periods, etc.) are removed.