Single Optin vs. Double Optin e-Mail Leads Debate (1)
Single Optin vs. Double Optin | The Myth
The Single Optin vs. Double Optin process is basically the same – technically - less one supplemental barrier: the confirmation e-Mail.
Advocates of the Double Optin Solution claim that using the Double Optin will generate a far more valuable e-Mail list than the former option….
BUT…
the key thing here is the emphasys on
'far more' – which is a MYTH.
In fact, the fiercest advocates of Double Optin are usually the third party autoresponder services (such as AWeber or GetResponse for instance.) For them it is much better to have their customers using the Double Optin rather than the Single Optin subscription, because it helps them keeping their email services whitelisted, due to less possible spam complaints.
Now, just imagine that you would run such a business yourself. While you may probably vouch for your own e-Mail marketing campaigns to be spam free, as a legitimate e-Mail marketer… would you do the same with ALL your customers? I bet I know the answer…
Sometimes, this myth goes beyond the simple misunderstanding, whereas some people claim it would be a CAN-SPAM requirement, instead of only a practice. Consequently, many newcomers will take it as a fact and further pass on this information as a given, helping to maintain the Single Optin vs. Double Optin myth alive and strong.
You may be surprised BUT The
Double Optin Mode is NOT a CAN-SPAM requirement!
It is only considered to be among the best practices in e-Mail marketing; but to be honest it only appears to be so amongst the e-Mail list owners who'd be using such third party autoresponder services as mentioned before: AWeber, or GetResponse being the biggest players in the autoresponders' industry – but not the only ones!
Now… don't get me wrong! If you have fallen into this Single Optin vs. Double Optin myth trap and really want to believe it… be my guest!
Feel free to loose something like 25% up to even 35% of your AR form subscribers – or even up to 50% according to some sources online.
However, IF you still have some doubts and you are always in search for truth, I would encourage you to think first and foremost.
| _________ RANT ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ | |
We are surrounded BY so-called (self-proclaimed) 'gurus' who would state that "…this thing is like this and that thing is like that…" ..AND people who follow them by the letter So … they stop thinking with their minds and just copy/paste other people thinking patterns – like a cloaking shroud – onto their own brains, hoping to achieve their goals by following the same paths as their masters did before. Socrates' disciples were encouraged by their master (…now THAT's a real Guru!) to think with their own minds – but he was accused of corrupting the youth… …because opening the minds of the 'masses' Isn't it the same even nowadays? | |
| _________ END RANT ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
Let me help you here a little bit. Thinking outside the box isn't always that easy…
Single Optin vs. Double Optin | The Difference
The Single Optin vs. Double Optin difference consists – as I said before – in one supplemental barrier for the latter: the confirmation e-mail.
People will visit your web page or will get an e-Mail newsletter forwarded by a friend, etc… and will try to subscribe online or by eMail to your e-Mail list.
They will input some personal info into the fields, at least their e mail address and maybe some more (first name, last name and whatever you decided to ask for: beware, the more you ask, the less people will submit it!)
Now the autoresponder script (be it self hosted or a web based autoresponder service – doesn't matter) will send an email to the prospect's address.
Single Optin vs. Double Optin Steps:
Here is the Single Optin vs. Double Optin Difference in this process. With the Single Opt In, the prospect will get a 'thank you' email, telling them again why and where they subscribed and offering them a link back to another resource of yours as a bonus, or the same initial 'ethical bribe' you offered to persuade them to subscribe, or…
…whatever… maybe your blog and a call to action to comment?
Your choice.
Bottom line is, the visitor/prospect is already on the list, no matter IF they see this 'thank you' email immediately or not!
You can send more messages to them already.
IF you follow all the other rules of Opt Email Marketing Best Practices like the unsubscribe link, etc… you're safe and you are already complying with the CAN-SPAM requirements – contrary to what you've been told until now, maybe…
The email list subscribers' IP address, date and time of subscription bits of info are already collected into the database and you have proof now that they willingly offered their emails and agreed to receive communications from you.
With the Double OptIn though…
…an intermediary email will be sent, telling your prospects that they need to click on a confirmation link, to make sure they really wanted to be subscribed.
To be honest, this extra step will probably help you get rid of wrong email addresses (typos) or people who would just input anything in there, only to get to the next step of the process, or who would even use somebody else email's in which case you would end up sending emails to people who didn't even visit your website initially.
This is the BIG 'scarecrow' they use as an argument to make you believe Double Optin is better than Single Optin…
BUT… Really?
The Single Optin vs. Double Optin Difference would fall in the range of about 15…17% minimum (based on my own experience and early experiments) up to maybe say… 30% (according to some web sources) of people who, for various reasons, would NOT click that extra confirmation link:
- They subscribe at work initially and forget they have to confirm when they arrive home; meanwhile their Inbox pushes down the confirmation email under a pile of new ones they received since and they simply never see it again;
- The AR services are so crowded sometimes that the confirmation email fires off much too late and the same as above applies, even if the prospect never moved from their PC…
- The confirmation email lands into the Spam/Bulk folder for whatever reason and gets deleted later, automatically…
and so forth…
Now, let me ask you a question…
"DO the above reasons seem to be related to ill-intentioned or stupid people
who would only want to harm you or alternatively
only want to get the freebie you're offering?"
NO!
You would be loosing valuable prospects instead – prospects who might become customers sooner or later – only because you were driven to think Double Optin is better than Single Optin…
Read More From Steve Lorenzo – Email Marketing Specialist On –
Single Opt In vs. Double Opt In eMail Leads Debate (Part 2) <<<
I rest my Single Optin vs. Double Optin Buyers Myth case!
2. Right-Click then Copy
3. Paste the HTML code into your webpage
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks Steve,I recently switched to single opt-in. Before I did, I checked the number of "Pending confirmation" compared to the number of active subscribers andit was about 40%. That's a lot of people who wanted to get on my list, but somehow didn'tfinish the process. It may be true that the actual percentage of responses might be higher if I keep those people off my list, but the total numbers willdefinitely be less.Since I am using adswaps as the primary means to grow my list, those numbers are multiplied over and over like compounding interest. The more clicks I can send, the more clicks my swap partners will send me. Hence I get more subscribers with each ad swap and then can swap with even bigger lists.The rate of growth is exponentially increased by using single opt-in.Honestly, for too long I sat back and watched new ad swappers pass me up in list size and click rate to the point that they were too big for me to continue swapping with them. What did they all have in common? Single opt-in.It's good to hear someone who doesn't just spread the current popular myths. I don't know how many times I've heard "Isn't that against the SPAM laws?" or something similar when talking about single opt-in. Another popular myth is that you MUST have the disclaimer below the button on your AR form that states you will never share or sell email addresses. But what if you are building a business with the plans to sell that business at a later date? It will be much easier to sell for a high price if it comes with a customer list already. If you have a membership site full of members, how do you sell the site without the list? Kick out all the paying members and tell them to join again?Putting that disclaimer leaves you open for legal problems if you ever do sell your business. I for one prefer to keep the option to sell my business open.
Excellent point, Allen!I have seen lately many people advertising lists for sale…I wouldn't buy a list separately, but together with an established memberships site YES!Actually it would be like buying a company offline… not much difference: the company would keep their customers – at least most of them – while there would be a change of ownership.Shouldn't be different here.On second thought, in such a case, you wouldn't actually trade the list… BUT the website/business (list included); a very fine difference, but still a difference, I think.Steve Lorenzo Internet Marketing Tips and Tricks
Hi Steve,I guess you could say I fall into the category of "do what others do" and have gone with the double opt-in because of the reasons you mentioned above. It is good though to understand both sides and you do bring a valid point of single opt-ins being better than double opt-ins.I've also read Allen's response and he has a point too because he is primarily building his list via adswaps. When it comes down to it I think you should do whatever works well for your business and what you are trying to achieve. How you go about building your list plays an important role too. Either way, after testing what works for you and what doesn't then in the end you should go with what brings you the most results.Thanks for your take on this and it is definitely something that I will consider. Take care Steve and talk soon!Anna
Welcome to the blog, Anna…I'm glad you could find it.My main goal is to start a debate, just like this. I do not claim I am the owner of the 'ultimate' truth. Of course, in the end, each marketer will decide what's best for them…However, I only wanted to disperse some of the fog gathering around this subject, because so many people just take things as they're told to them, without questioning…As you have arrived here, obviously you are not of the latter category: Welcome to the Club!Steve Lorenzo Internet Marketing Tips and Tricks
Hey Steve,
Ahma single opt in kinda guy. Why make it more difficult for subscribers to hear/read your message? So double opt in is kinda like: "You wanna read my message?" "yeah" "You really wanna read my message" "ummm oh forget it".
And many will not confirm simply because they receive too much email. Kinda like what happens on Twitter or Craigslist – the confirmation email gets lost in the pile… "so should I send you another comfirmation to "make sure" you really want to receive stuff from me?" "Ummmm… Who were you again?"
Yes sir…ahma a single opt in kinda guy…and proud of it..
Singing Steve Bermann
You hit the nail in the head, Steve!
We all need to build relationships with our audience (that is how I prefer to call the people on my list, instead of 'subscribers', you know…) but we don't really need to place so many obstacles in front of them.
I am not so 'famous' to have people killing each other to stay in line to get access to my list, ha, ha, ha… I am not a rock-star!
{Steve puts on his 'dreamer' cap: maybe, someday…}
Very good advice and investigated throughly so as to be accurate. I have heard both sides of this debate for weeks now and only became more confused by each view point, this settled a lot of that confusion. I'm going to stick with single opt-in and Traffic Wave until which time someone convinces me otherwise … TY Steve
Robert McMillan
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