Email Notifications: Making Unsubscription Easy
by Kristoffer Bohmann, September 18, 2001
Unsubscribing email newsletters and other email notification services can be an unpleasant and time-consuming experience. Most unsubscribe problems can be avoided by making the subscribers email visible and linking to an unsubscribe page in all emails.
Two basic design mistakes make it hard for users to unsubscribe from email notification services:
- It is not obvious which email address the user subscribed with.
- The unsubscription process is too difficult to carry out.
In both cases users may be unable to unsubscribe from an email notification service and forced to accept email newsletters they don't want (or waste lots of time finding alternative ways to unsubscribe). This article discuss how to design an effective unsubscribe process.
Unsubscribe Info in Emails
All email notifications should include two design elements to make unsubscription easy: The user's email address and a link to an unsubscribe page.
The email address is included to clearly tell the user which email address he subscribed with. The rationale for this advice is simple: Many email notification services hide the TO-address because they are sent BCC. Also, some email applications (e.g., Outlook) make it hard to see the email address even if the TO-address is visible. In any case, the user cannot see the email address he subscribed with. The problem is fixed by including this information: "You are subscribed as john@doe.com." Without this information users with many email addresses will be totally lost.
Linking to a permanent unsubscribe web page enables the user to go quickly through the process. Some email notification services handle the unsubscribe process through email only (no web page is offered). This is not advisable because it is hard to complete for novice users. Less experienced users find it easier to manage unsubscriptions from a web page that guides them through the process (as opposed to performing the entire process from an email application).
This approach also creates problems for users who use multiple email addresses. For instance, a user sitting at home will not be able to unsubscribe a newsletter sent to his email address at work (unless he knows how to change the sender address in his email application).
Advanced Unsubscribe Processes
Once users find the permanent unsubscribe web page
The most simple Web-based unsubscribe process enables the user to enter email address, press the submit button, and receive a confirmation. This basic model is sufficient for most sites. However, email subscription services with many subscribers will benefit by following these do's and dont's:
- Make the unsubscribe field and button visible in the upper half of the browser window.
- Lookup the user email address and post an error message if the email doesn't exist in the subscriber database. (Update July 26, 2002: This advice could violate privacy, see comments from readers.)
- Send a confirmation email to the subscriber email address to notify the user about the unsubscribe request. The user will need to re-subscribe if he was unsubscribed by mistake or by an unauthorized person.
- Don't require the user to confirm the unsubscribe request by email, a notification is enough. Unsubscribed users are unsubscribed users.
- Confirm the unsubscribe request on a web page that includes the user's email address (e.g., "john@doe.com, You have been successfully unsubscribed."). This way the user will know that the process was completed as intended.
- Don't require password to unsubscribe. Users are rarely able to recall their passwords (and you will loose subscribers during the registration process).
- Don't provide too many instructions and options on the unsubscribe web page.
- Don't use the same field for subscribe and unsubscribe requests. It creates unnecessary confusion. Better to setup two separate forms (example).
Avoid 1-Click Unsubscribe
Some email notification services allow users to unsubscribe in one click by click a special link. This link automatically removes the user from the subscriber database. Don't do it. Your existing users click the link by mistake which forces them to waste time and energy on resubscribing to fix the mistake (or leave your newsletter permanently).
The better solution is to unsubscribe in two steps:
- Use the unsubscribe link to 1) automatically identify the user, 2) make it clear to the user that he is about to unsubscribe, and 3) to redirect him to the unsubscribe page.
- Next, the user must confirm the unsubscribe request from unsubscribe page (e.g., "Hello john@doe.com, Are you sure you want to delete your subscription to our newsletter?"). This will prevent your existing users from unsubscribing by mistake.
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