When I first wrote in 2017 about unsubscribing from mailing lists, I never thought I’d still be writing about it one, two, or three years later.
I’ve always thought unsubscribing from mailing lists should be quick and easy to do.
Sadly, many organizations decide to create barriers for subscribers to remove their email address from mailing lists.
Whether through using:
- Confusing language
- Convoluted steps
- Multiple confirmation pages
people who want to unsubscribe get annoyed with the process.
And often find they continue to receive the email from a company they thought they unsubscribed from.
Which is why I highlight organizations with an easy-to-use unsubscription process.
Rather than the dozens or organizations who make it downright impossible to unusubscribe.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again.
It shouldn’t be hard to unsubscribe from a mailing list.
We can do better.
Today I’m giving a shoutout to Best Buy, the popular online technology retail store, for doing better.
Unsubscription Process
When I ordered something from Best Buy over the week, I deliberately chose not to create an account.
Rather, I used their guest checkout option.
Which sadly doesn’t mean Best Buy doesn’t add my email address to their marketing mailing list.
I don’t want daily or weekly sales promotions, so when I received a thanks and welcome to Best Buy
email message, I chose to unsubscribe from their mailing list.
Like many organizations, Best Buy designed their message with an unsubscribe link at the bottom of the message.
I selected the link and was directed to a page with three options for receiving (or not receiving) their emails.
The choices were easy to understand and I chose the option to unsubscribe.
What I Liked About Best Buy’s Unsubscription Process
Through their design and language, it was clear the Best Buy design team cared about the user experience.
- The unsubscribe link was where I expected it, at the bottom of the email message
- Underneath the page title, Best Buy repeated my email address so I could confirm my email address
- Three options allowed me to select to receive all general marketing emails, one email per week or unsubscribe
- Explanation below the options that changing the email subscription options applied only to general marketing messages. I would still receive transaction emails about my purchases.
Good line height, font size, and plain language for the options made it easy for me to read, understand, and make my choice.
Well done, Best Buy!
Two Recommended Improvements
My first recommendation is for Best Buy to increase the font size in their explanation text at the bottom of the unsubscription page.
It’s almost impossible to read, with a small font size and insufficient line height.
But the second issue is what I find most problematic.
When someone unsubscribes from a mailing list, it should be immediate.
Best Buy explains:
It may take up to 10 business days for changes to your email marketing preferences to take effect
Unacceptable.
Mailing lists are automated.
There is no reason it should take up to two weeks to take my email address off a mailing list.
Wrapping Up
Unsubscribing from Best Buy’s general marketing mailing list was straightforward, thanks to good design techniques and crafting plain language that users can understand.
Thank you, Best Buy!
Do you have any similar stories about unsubscribing from email lists? Share them in the comments.
