Why Double Opt-in is Better for Your Business

Even if your database consists entirely of opt-in email addresses, your spam complaints still can meet or exceed an ISP's threshold as a result of your email campaign. If you meet or exceed that spam complaint threshold, an ISP or public black list could place a block not only your IP address, but also the domain name (e.g. www.companywebsite.com) you are sending email from, the domain name you are promoting as a landing page in your emails, and the coding and layout of your email template. This will essentially shut down your email operation as an effective marketing force.

The amount of spam complaints that can get your company blocked is not alarmingly large - only a handful of complaints could end up black listing an entire organization. Since most ISPs keep their blocking formulas secret, it is only possible to hypothesize how many complaints, or what the ratio of complaints-per-email-sent is that will cause you to get black listed. The important thing to remember is that you do not want any spam complaints.

In addition, anti-spam organizations and ISPs work together when deciding who to black list. If you are black listed by one ISP, you may find yourself black listed by most ISPs in a very short about of time - even if you had been sending opt-in email campaigns for years without any issues. Often, the main difference between being white listed one day and black listed the next is the entrance of spam traps into your email database.

Read excerpts from this double opt-in email study online:

• Important Definitions
• The History of the Spam Problem
• Spam Filters
• Spam Complaints
• Spam Traps
• Creating an Effective Double Opt-in System
• Getting New Subscribers
• Conclusion
• About the Author
• About Perfect Pass