Built TRIPLE Opt-in system!

[teapotdee]

I just finished setting up my own opt-in system, after reading Lynn's
excellent article on the new law called "Can-Spam".

It works this way: when the site visitor signs in, that email gets sent to my
main mail box and I see it as a first-step opt-in.

The form also triggers a "thankyou" page which asks the visitor to sign in
again, with a snail-mail address. That form sends to my "opt-in" box and it
triggers an autoresponder asking the person to "opt-out" if the form entry
was unauthorized.

The postal mail address is so that I can send a simple postcard sometime
within the first month or two of the subcription.

Wanna take it for a spin & give me feedback?

Here it is: and you can just
put "test@email.net" or something if you don't actually want to subscribe.

I would like feedback on how this system "feels" to the unfamiliar visitor.
Including how the fonts and graphics hit you.

If it works as well as I hope, I'll be installing it in all my sites.

Thank you

[flensborg]

[teapotdee]

Thank you for that comment. I wondered how that would be received.

You think a simple explanation would be enough?

I might just change it to ask for a city and zip code. That should be
enough in the unlikely event of a bogus spam complaint to prove either
that the person DID fill the form, or that he filled it in falsely.


Although a close reading of the new law suggests to me that spam
complaints are going to be subject to a standard of show-cause that
should be enough to protect an honest opt-in list against competitor
interference.

[robert adams]

Hi Denise, I would think that many people will be put off by asking for so much info. On of the things people scream so loud about is online privacy.
If you have the info that is available to you by them filling out your forms, and you get the double opt-in thing going, I think that should be enough to cover you legally. Especially if you follow the new legal guidelines to email.

luck,
robert

[teapotdee]

[Larry Chamberlain]

[BalloonTwister]

Sorry, haven't checked out your setup yet, but here's my own recent triple opt in idea...

This isn't so much to defend against spamming allegations. It's more for making sure that my ezine isn't just one of 20 that's been signed up for, but just piling up unread in their inbox...

Rather than a conventional "subscibe to our free newsletter" I've been thinking about offering them a Free 3 issue trial sub". They'd get an immediate message requiring confirmation. Then they'd get the next 3 issues.

But in each of them, I'd include something like "we want to make sure everyone who gets this newsletter is reading and finding it useful. So to continue to receive [ezine title], you must reconfirm by clicking here. Don't worry, though, it's still FR>E"

My thought is that, in addition to weeding out non-readers (and falsely inflated circulation numbers), it might actually make people MORE likely to sign up in the first place. They'd figure "well, I'll sign up and if I don't like it, I don't even have to cancel. it'll just end on its own."

Of course they're still on my list and I can still contact them every now and then with a "hey, what's up?" message including some promo.[/u]

[alice]

It seems like too much information...but also too much work. But on the plus side, you will have really dedicated and interested subscribers that go through all the hoops. That's certainly worth something.

Alice

[sugarrae]

[teapotdee]

Now that some time has passed, I'm comparing this site with another one that is just one-time sign-up with a confirm sent as acknowledgement.

The second system is working fine, and seems just as secure.

We know the ezines are getting read based on response & comments. I can check the traffic stats for a spike on each mailing.

I think the main thing is that "first touch": are you reaching people who want your content in the first place? I'm definitely getting far more success with the sites that have offline campaigns for first sign-ups.