Best newsletter solution for Virtuemart 2

[simplyClear]

Hi,

I need help, please...

I´m using Joomla 2.5.6 and Virtuemart 2.0.8e

I´m looking for advise about a free newsletter solution for the last version of Virtuemart: 2.0.8e.

I need a solution that includes the Virtuemart latest products of my website the easiest way.

I know there is newsletter solutions that includes virtuemart integration in the "register form" but, wich is the best and simple doing this?

I´ve been searching in the Joomla extensions directory and I don´t know wich to choose for my needs.

We can use this post to exhibit the best suggestions and so help us all.

Thanks in advance.

[ivus]

Hi simplyClear,

Not sure if this is the simplest... it's not free, but quite cheap, but it definitely is the best in my opinion.

CampaignMonitor http://www.campaignmonitor.com/

It has an API which allows you to push subscriptions over to their service. Well documented and works perfectly.

The beauty of their system is it does all the normal newsletter stuff for EDMs and well as a new RSS newsletter. All you need to do is setup your products to appear in your RSS feed and then setup a new EDM campaign that will pull in that data. Easy as that.

It includes social networking (well Facebook and Twitter) options, and very comprehensive statistics... I can literally peer through someone's window via GoogleEarth as they read my tasty newsletters (I'm exaggerating a bit), but it's amazing.

• API docs - http://www.campaignmonitor.com/api/

Depending on how many subscribers you have, I've found in the past that my host restricts me to only being able to send 500 emails per hour. Then when we were spending a whole day trying to send out 1 campaign (12,000 subs), they dropped it down to 150 per hour which killed our setup.

CampaignMonitor doesn't have these restrictions and they are on the whitelist for most of the spam monitoring servers.

I hope someone finds this useful.

[simplyClear]

Hi Ivus,

Thanks for your answer. Great info.

Now i have more questions about your solution (forgive my ignorance):

"The beauty of their system is it does all the normal newsletter stuff for EDMs and well as a new RSS newsletter. All you need to do is setup your products to appear in your RSS feed and then setup a new EDM campaign that will pull in that data. Easy as that."

1.- I don´t know what do you mean with "EDMs" and,
2.- How do i setup mi products to appear in my RSS feed and then setup a new EDM campaign that will pull in that data?

I´ve seen the Campaing Monitor website and I´m confused (with their instructions) about what to do and download for the wrapper?
In the Github (I choose the php wrapper) are three folders "class", "samples" and "test" and I get lost in this part of the process.

I´m a graphic designer and i´m not proficent in php. Sorry if I disappoint you about my little knowledge in programming, but i´m learning day by day thanks to people like you, and i´m fast learning.

This is my another analisys in my newsletter solution search. As i say in this post i´ve been looking for a newsletter free solution and find JINC in the Joomla extensions (http://extensions.joomla.org/extensions/content-sharing/newsletter/9361).

This plugin seems to be very simply, but I don´t know how to configure a newsletter (no matter whatever the newsletter plugin is) to include the virtuemart products in it.
There is a method using php to call the latest products in a newsletter?

Thanks in advance for your patience.

[WebSoft]

Hi Simply

Another suggestion...and for free !
Spend days searching and testing - not much who works in VM 2.0.6 though promised   

AcyMail have a plugin who allow customer to select newsletter during checkout and registration
( and they have awesome support - even on a free AcyMail subscription )

Was a miracle i found the extra plugin - was NOT promoted for Virtuemart:

Plugin name:
AcyMailing : (auto)Subscribe during Joomla registration

Works perfect in default VM checkout - and with a lot of options...

( but clearly, have to be hardcoded into onepage-checkout if used )

[ivus]

Hi simplyClear,

I've seen AcyMail as an advrtised solution in the VM admin section lately. Not ever used it so I can't comment.

EDM = Email Direct Marketing... just another name for newsletters. Most of the successful e-commerce site use either MailChimp or CampaignMonitor because it always works. There are no limitations on the server and a no hassle setup console.

Hmmm just had a look around for the RSS feed, I'm sure I've seen it before, but now I can't seem to find it?? odd.

The thing about the API code (I think I used the GitHub one too) and it's a matter to using the sample code to add subscribers to a specific list. The rest can be done on CampaignMonitor directly. The biggest issue I had for the file path to the includes files, once I got that right, the script just started to work.

Good luck.

[WebSoft]

Hi Ivus

Just a quick comment - MailChimp is very cool and know a lot who used it - ditched it due to... ( in our case ) a stupid policy:
When a user accept newsletter signup on cart checkout or signup - they have to comfirm newsletter signup once more from Chimpmail...
- found they don´t accept signup without a confirm email clicked

Im sure - most of customers don´t do that once more - after registration, purchase and checkout !

- but U R right, they are reliable and problem are gone from our installs