Single Opt-In vs. Double Opt-In
This is the #1 question I get from my clients:
“Do I set up my email sales campaigns with single or double opt-ins when someone signs up via email?”
I say SINGLE opt-in! WHY? It’s all about the numbers!
1ShoppingCart.com™ recommends the following:
“Using a double opt-in process for your mailing list is a good way to ensure a clean and trouble-free list.”
But what they don’t understand is that you are LOSING up to 60% of your opt-ins.
I have tested this! We have offered free gifts, free audios, free CDs – if they double opt-in.
But think of this… Who, when they signup for something, is going to leave your site, login to their email, and THEN click a link to get the material?
I know I don’t do that!!!
Statistically, 40 – 50% of the people will click 2 links and double opt-in. 65% if you really perfect and test your offer.
However, if you use the single opt-in option, you receive a 100% opt-in response!
That’s right, EVERYONE will get your free material AND be added to your email distribution list!
Now I know what you’re thinking… when you send all those people an email, they won’t receive it because of spam filters.
You’re right. Not everyone will receive your email.
HOWEVER, I just checked my stats and only 3% of my emails aren’t getting through to my intended recipient.
So what would you rather have?
Up to 60% of your clients who don’t complete your double opt-in and you can NEVER email? Or 3% of your single opt-in list not receive your email because of spam filters?
I think it’s a no brainer.
Here is what you need to do to setup your account with single opt-ins:
- Login to your 1ShoppingCart™ account
- Scroll over Email & Marketing in the main menu and click Opt-In Preferences
- Change the ‘Require Opt-In Verification for Webform Submissions’ from Yes to No
- Click Save Changes
Hope this helps and here’s to optimizing your 1ShoppingCart™ account AND your business!
UPDATE: I’ve posted a follow-up blog titled “Single Opt-In vs. Double Opt-In: Part 2″. Check it out now!
I hate how aweber no longer offers single opt-in!
Hi DJ,
Do you know the exact date Aweber switched offer to no longer offer single opt-in? That is absolutely ridiculous from a marketing point of view.
Tyler
Hey guys… AWeber “defaults” to double opt-in… but you CAN change it to single opt in.
Click:
My Lists / Confirmed Opt In.
Than click the status button (It will be green for double opt-in) After clicking it the button will be red and you will have single opt in.
This message would be valuable… but the PROBLEM IS – 1shoppingcart will NOT allow you to send emails to people who have not opted in.
So in essence, you’ll have people signing up but they STILL won’t get a SINGLE message from you until they confirm.
Mr. or Mrs. Anonymous,
This isn’t true at all. The short of it is…
Single optin subscribers will receive your emails, they just have a slightly higher chance of getting caught for spam. You see, single optins from 1ShoppingCart are sent from a specific server that says these people are single optins.
Double optin subscribers are sent from a separate server that says they have doubled opted in. Now, Double optins won’t get caught as spam because all email hosts like Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, etc. know mail sent from this specific server have been double opted in.
If you have any more concerns feel free to post them here.
Great stuff, it is refreshing to hear something other than
the BS about double opt-in being better.
We recently worked with a music group that had been doing
that for years, the first time they switched they got more
orders from one email than any two in the last year.
People were THANKFUL they got to ORDER instead of clicking
around like others were making them do.
Thanks!
M
Tyler, I just found your blog and I’m very grateful for it!
One question – I’m assuming that when you choose either single opt-in or double opt-in that it refers to every autoresponder campaign you run. In other words, you can’t make some campaigns single and some double. Is that correct?
Thanks!
Hi Heather,
Welcome! You are correct… When an double or single opt-in is set, it’s for every auto-responder in 1ShoppingCart. You can’t make specific campaigns single and some double opt-in.
Hope that helps.
Tyler
Thanks very much!
Hi Tyler,
I’ve never actually thought about this in that way. I’m not sure why? I’m not normally that slow!
I’ve had a problem with many subscribers not even receiving the opt-in email as that’s getting caught in spam filters – so have been losing a percentage of sign-ups because they can’t even opt in even if they wanted to. Although I’m not sure if a single opt-in would stop that as if the opt-in isn’t even getting through, what chance does any other email? I’d love to know what your advice is on this.
And another question while I’m asking. What about the people who are currently in my database as waiting for optin, that didn’t complete the process before? Will I now be able to email them?
If not, what’s the best way to try and get them back as subscribers? I just tried editing one of their records to add them to an auto-responder but that didn’t work.
Thanks! Kyle
Hi Kyle,
I have the #1 way to have single vs. double optin. I’m writing a new blog about it and will post it sometime next week. It will make things so simple and won’t lose ANY subscribers.
As far as the double opt-ins who never opted-in, you can’t manually add them to autoresponders. And even if you were to change to single opt-in, they won’t be able to receive your email. They must confirm their email address first.
You can however, only once, send them another email. Scroll over ‘Email & Marketing’ and click on ‘Email Setup’. Next click ‘Opt-In Preferences’ tab and under ‘Unconfirmed Prospect Verification’ there will be a link. Follow those instructions. If you don’t have a link, that means you have already done this previously and can’t resend the opt-in’s an email.
Hope this helps and keep an eye out for my next post on single vs. double opt-in.
Hi Tyler,
Thanks for coming back to me. Looking forward to the new post next week! I’ve already used that one-off request so can’t try that again, but just tested re-signing someone up using the form on my site and it doesn’t ask them to double opt-in anymore, so I will export them all and mail them from outside 1shoppingcart and invite them to sign up again.
Hopefully that way I’ll get a % of them back. Enjoy the week!
Kyle
Hiya,
Came across this informative conversation on 1shopping cart double-opts!
Was wondering if anyone knows a way to turn off double opt-ins on 1 shopping cart when someone signs upto an autoresponder via the email subscription. I have double opt-ins turned off but it still forces me to opt-in if someone signs up via an email to that autoresponder email address!
Is it even possible I wonder?
Sabrina.
Hi Sabrina,
Unfortunately this isn’t possible to turn off double opt-in for direct subscribes via email.
All the best,
Tyler
I have double opt-in set up for my autoresponders. It seems that if someone opts-in to one autoresponder and confirms, they don’t get the confirmation email message when they opt-in to a different autoresponder. So, is it correct that you only have to confirm once?
Thanks,
Jackie
Hi Jackie,
You are correct. Once someone double opt-ins once, they don’t need to reconfirm.
All the best,
Tyler
How do you know how many of your emails are hitting the inbox? You said only 3% were not. But I don’t see any statistics in my panel that show percent that reached the inbox.
Hi Dale,
If you go to the broadcast you will see the column “failed”. Everything else was sent and hit either the inbox or spam inbox. Let me know if you have any other questions.