greyhoundfriends Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 We have about 1200 customers in our online catalog database. I'd like to either import that addresses to a database and create a monthly newsletter. Or use the newsletter manager feature that is in the Tools section. Does anyone has experience with this? I'd like to include product images rather than just text, so I'm not sure which would be best. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
npn2531 Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 We have about 1200 customers in our online catalog database. I'd like to either import that addresses to a database and create a monthly newsletter. Or use the newsletter manager feature that is in the Tools section. Does anyone has experience with this? I'd like to include product images rather than just text, so I'm not sure which would be best. Thanks. I have spent a lot of time and energy trying to work out the best solution for this same situation. There are a number of great, feature-rich mailing programs that will send out newsletters you create. The problem is that they all require you to create the newsletter in a separate program and to maintain a separate database. On the other hand, you can use the newsletter manager in OSCommerce to create just about any html newsletter you can imagine, complete with product images and links to your site, and it will mail out to your database without you having to do anything or transfer anybody to another list when you wish to send out a mailing. The problem with the newsletter manager is that when you press 'send' it sends to everybody at once. In your case it means you'll be sending 1100 emails in a matter of seconds. With a customer database of 1100, I venture to guess that you have a shared or at best a 'virtual dedicated server' webhost account. For most of us that works just fine, OSCommerce runs great on a $6.95/month site as opposed to a maintainence-heavy $100/month dedicated server. However, your webhost, to prevent bandwidth use 'spikes' will limit you to 250-500 emails an hour, and this will be automatic. Press 'send' in the newsletter manager and OSCommerce will look like it sent them all, when in fact your webhost has shut that command down after about 100 emails. My solution was to write this program: http://addons.oscommerce.com/info/6553 It will slow down the mailing rate in the newsletter manager, by waiting a few seconds between emails. Thus you can email direct from OSCommerce, from your existing database, and use the newsletter manager to create and store any sort of HTML newsletter you can design, all from a typical shared host account. Oscommerce site: OSC to CSS, http://addons.oscommerce.com/info/7263 -Mail Manager, http://addons.oscommerce.com/info/8120 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
♥mdtaylorlrim Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I would never use OSC to send out newsletters. In fact, I would never user my own server to send out newsletters. I'm paranoid about getting my server blacklisted as a spam server. If I were to send out bulk emails i would probably use a service. Community Bootstrap Edition, Edge Avoid the most asked question. See How to Secure My Site and How do I...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
npn2531 Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I have been sending out newsletters from OSCommerce for a long time with no issues. Everyone on my list, over 7000, has put themselves there, either through signing up for the newsletter or buying something. Every email I send has 1) my address 2) phone number and email, 3) an unsubscribe link and 4) has my company name in the title. If you send from another server or from a mailing service, then you have the problem of the newsletter being initiated from an address other than your company email. That could look like spam. Recipients can see that mailing service address, and it won't look like the email or website address they purchased from or left their email address on. If you mail legitimately, with full disclosure as to who the email is from, to folks who opted in, keep up on the unsubscribes, then I don't see where you are at risk of being labeled a spammer. But if I am missing something, I would appreciate your input or thoughts on this issue. Oscommerce site: OSC to CSS, http://addons.oscommerce.com/info/7263 -Mail Manager, http://addons.oscommerce.com/info/8120 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greyhoundfriends Posted January 7, 2010 Author Share Posted January 7, 2010 Because we'd likely combine a mailing with our separate database, I'm thinking that a service would work best. Does anyone have experience exporting a list of the emails in OS Commerce? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sekhon2006 Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 I have problem with sending HTML newsletter it comes with error newsletter module required I am using online merchant v2.2rci version Can you also tell me how to add tell a friend on home page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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