Rekindle the Romance: A Study in Unsubscribe Pages

by Infinity Concepts | Jun 11, 2021 | Digital, Fundraising

Be honest. If you’re an email marketer, your heart breaks a little bit every time someone hits the Unsubscribe button on one of your carefully crafted emails or newsletters, right? It feels a little like a relationship gone bad. Someone is moving on and ending the relationship.

But it is not too late! A great unsubscribe page has the power to make subscribers think twice about breaking up with you. And it may even end up strengthening your relationship.

So, what does your unsubscribe page look like? Do you know? My guess would be … No. The unsubscribe page is probably one of the most ignored and underdeveloped pages on your website, but it is actually one of the most important.

So, what makes a great unsubscribe page, and how can it help repair a broken relationship?

Let’s look at some great ways that these unsubscribe pages do that very well.

#1. J.Crew

Not everyone who clicks the unsubscribe link wants to cut all ties completely. Some just want you to bug them a little less, merely update their email address or unsubscribe from certain content topics that no longer interest them. J.Crew’s unsubscribe page allows you to stay subscribed to only emails regarding a specific type of clothing (i.e. Men’s, Women’s, etc.). This is a great tactic to help you keep subscribers and segment your list so you’re reaching the right audience with the right message. J.Crew also lets you adjust the email frequency.

#2. REFINERY29

Refinery29 also gives options for staying subscribed but does it with engaging visuals and great descriptions about what each category means. Do not make your subscribers guess what each category will get them. Do not give them vague categories like “Daily Digest” or “Updates.” No one knows what those are. Giving people clear choices puts them in charge and the user wants ultimate control of what lands in their in-box.

#3. charity: water

Charity: water is a nonprofit organization that brings clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries. Their unsubscribe page gives the user the option to either opt out or see a video of their CEO becoming the victim of a water balloon sneak attack. Their company culture is fun! Don’t you want to keep getting updates from these funny, spontaneous people?

Want to see the actual video? Of course, you do.

#4. Tiffany & Co.

Sometimes it’s as simple as offering someone the option to immediately resubscribe. Tiffany & Co. lets you do that if you regret your decision after seeing that beautiful ring on the confirmation page. Who would want to unsubscribe from beautiful diamonds?

#5. Bonobos

Clothing brand Bonobos gives you multiple options for how often you would like to receive their emails, while also showing off their brand personality. This handsome guy will surely be crushed if you leave him.

Bonobos takes it a step further and encourages you to connect with them via social media if you do pull the trigger and unsubscribe. They also have a call to action that brings you right back to their website. Maybe you’ll rethink your decision when you see their new products!

#6. Yankee Candle

Yankee Candle has a simple, but effective, unsubscribe page. Instead of saying goodbye forever, you can put them on snooze for 30 days. You’ll get a break for 30 days, but you will continue to get their emails in the future. Sometimes people just want to take a break. They also give you the option to change the frequency of the emails you receive.

#7. 1-800 Contacts

1-800 Contacts uses humor to try to rekindle the relationship. “What about the good times? What about Prague…” They are known for having a great brand personality and it shows in all their marketing including the unsubscribe page. They also float the idea that maybe you clicked that dreaded unsubscribe button by mistake. Maybe you do not want to unsubscribe? Maybe you just want to update your email address. They also encourage you to connect with them on social media. If they lose you as a subscriber, maybe they can keep the connection somewhere else.

#8. Free People

Clothing brand Free People is nothing if not polite. If they notice that you have not interacted with their content for a while, they may OFFER you the chance to unsubscribe from their emails. Seems crazy, but such an email can encourage interaction and rekindle the relationship or allow uninterested people to remove the company from their in-box. Both of those things are good for your deliverability rate.

All these pages do a great job communicating a message on their unsubscribe page in an effective and thoughtful manner. There are 5 key things to include on your unsubscribe page for a great customer experience:

Let subscribers choose to receive just the content that they actually want
Create a connection through humor and personality
Offer a resubscribe option
Let your subscribers take a short break from receiving your emails
Try to connect through social media

If a customer ultimately chooses to unsubscribe from your email campaigns, that is okay. If you allow them to end the relationship in a positive way, the door is open to reconnect in the future.

Let Infinity Concepts use our expertise in email marketing for your organization today.
CLICK HERE or call us today at 724-733-1200.