by James MetzgerWhat is Double Opt-In and Why Does it Matter?
When you get an autoresponder, you will gain access to a large number of different features and options. Autoresponders can be used simply to send bulk emails but more than that, they can also be used to handle subscriptions, to track data like open rates and much more.
And one of the most important features you should be using with your autoresponder is the ‘double opt-in’. This is a two stage sign up process for your mailing list that will invite the user to first enter their details and hit send and then respond to a confirmation email by clicking the link.
This is opposed to a more old-fashioned immediate form of sign-up that accepts the new member as soon as they hit send.
Why This Matters
A lot of new marketers will look at double opt-ins and be confused. On the face of it, this seems like a bad thing. After all, why would we want our users to have to take more steps in order to sign up? Surely the easier it is for them to get involved, the better it will be for our mailing list?
Without a double opt-in, someone might sign up for your mailing list on a whim and then never read any of your messages again.
This is missing the point. A good mailing list is not a mailing list that is as big as possible, but rather one that is as targeted and as engaged as possible. In other words, it really doesn’t matter how many people sign up – rather how likely those people are to read your messages.
Double opt-ins prevent people from signing up who aren’t really interested in your messages. They also prevent people from entering bogus details and they prevent people from accidentally typing the wrong message.
Without a double opt-in, someone might sign up for your mailing list on a whim and then never read any of your messages again. But with the double opt-in there, they are now forced to take a look at your message if they’re serious and to demonstrate that they do actively check their emails.
By doing all this, you have immediately improved the quality of your mailing list so that you will have fewer messages that bounce and fewer that don’t get opened. This will help you to improve your sender reputation and will make sure that your metrics stay as accurate as possible.
Don’t focus on the number of emails – focus on the quality. And start with a double opt-in.
