How to fail with email
Have you ever tried to do something online, which you thought would be simple, to discover the task becomes unnecessarily hard? I’ve been trying to change my address on some emails I subscribe to and its mission impossible.
I had foolishly thought it would be a case of email comes to my inbox, I click on a link, I enter the email address I’d like future mail to come to, job done in under a minute. How wrong I was.
It started with an email from the 2012 London Olympics, where the only option I had was to unsubscribe from their mailing list. It got me thinking if all emails were like this.
From a marketing perspective it would be bizarre. Here I am a ‘qualified prospect’ who has willingly given my email address, and is now making a positive step to keep getting your marketing message, and you want to make this as difficult as possible for me.
This got me thinking what would make my perfect email address change page. Here’s my quick list with points associated to importance:
- Allows for task to be completed in under a minute (5)
- No unnecessary data input required i.e. existing email address (3)
- Allows for recovery if I have clicked on the wrong link (3)
- Keeps me informed of what’s going on (2)
- Captures some usability feedback for the marketeer on why I’m unsubscribing. Is it email frequency, relevance or other issues? (1)
- Provides a branded experience with visual design and tone of copy fitting the company (1)
In the spirit of experimentation, and with the above heuristic benchmark, I took the next 10 emails I subscribe to and tried to change my email address.
With the results compiled, in reverse order of usability crimes, here are the emails I received (and a glimpse into the world of things I subscribe to):
View slideshow of the 10 email unsubscribe pages.
10. Most companies claim to have the customers interest at their core, Apple is one of the few that lives up to the promise. An effortless, positive user experience. Overall score 14/15.
8 Equal. Expedia and Nike. Not surprising as they both employ the same email system. The visual design and tone of copy used by Nike falls very short of their usual standard. Neither page inspires or engages the user. Overall score 9/15.
7. River Cottage. Shocking this page has come in so high. The only positive about it is you can quickly re-subscribe. However this strikes of a quick usability fix for a problem initiated by the initial poor design of the system. Overall score 8/15.
6. Rugby Football Union. The classic example of how to loose supporters, must try harder to convert your fans. Overall score 6/15.
4 Equal. Sunsail and Asos. Sunsail makes the user do all the work from filling in their email address to trying to comprehending the baffling text. Asos, the normally excellent web fashion retailer, does the opposite with a one click clinical killing of our relationship, not even a goodbye. Overall score 5/15.
1 Equal. The losers are Inghams, 2012 London Olympics and Virgin Wines. All suffer by making the user work hard by entering their email address, or in the case of Virgin wines to write and send a separate email. The only thing they have going for them is the use of their branding. However when the experience is so bad is this a good thing? Overall score 3/15.
Having looked at the sample I was genuinely shocked at how only Apple allowed me to carry out the simple task I wanted. I was surprised not one brand asked me for my opinion or feedback, yet probably spend thousands on usability testing and data analysis. I was dismayed at the lack of visual design and poor copy, this maybe the last chance your brand has my attention so say something nice.
With a little thought and intelligent task analysis this leaky hole of customers could easily be patched up. So website folk, here is the challenge; spend a little time and money looking after your existing customers and not all of it on acquiring new long-tail prospects. I’m here, I like you, I want to spend time with you and what do you do? You don’t write me letters anymore.
April 20, 2009 at 12:55 pm
This is a nice little article. There are a few good reasons for not asking for marketing information at this point.
The first is that even optional fields at weight to the amount of thought that goes not understanding a process.
The other is that they aren’t set up to do anything with the information. So they are being good and not asking for information they aren’t going to use.