Need a link in an email that goes nowhere

[Nate_Oosterhous]

Hello All,

We need to create a link in a email that we can track but we don't want the link to take the person who clicked the link anywhere.  Essentially it is like a click here to let us know you have been in contact with a certain person.  One they click the link we just want an alert to be sent to the rep who sent the email saying that the person clicked the link.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!

[Aqeel_Akbar · Accepted solution]

Don't know if this is possible, but if it does need to go somewhere, just create a simple branded landing page that says something like, "Thank you! An account manager will be in touch with you shortly," or somethign to that effect.

It offers the person clicking the link confirmation that it did something and that something will indeed happen. If I clicked on a link and nothing happened, I would have no confidence that someone on the other end knew. 

[Anonymous]

I agree with Aqeel! You would want some confirmation for the user that their action did something and you couldn't really render that in an email. So a simple thank you page is probably your best shot and will solve both your problems. 

[Nate_Oosterhous]

Thanks Aqeel,

Do you know if there is anyway to make the thank you message a small pop up window instead of taking them directly to a Landing page?  Do you know if that could be done without development work?

[Aqeel_Akbar]

I think you can make the landing page open up in a new window by doing this:



Don't know how to control the size of the window when it opens up, but at least you can get the window to "pop-up" without any development.

[Justin_Cooperm2]

That's right, you need the link to point somehwere. Confirmation page for best user experience. It's technically impossible to track the click if the link points to nothing. This is because JavaScript is not always supported by various email clients.

[SanfordWhiteman]

@Aqeel that setting is useless in real-world mail apps for two reasons.  One, web-based mail apps already open links in new windows rather than overwriting the mail app window itself.  Two, standalone mail apps have to launch a browser window in any case, so by definition they aren't overwriting anything.

[Nate_Oosterhous]

Thanks everyone for the responses.

I originally wanted to have the link point to nowhere but realize now that would not generate the best user experience.  I then wanted to just have little pop up window that has the thank you message instead of a full landing page that opens in a new tab.  But can't figure out how to do that one.

Originally, I wanted to avoid a thank you Landing Page but realize now that sounds like my only option so I will be going with that approach. 
 

[SanfordWhiteman]

I then wanted to just have little pop up window that has the thank you message instead of a full landing page that opens in a new tab.

Yeah, you can't do this because it implies that the e-mail app is capable of running JavaScript, as @Justin C mentioned (I would go further than he did and say, "It isn't supported" -- unless you are sending to users within your own firm who are all running software with JS turned, you must assume it won't work).

[Nate_Oosterhous]

This email will be going out to Leads who would have various email clients and who knows if they support javascript so it sounds like to me a full thank you landing page is best.