What is ‘double opt-in’?

Using the single opt-in method people simply submit an email address to your website to be added to your list. The problem with this method is that people might submit their details incorrectly (creating a dirty database for you) or someone may have submitted their name for them without their knowledge (in effect turning you in to spam).

With double opt-in the submitted details are not blindly added to your mailing list. An email is sent to the account asking the owner to confirm that the email address is valid and they want it to be added to your list. If you do not get a response then the email address will not be included next time you send out an email. The name is only added to your distribution list if the account owner replies to your confirmation request email.

How to use it?

If you manually add a new email address to your list then everything will work the same as before. However if a person requests to be added to your mailing list through your website’s sign up form then they will be sent an email asking them to confirm that they wish their email address to be added to your list.

You will now see a list of confirmed users and a second list of unconfirmed users (i.e. they have entered their address, but not clicked on the link in the email). Your Emails sent through the mailing list script will only be sent to confirmed users. This change applies to all web hosting and reseller hosting customers.

Why have we made this change?

Double opt-in is the Email marketing industry’s best practice method of building and maintaining subscription lists. It helps to cut down on the amount of unsolicited Emails being sent and received and ensures your brand does not become associated with spam through no fault of your own. It also stops our servers being blocklisted for sending unsolicited email, it is vital that servers stay clear of blocklists as it stops you receiving form results submitted on your website (for example).

The new opt-in system will be effective from Monday 16th March.

Email marketing links:

•

Business Link’s guide to using email marketing

• Mailchimp’s guide to designing and coding HTML email (PDF)