John D Schultz

In our office, the topic of email addresses, and our email mailing list comes up often.  We used to maintain a very large email database.  The database consisted of past clients for whom we had an email address.  If we had your email address, you were added to our email mailing list.  This method allowed our email mailing list to ballon out to 1000 names (a respectful number in the auction industry).

However, with the launch of our new website in August of last year, I felt it was best to move to a completely opt-in mailing list.  As a result, we went about the task of emailing our current list, and asking them to opt-in to the new mailing list.  Not surprisingly, our mailing list dropped by 95%.  That’s right we went from 1000 names to 50 names.  Around this time, a few noticeable things happened.

1.  The responses to our emails increased dramatically.  It has become common for clients to reply to our emails with questions, or comments.  Prior to the change, we never received emails in response other than to unsubscribe.

2.  While our list shrunk considerably, the amount of click-through traffic increased.  Our list became a list of interested people, rather than a list of people we thought might be interested.  The people receiving our emails, actually want to receive the emails.

3.  Our list has grown at a respectable rate.  We haven’t recovered to the numbers of our previous email list, but we’re certainly gaining ground.  In fact, the list has grown by 300% in the past 9 months.  If we can continue to grow our email list at that pace, we’ll be well on our way to surpassing the previous subscriber totals.  While that will be important, the best part will be that the list will be 100% opt-in subscribers.

With the above in mind, it was interesting to read Cam Beck’s [ChaosScenario] recent comments about the updates to the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003.  As Cam points out, if you’re a business that mass emails clients, you must:

• You must give recipients the ability to opt-out.
• You cannot require anything but a recipient’s email address and opt-out preferences to allow them to opt-out.
• You must include an accurately-registered address established by the U.S. Postal Service in the emails

Cam further makes a great point about why an opt-in list is so important, and hits on the exact reason we have moved to a 100% opt-in email list.

I know you want your audience’s email addresses, but they would be so much more valuable to you if they want to hear from you — which you’ll know if you asked them, in clear language, to opt-in, not opt-out.

If you’re not using an email list for your website, it’s an easy process, and one of the best ways to stay in contact with your clients.  I know for a fact it’s generated business from clients that we never would have approached or asked for business from in the past.  Just make sure you’re using an opt-in mailing list.  It’s as simple as wanting a list of people that want to hear from you if for no other reason than the conversion rates or ROI is much higher!