Why Image tag is not reliable to send follow up messages?

Radhika Venkata (c).

I get emails asking that our autoresponder(s) send follow up messages
based on an image tag, because their host don't allow cron jobs on their
web sites.

My answer is 'No'. Simply image tag activation and sending follow ups
is not a reliable method.

How Image tag activation works?

Usually script creates a activation path for an image. This image
can be a 1v1 pixel image. You have to keep this image path on your
web page(s). If a visitor comes to that web page(s), the image tag
activates the script to send follow ups.

But this is not always the case. If no visitor comes to the page where
you kept the tag, follow ups won't be sent.

Why this is not reliable?

* As I said above the image tag activation depends on visitor traffic.
If no visitors, script not activated to send follow ups.

* Even though your list is small like 500 or more, image tag activation
can't send follow ups efficiently because the script timed out.

Best alternatives?

* Change to a host that supports cron. Seriously ... Hosts like yahoo
don't allow you to run cron. Even they allow it, they restrict them
to run once a day or every hour etc.

* If your list is big, get a VPS for yourself. VPSes are easy to manage
and host deals with all techie stuff for you.

* Use web based cron service. This will work only if your autoresponder
script allows it. Try searching on Google for 'cron service' or
'web based cron'. You will get list of services that host your cron job.

In any case, server side cron jobs are needed for efficient follow ups
from you autoresponder.