December 2005

Use an Email Preference Center to build trust

by Cassie Woolley

Offering an easy way to update email preferences will build trust and loyalty with your subscribers.  Gathering preference information also allows you to better personalise your email communications.

I have never been able to give my husband a surprise birthday present.  Usually this is because I have to spill the beans to prevent him from buying what I’ve already bought him.

This year I was foiled by a software program.

A few weeks ago I was having a fabulous time out Christmas shopping, when my husband calls me on my mobile to tell me that the bank has just called.  Apparently my little shopping spree has triggered the bank’s credit fraud warning system, and they are calling to make sure my credit card has not been stolen.  Unfortunately they read out to him every purchase I have made in the last week, including my surprise birthday present for him. 

While I appreciated their vigilance, I was frustrated that my surprise was blown two months early.  I felt that in this case, their software had not acted appropriately.  Two weeks before Christmas a few purchases at Mr Toys Toyworld and K-Mart should be expected.  And if someone did steal my credit card, I doubt that their first purchase would be $40 at Big W.

It made me think about how our lives are affected by computer programs, and how some software programs are not used very well at all.

When it comes to email marketing, I have noticed that many marketers do not use the tools at hand, and fail to take advantage of the technology that could make their lives easier and improve their marketing efforts.

A simple but vital tool is an Email Preference Center.  This is a web page, or series of pages where your subscribers can control the way that you communicate with them.   An Email Preference Center should include options for each subscriber to:

• Update their contact details
• Change their email address
• Change the newsletters that they receive from you
• Decide whether they would like messages as HTML, Text, or even Personalised PDF or RSS.
• Unsubscribe from all lists

Offering an easy way to update email preferences will build trust and loyalty with your subscribers.  Gathering preference information also allows you to better personalise your email communications.

Your preferences page should be fairly simple, and offer the subscriber control without overwhelming them with choices.  Generally you should not offer more than 8 to 10 options.  If you must offer hundreds of choices, group them into logical categories.

Be clear about what is in each newsletter and how frequently it will be sent.

You could also consider highlighting one of your newsletters as a “must have”.  This should be the most interesting and information-rich of your newsletters.  Once your subscribers are receiving and enjoying this newsletter, they will be more likely to join other lists as well.

Of course offering a preference center will only help you build trust with your subscribers if you honour the preferences that each subscriber selects.  It all comes down to using your email marketing tools correctly.

Don’t let mismanaged email marketing software ruin your relationship with your subscribers.  Give them a nice surprise by giving them control with a preference center.

Click here to subscribe.

Cassie Woolley is the Technical Director of Suna Communications Pty Ltd, a company that provides software solutions to assist companies to engage in responsible and cost effective email marketing. This column is called "The Last Word" because Cassie's parents always said she liked to have the last word in any argument! You can contact Cassie at cassie@sunacommunications.com or on 07 3200 8490.