The Web Beacon, or as others call it (depending on the source): tracking bug, web bug, tracking pixel, pixel tag, 1×1 gif, and clear gif is an old technique. And truth be told, it still works. Sure most  email clients by default do not download images, but inevitably, when it comes from a trusted source, most people will accept to view images. Think about this: How many times have you gotten a “hot deal” from a trusted Electronics Retailer? The second you opened it, they grabbed all your details which typically includes “the IP address of the requesting computer, the time the content was requested, the type of Web browser that made the request, and the existence of cookies previously set by that server”.

The reality is the average user tends not to realize how much information is actually shared via images. Regardless of the audience of your Email Newsletter, here is Mark8t’s Best Practice for Email Tracking :

1- You can include a web beacon, but do so with a text disclaimer or link to a privacy policy in your email. Make it readable without the user needing to download images, and make sure that it is a direct link, without a query string.
2- Make a text version available, because it only fair. You can do this with Alt-Tags if need be.
3- You can include unique urls with identifiable links to a landing page, but once again make it clear where the links go. Tell them in the privacy policy and make sure the links are not using obfuscation.
4- Allow the user to unsubscribe via a direct link.

I feel if you follow the above, you are being more than fair to your email newsletter customers, while at the same time still working within in the bounds of honest use. We should also add, outside of email tracking, web beacons are used on websites and by any webmaster collecting stats. Mark8t.com, for example makes use of a web beacon, but as all reputable websites should, we have outlined the use in our privacy policy.

We also want to make it clear, we don’t feel the use of the Web Beacon is always bad. Its what is don with the information that is the issue. For our purposes, we have used the Web Beacon to make sure our content is inline with our audience’s taste, but we have also used it track down theft. Using invisible or clear gifs, has made it possible to track when our content was being stolen by copy and past thieves. There are other ways you can be creative and use Web Beacons for good. It could also be used to track information in an email or word document that is under NDA, and which you wish to make sure it is not passed around electronically.

To allow you to see what details your computer is sharing when it is connected to the internet, we have decided to offer you the Mark8t Web Beacon Simple Script for your use.  We’re sure the information you will learn will change how you view your privacy, but we also ask you use it with common sense. Please make sure you are aware of the laws in your jurisdiction before you use this file. We also want to make clear: By using this script beyond yourself, you accept that Mark8t shall not be held responsible in away way for the use (or misuse) of this script.