The most valuable commodity on the Internet is privacy. People are becoming wary
when signing up for a mailing list, as there always seems to be a flood of spam
after signing up for an email list. A double opt in may be the solution, as it prevents
a third party from signing people up for newsletters. It also prevents spam robots
from harvesting valuable information from a web site.
There is some confusion between confirmed opt in and double opt in. When a person
signs up for a mailing list, they will receive a confirmation email, and in a confirmed
opt in the email informs the new subscriber that they have joined the list. The
double opt in system includes a link in the email, so if the new subscriber does
not follow the link then their subscription is cancelled. Both methods verify the
email address is valid.
Most web marketers feel that it is a burden on the new subscriber to ask for them
to follow the link and complete the subscription process. I have found no studies,
but the general belief is that some subscribers are lost because they fail to complete
the subscription process.
This can be a bonus for large mailing lists: as it keeps the mailing list to a manageable
level, saving bandwidth. If the mailing list is hosted through a service, then it
is a financially sound decision to make sure that each subscriber is worth the fee
charged by the service.
One method of keeping the double opt in process as painless as possible is to offer
a free bonus to people who continue the sign up process.
Web masters who favor the double opt in method often claim that they are not loosing
subscribers. Instead, they are not paying for subscribers who will just delete the
newsletter as soon as it arrives in their inbox.
Many people are of the opinion that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. A
mailing list is a marketing tool, and a good mailing list offers a glimpse into
the web sites target audience. It helps the web master narrow their niche, improving
the relevance, which improves the web sites ROI. A mailing list with a narrow target
audience lets the web master target the exact needs of the web sites users. Web
marketers understand this. That is why most double opt in lists command higher advertising
rates.
There are many effective ways to build an opt in mailing list. So some research
and decide what is the best approach for your marketing plan.
