An increasing number of email marketers are ignoring best practices when it comes to subscriber opt-outs, according to a new study from Responsys. For example, 39 percent of major online retailers require three or more clicks to opt out. That represents a 7 percent increase over 2008 figures. The number of retailers using a one-click unsubscribe process declined from 9 percent in 2008 to only 3 percent.
Meanwhile, 30 percent of retailers send one or more emails following an unsubscribe request, up from 26 percent in 2008. Only 16 percent bother to say "good-bye" or "thank you" when subscribers opt out, versus 18 percent in 2008. Likewise, only 7 percent of retailers present alternative channels like RSS and Facebook pages to departing subscribers, despite the fact that more than 30 percent of them include community links in their emails.
On a positive note, marketers are giving subscribers more control over email frequency, Responsys found. The study noted that 35 percent of retailers allow subscribers to reduce the number of emails they receive, up from 16 percent in 2008.
Similar to 2008 levels, 4 percent of retailers are not in compliance with the CAN-SPAM Act, due to their failure to honor opt-out requests.
