Your Unsubscribe Handling is Probably Lame

The vast majority of permission-based e-mail marketers miss huge opportunities in the way they handle opt-out requests, according to a new study.

While 96% of e-mail marketers include an unsubscribe function in their promotional e-mails as required by federal law, almost two thirds said they use methods to discourage opt outs, such as putting unsubscribe language in tiny type or hiding it, according to a survey of more than 400 e-mail marketers by marketing services provider Lyris.

“Marketers are clearly complying with the law here,” said Stefan Pollard, director of e-mail marketing best practices for Lyris HQ. “But they still think of unsubscribing as a negative action. ‘This person doesn’t want my e-mail so I won’t talk to them anymore.’”

However, he said, opt-out requests present an opportunity to reinforce the brand and get information from subscribers that few marketers are taking advantage of.

For one thing, presenting the unsubscribe option clearly in an e-mail can help prevent recipients from hitting the ‘this is spam’ button to opt out, said Pollard.

“When consumers hit the ‘this is spam’ button, it’s often because the marketer has buried the process,” he said.

Also, customers who opt out may change their minds if offered an opportunity to receive fewer e-mails, said Pollard. Those who opt out can also be a valuable source of information if asked to give exit feedback, he added.

“Learn from the process,” said Pollard. “There’s a reason people are saying they don’t want your e-mail anymore. I don’t see too many marketers taking that step to learn how to improve their programs.”

As for presenting options and making the process a positive experience, just 25% of e-mailers surveyed said their unsubscribe process took people to a non-password-protected profile page. Also, 17% said their opt-out process links to a profile page but requires a password to access it, according to Lyris.

When asked what appears on their unsubscribe pages, 18% said they have a “goodbye” message, 6% said they provide a customer service telephone number, 5% ask them why they’re leaving, 5% provide a feedback form and 4% remind them about other channels, according to Lyris.

“All of this can be done on a page that pops up confirming their opt-out request,” said Pollard. “Just because they opted out doesn’t mean you have to stop talking to them. It’s almost like hanging up the phone on them. They say: ‘No thanks; I’m not interested,’ and you say: ‘Fine. Click.’ That’s not going to tell you why they opted out.”

Pollard also points out that just because someone opts out of an e-mail program doesn’t necessarily mean they’re lost as a customer altogether, so it’s important to present a positive brand image during the opt-out process.

“You have to expect that the average consumer is still going to shop,” he said. “They just said: ‘Don’t e-mail me anymore.’ You want to make the exit as friendly and positive experience for them as possible, because they might change their minds.”

He added that though he believes exit surveys are always a good idea, the survey should not be intrusive.

“I shouldn’t have to answer five questions before you let me off your list,” he said. “The key is not to impede the ease of unsubscribing.”