According to a recent study completed by Multichannel Merchant and Direct magazines, 61 percent of business-to-business marketers have formal permission practices for collecting email addresses, while 93 percent of consumer marketers say they have formal practices in place, eMarketer reports (via MediaBuyerPlanner).
Sixty percent of the consumer marketers surveyed reported using a single opt-in method of gathering email addresses, while 7 percent used a double opt-in method - whereby registrants send a confirmation reply to remain on the list. Of the business marketers surveyed, 26 percent used single opt-in methods, and just three percent used the double opt-in method.
According to a Jupiter report, email customer service is worsening as response times have decreased, with 39 percent of sites taking three days or more to reply. Jupiter's David Schatsky pointed out that "failure to resolve requests via email is driving continued use of cost-intensive telephone work, negating any potential cost savings from handling inquiries via email."
"Managing opt-outs has always been a tricky issue for marketers," said Bill Nussey, CEO of Silverpop, concerning the results of his company's "Retail Email Marketing" study. The study encourages marketers to consider "implementing a re-engagement component to their opt-out process." Nussey added, "If you ask appropriately and remind recipients of the value of being on your list, you may find that enough customers will stay to make it well worth asking - failing that, you should try to get as much information as you can before the customer is gone for good."
