Most Retailers Use Text Unsubscribe Links
Ninety-four percent of online retailers use a single text-formatted unsubscribe link in their promotional emails, according to a
new report from
Responsys.
Text Links Nearly Universal
Unsubscribe Links
In addition to finding that the vast majority of online retailers use a single text-formatted unsubscribe link, the “Responsys Email Unsubscribe Benchmark Study” also reveals that another 3% use multiple text links. This means that a combined 97% of online retailers rely on text-only unsubscribe links.
And out of the combined 3% of online retailers employing image-based unsubscribe buttons, two-thirds also use a text link. Responsys analysis indicates that retailers are relying on text for their unsubscribe links in response to approximately half of email users blocking images.
Unsubscribe Most Popular Email Management Link
With 100% usage by the 100 major online retailers surveyed by Responsys, unsubscribe links are far and away the most popular form of email management link used by online retailers. They are also the only legally required link (due to the
CAN-SPAM Act governing commercial email). Another 37% include a link to change/manage preferences, while 22% offer a change of email address link. Eighteen percent include a subscribe link.
Because permission email recipients often unsubscribe due to lack of relevance, high frequency and the desire to subscribe from a different email address, Responsys advises online retailers to include multiple email management links in an effort to reduce unsubscribe requests.
Email Reply/Forwarding Most Popular Alt Method
Seventeen percent of respondents offer at least one other way to opt out of email communications besides an unsubscribe link. The most popular is to reply to or forward the email to a certain address (13%), followed having the recipient call customer service (4%) or mail a letter to the company (3%). No respondent offers a password-protected URL to log into an account profile and change email preferences.
While CAN-SPAM only requires an unsubscribe link, Responsys suggests offering more than one opt-out method is not a bad idea, as long as there is consistency across all methods offered.
North American Email Has High Failure Rate
In addition to ensuring they have a consistent and easy-to-use unsubscribe method, North American online retailers also need to keep an eye on email deliverability. Twenty percent of email in the U.S. and Canada is not making it to the inbox, with 3% of email going to the “junk” or “bulk” folder and another 16% going missing,
according to the
Return Path Global Deliverability Benchmark study for the second half of 2009.
Main reasons behind this high email failure rate include lack of access to reliable delivery data, valuing conversion rates more than deliverability rates, and lack of best practices (including easy opt-out procedures).
The statistics and charts in this report are based on data collected from November 2009 through January 2010 while unsubscribing from the email marketing programs of 100 major U.S. online retailers tracked by the Responsys
Retail Email Blog.
