I would like to start tracking clicks back to my site, to my sales pages, etc., and I'm wondering what the best way to do that is. For instance if I send out emails to my 1shoppingcart list of customers, and it has links to my sales page, I'd like to know how many people clicked on those links.
You have several options. I'd imagine you are using PHP based products so you can either buy an add on for your shopping cart/mailer software to track the clicks or add in your own third party PHP. Assuming you know PHP. I know a little PHP and wrote a script to track clicks then redirect the visitor to the target page. The clicks are stored in a plain text file. Another script can then be used to report on the clicks. There are many third party scripts you can buy and possibly get for free that do the same. check out the PHP section of this forum and the wider internet for PHP tracking scripts.
This is the best option! They offer extensive tracking esp. if you are into CPA marketing. (+ they also cloak your links). You can track the click from your site to the salespage and then the conversions. there was a seoncd script called sth202 just like that but i forgot the name, damn :-/
Thanks for the recommendations, guys - will check out prosper202. Someone on Twitter also recommended this, which is free: http://cli.gs/ Haven't tried it yet. I'll probably sign up and give that a whirl.
You can check it on your account stats.Just like in clickbank,commissionjunction and linkshare. You can see the clicks.
Did you ask your hosting company if they have such a service that shows you where your visitors are coming from? To keep up with the Joneses, many do nowadays.