Yes, it is true, this can be annoying if not done right, and another truth is that, no matter what you say or how you display it many people will not whitelist you.

Maybe I could clarify that, I am not actually using my script to display whitelisting instructions, but it is more on confirmation instructions, and to go even deeper, I, personally am using video to show my subscribers how to confirm their email address.

By using a video on your subscription thank you page, not only can you show them exactly how to confirm their address but how to whitelist your email address as well.

What I did was create screen shot videos (camtasia) of logging into their email account, finding the exact confirmation email, by focusing on the sender name and the email subject, opening the email and clicking on the confirmation link.

I created a video for each major email provider, Aol, Gmail, Windows Live, Yahoo, and a default outlook express.

Currently my list is running a confirmation rate of about 90%!!!
And that of course is also including bogus emails.

I think that the most effective aspect of my whitelist/confirmation instruction video’s is the fact that once the video plays to the end, I automatically open a new window, and it opens their web based email client for them!

This way, their email client is already open, thus eliminating the urge to procrastinate on finding and opening the confirmation email.

I am currently offering this script for free at my website http://whitelistwiz.com.

By downloading the free copy you can also see my instruction video as well, as part of the optin process.

I hope it helps you in your email marketing campaigns.

The approach you took in your response to Michael is very telling, and I’m glad you share it here because it highlights something important: "I find these annoying, but you told it helped you, so…".

Of course, all of our subscribers bases are different, and I feel like a broken record for saying this so often but "we are not our subscribers".

The only way to know whether something that works well for one person will work well for our subscribers is to run a controlled experiment. The best way is with a split test, and the thank you page is something you can easily split test with your web forms.

Here’s a link to keep handy. The split testing how-to in our Knowledge Base:

http://www.aweber.com/faq/questions/197/How+Do+I+Split+Test+My+Web+Forms

I always wonder if this "whitelist" explanations make a difference or not in your email confirmation rate.

I find those annoying. But your told that it helped you, so I have to think this over for my new projects.

I always use the ‘thank you page’ as additional sales page for my offer, additionally explaining where to look out for my mail, but not giving specific instructions how to whitelist my email.

To increase verification rate I give there the bonus, and offer a additional bonus after the guy verifiyed the email, that help as well.

G.

Good point.

I’m finding more and more site visitors must be living on other planets.

Never assume anyone knows how to whitelist without giving clear instructions.

I’m not sure you need this for every email account, but we all pretty well know the main ones. (ie: gmail, yahoo… etc)

I would be interested in your script.

I even created a script specifically for aweber customers which allow them to create customized landing page confirmation and/or whitelisting instruction based on what email provider they signed up with.

I know I have seen a dramatic change in my confirmation rates by using this technique.

Here’s what I would like to do: I have identical-looking signup forms on two different pages in my site, say, with different ad codes attached. If you sign up from Page A, with code A, you get one message and pointed to postconfirmation page 1. If you sign up from B, the message you get is slightly different — "I see you are interested in my B services" — and you go to postconfirmation page 2.

The aweber folks have suggested that I just set up a separate list for each ad code. But I don’t want to create a new list every time I want to send out a message to part of the list, or split test in some way.

We can set up views, based on fields, for sending a broadcast to part of the list. I’d like follow ups to work the same way. Ideally, I might set up message #1 to have two different versions, dependingon your sign up code, but then message #2 would be the same for everyone, and so on.

It would make it possible to customize the autoresponder messages a good deal more, in one list. Changing the series of messages they get would only require changing the value in a field, not maintaining a separate list.

Please elaborate: > what do you mean by "I repurpose my demo videos…"?
> how do you include videos in email marketing? (I would like to do this, but apparently you need to email a link to another page where the video awaits because aweber won’t let you attach them)
> not sure what you mean about how you use video with product download pages and bonus product pages

Thanks for sharing, Lee!!!

I use videos throughout my entire process:

salespages (product demo & "wet their appetite" videos),
email marketing ("wet their appetite" videos),
subscriber pages (split-testing video vs text & video looks promising),
product download pages (how to unzip files, how to use products, etc.),
and bonus product pages (my thank you for your business videos).

I repurpose my demo videos and my "how to" videos… throughout the process. It’s really helping ease support questions, has brought numerous compliments, and is a great lead-in to "video related" affiliate upsells.

All my customers want to know how to do this, that & the other with videos.

Hope this helps.

PS - All of my product demo & "wet their appetite" videos also utilize the magic optin form technology… that shows my optin forms at the end of the video. Feel free to contact me with questions about using your optin forms at the end of the video.