Verified Opt-in Reduces Unsubscribes & Complaints.

Inbox Ideas | Email Marketing Tips by AWeber

Posted by Tom Kulzer (AWeber CEO)

Results of a study conducted by AWeber identified that a verified opt-in AOL subscriber is significantly less likely to unsubscribe in the first 60 days of publication than a single opt-in subscriber.

Statistics were run on a random sampling of approximately 200 AWeber client opt-in email lists of AOL subscribers added in the past 60 days having received a similar volume of emails over that 60 day period. Each subscriber visited a client website and typed in their name and email address requesting to be added to their sales follow up process or newsletter. Since we also record and receive statistics from AOL’s “this is spam” button we included the percentage of those subscribers who also complained the messages they opted into were spam.

Non-Verified Web-Form Opt-ins:

Unsubscribed using remove link: (22.2%)
Hit “This is spam” button: (2.1%)

Verified Web-Form Opt-ins:

Unsubscribed using remove link: (7.9%)
Hit “This is spam” button: (1.4%)

Conclusions:

Verified opt-in subscribers were significantly less likely to unsubscribe from a newsletter or email follow up sequence if they took the extra step to verify their subscription.

Verified opt-in subscribers were also less likely to complain that the messages they requested were spam.

Businesses often assume that using a verified opt-in subscribe process will lose subscribers. The stats above bring contradicting evidence that not using verified opt-in can, in the long run, potentially lose more customers.