Opt-In Email Requirement

[DCooke]

Hi All

I believe it is now a LEGAL requirement that customers opt-in to an email newsletter. (i.e give permission for you to email them in future with offers etc).

Is there any way to put this into the checkout? Reports could then be run on it in the "Mailing Lists" to contact these customers in future?

Thanks in advance

DCooke

[mike_howles]

I ahve dopne it in the 'Contact Us' page where an email is sent to us with various bits and pieces of info toghether with a question:

Would you like to be placed on our mailing list? O YES O NO

With the NO radio selected by default.

The HTML for it is:

<tr>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Would you like to be placed on our mailing list?:</td>
<td><input type="radio" name="Maillist" value="Yes">Yes<input type="radio" name="Maillist" value="No" CHECKED/>No</td>
</tr>

You will also need to edit the perl script for the contact page so that it gets sent in the email, this is in mailform.pl.

All this stuff is documented in the AUG on page 73

This is for the contact us form but the process is similar with a checkout page except the perl script will be one suppied by your credit card processor.

hope this helps.

Mike

[pinbrook]

Is there any way to put this into the checkout? Reports could then be run on it in the "Mailing Lists" to contact these customers in future?

read the documentation on the marketing features, your requirement in inbuilt in v8

[Jan]

You can switch on a checkbox in design text (I think - can't check V8 just at the moment) to ask the user if they would like to be on the mailing list, then when you use the mailing list dialog to generate lists from your customer base you can tick a box to include or exclude these people based on the wording you have used for the question.

Regards,

[Duncan Rounding]

...I believe it is now a LEGAL requirement that customers opt-in to an email newsletter. (i.e give permission for you to email them in future with offers etc)...
DCooke

I can't remember where I heard this (true or not I'm not sure) - that you can email your existing customers who have previously purchased from you in the last year with related information. (ie those with whom you have an existing business relationship with)

[pinbrook]

I can't remember where I heard this (true or not I'm not sure) - that you can email your existing customers who have previously purchased from you in the last year with related information. (ie those with whom you have an existing business relationship with)

there is a govt directive on this, a www search will locate it.

But essentially Duncan's statement is correct, you don't need their permission IF they have bought from you, BUT every mailing you send MUST incude a unsubscribe link.

In these days of spam it is politer to ask... otherwise you mailing will probably end up in a junk folder if it is heavy on HTML

[RuralWeb]

you don't need their permission IF they have bought from you

You can only email them for the fullfillment of thier order you are not allowed to send them other marketing emails.

[pinbrook]

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2003/20032426.htm

point 22 covers email

(a) that person has obtained the contact details of the recipient of that electronic mail in the course of the sale or negotiations for the sale of a product or service to that recipient;

(b) the direct marketing is in respect of that person's similar products and services only; and

(c) the recipient has been given a simple means of refusing (free of charge except for the costs of the transmission of the refusal) the use of his contact details for the purposes of such direct marketing, at the time that the details were initially collected, and, where he did not initially refuse the use of the details, at the time of each subsequent communication.

Malcolm is sort of right

if you sell them a tom cruise DVD you can market them for a similar DVD but not for a hoover

[Jan]

> I can't remember where I heard this (true or not I'm not sure)
I last heard that on the Actinic marketing course ... I'm happy to believe that it is true.

Regards,

[Duncan Rounding]

If you mention the DVD and at the same time just happen to mention by-the-by about the hoover...cross selling. It really depends how you define similar products and services. I believe all the products on my site(s) fall into that category (not across the different sites though). It's when a mailing list is sold or passed on to other non-related businesses that I think the point mostly applies. (At least that's my interpretation)

I send all my past customers marketing emails but I clearly give the recipient an option to automatically unsubscribe. A rare few unsubscribe, the far greater majority don't.

I think it's vitally important to follow up on past customers, if they've bought once they are very likely to buy again. It's the cheapest marketing channel with the highest return.

[wjcampbe]

the cheapest marketing channel with the highest return

and that's the one we get best results from too.

[DCooke]

Thanks all - very helpful.

The option can be turned on from:

Design - Design Text - Web Site (Cont) - Invoice Address - Invoice Privacy Check Status. I guess you can then change the text for your own requirements.

Regards

Dcooke