Single Opt-In vs Double Opt-In (with unique test results)

Take a look at my confirmation page for an example of how to help your leads dig your message out of spam... you don't have to finish the sign-up process to look at my page... just start the sign-up (www.InternetMarketing4U.com).

Note: I will be adding a video soon that walks people through looking at their spam folder... using AOL and Yahoo as examples (most of my unverifieds seem to come from those two e-mail providers).

I seem to have upset you a little, and if that is the case... I sincerely apologize. I take a bit of a technical approach sometimes, and can often come across with an "I am right" attitude when simply trying to provide my perspective.

That said, I will try to address the points you brought up... to continue our interesting debate.

I am not 100% sure what you mean by this. If you have leads being added to your list with fake information, addresses on certain servers that filter your mail as spam, or other unresponsive means... how do you plan to remove them from your list? You can only do this by removing bounces automatically, which is what would happen if you were using double opt-in (no benefit to single opt-in).

Keep in mind, the people that fall into these categories are completely unreachable... so somehow getting them to manually opt-out isn't going to work. Really, using a re opt-in method is all that would work (by checking click stats or actually tracking a specific link to "keep them")... but this would obviously be un-reliable and remove far more people than necessary.

You will simply lose subscribers with the mindset of "this one isn't important, more are coming". Why give up perfectly good subscribers when spending 10 minutes to write a good double opt-in page once - is all the time you need to invest in saving upwards of 10% more subscribers each day... people that are willing to do a bit extra to get on your list (which I later argue makes them worth more).

I am saying both of our tests have too many variables, and that ultimately split testing single vs double is impossible without having years to watch the results play out.... and even then, there is luck and other factors involved. This being the case, I prefer to examine current results and make my decision based on successful business principles, rather than short term statistics. From what I have seen, single opt-in doesn't mesh with my business principles or deliver better stats, so it is an easy decision.

Actually, I would argue that they could easily have this power. For example, they could ban all lists except those by authorized double opt-in providers... quality companies like Aweber. This may sound odd, but it is how many things are handled online. Take domain names for example. Not just anyone can sell them, and there are security measures in place to make sure domains aren't stolen from their rightful owners.

Likewise, there could be quality-assurance rules setup for authorized providers to power secure double opt-in lists. Your own server wouldn't have this power... and therefore your list could be unusable.

However, as a counter argument (to my own view), you would probably have 30-120 days to use a new lead magnet to entice subscribers over to a new list during a transitional period. My only point here is... it is very possible that ALL single opt-in lists could be killed off permanently.

This builds on previous quotes. In my opinion, asset value shouldn't be measured by the profits of this month, or next... but of the potential profits over the next few years. You may have subscribers that will still buy, but you may not have the power to contact them if your list gets blacklisted, their ISP blocks you, or if single opt-in gets banned.

Well, without getting into technical arguments (e.g. - cognitive dissonance, etc.), I can say that leads that work to get on your list ARE more valuable. They demonstrate a willingness to take action, and thus are statistically more responsive and more likely to read e-mails, open links, and take further action. Simply put, they are proven to be "action takers" not just "browsers".

Please provide a reason you believe these people wouldn't be worth more...

I didn't do the test to choose sides, and I have no personal reason to have a bias towards double opt-in. I use what works, and generally side with tactics that mesh with my long-term business goals.

In this case, I believe double opt-in gets me higher quality leads, and keeps my list clean and future proof. Single opt-in slowly gets me blacklisted, could be banned, and can put people on my list that didn't intend to subscribe to follow-up broadcasts (giving me a worse reputation in the community). IMO, with the subscriber stats being within 5% either way... this makes double opt-in an obvious choice.

I respect your right to choose single opt-in, but stand by my arguments for double opt-in .