Creating/Sending a Mail Opt-in Form
I'm trying to implement the #41 item from Milana Leshinsky's MESMERIZING
WEBSITE POWER ebook, of sending my own
designed opt-in/membership form to three addresses, including myself at my
website, to my new GetResponse.com email list account, and to my new Bravenet
account. The problem is, that while I have what I believe is the correct
address for the first two, the three Bravenet form codes for mailing lists
or guestbooks that I have don't show my account in that way. They use two
lines in these codes to sent those forms to my account, so I don't know
how to include it in the way I write it...
I also don't see any space after the commas in her example. Should there
be?
Here's where I have gotten to with it, so far (just the form action
portion):
Now, maybe it's not possible to and I should
not send to both GetResponse and Bravenet at the same time; but it would
seem to me that otherwise I'll be entering the data to one of them
manually... I can see that GetResponse would only be using the name and
email address anyway, so maybe my form is going to be too detailed for
both of them...
But Bravenet uses my user number/account No. in their form codes, so it
appears it wouldn't work!!!
I'm frustrated with this form situation. Ever since I've been playing with this form
(intermittently for a few months), and trying to learn how to do it, I cannot get
Netscape to submit it. It just brings up an email composition window!!!
It seems to work some of the time -- one person submitted from Internet Explorer.
But that's the only one I have.
I'm stumped. Even with the way her book says to write the
You can blow out a candle
But you can't blow out a fire
Once the flames begin to catch
The wind will blow it higher.
— Peter Gabriel
mjames posted this at 13:59 — 8th August 2002.
They have: 2,064 posts
Joined: Dec 1999
I think you would be better off using this script: http://www.scriptarchive.com/formmail.html
There's a couple of reasons why it's better than what you're using. One, what you're doing now requires people to open their mail client when they submit the form -- what about those in public computers or who use Y! or Hotmail? And with this form script, you can specify multiple addresses for it to mail to so it's more efficient.
JanCounselor posted this at 14:20 — 8th August 2002.
They have: 4 posts
Joined: Aug 2002
Thank you, Marc!
A couple questions:
The form I have created is quite extensive, and asks lots of questions of my visitors; gives them multiple opportunities to request such as a newsletter, and vote for other things they'd like to see on my site. Can I modify such a script to include all the info I want?
Perhaps I should not attempt to combine all of these in one form.
#2: Is this a free script to which you are referring me, and will it work with the NT server at my web host (can't do CGI scripts).
Thanks, again.
Jan
You can blow out a candle
But you can't blow out a fire
Once the flames begin to catch
The wind will blow it higher.
— Peter Gabriel
mjames posted this at 03:08 — 14th August 2002.
They have: 2,064 posts
Joined: Dec 1999
1. In most forms, you can keep the same fields and boxes and just change the path to the form file (usually .cgi, .pl, or .php) which process the form and interacts with the server to ultimately e-mail you. The script I recommend gives you its own formmail address so you should be able to just plug that in.
2. Unfortunately, it is a Perl/CGI script so it won't work on your NT server, only UNIX. I recommend having a look around Hotscripts.com and ResourceIndex.com as scripts for NT servers are much more scarce!
JanCounselor posted this at 03:20 — 14th August 2002.
They have: 4 posts
Joined: Aug 2002
Thanks, Marc. I'll check that out ASAP.
I'm a real novice in forms. Are you saying that the suffix (file type) is what dictates where it goes when a visitor clicks the submit button?
Is there an easy read you know of that's available without cost on forms (either online or off)?
I'm leaning toward breaking them up into separate forms, but don't want to put any greater burden on my visitors than necessary, by making them fill out several separate forms. Maybe separate sections of the same page...
Your input is very much appreciated.
Jan
You can blow out a candle
But you can't blow out a fire
Once the flames begin to catch
The wind will blow it higher.
— Peter Gabriel
mjames posted this at 22:32 — 19th August 2002.
They have: 2,064 posts
Joined: Dec 1999
Yes -- changing the URL to the form posts to in the beginning of the form code dictates that.
Here's some stuff I found:
http://www.webmasterbase.com/article/538
http://www.ecommercebase.com/article/257/59 (about half-way down)
JanCounselor posted this at 23:23 — 19th August 2002.
They have: 4 posts
Joined: Aug 2002
Thanks, Marc!
I just posted my form last night. I had some misinformation, and got some help from the tech at my web host last yesterday. I still have some tweaking to do, but find that I can use cgi scripts after all, just have to be ones that can work on an NT server.
They gave me one from Matt's Script Archive, and I'll visit there to see what else I can learn and how to so a few other little things to the form. At least it's up and working!
Thank you very much for your inputs, tho I don't always understand what you say; perhaps there's a basic assumption that I know more about all these things than I actually do!
JanCounselor
You can blow out a candle
But you can't blow out a fire
Once the flames begin to catch
The wind will blow it higher.
— Peter Gabriel
mjames posted this at 19:11 — 22nd August 2002.
They have: 2,064 posts
Joined: Dec 1999
Glad to help!
Hope you stick around and be sure to visit us whenever you have another question. Take care.
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