e2

E-mail subscriptions at a glance

Site Genre: Pattern Group e

magnify imageFigureE2.1 Big Brothers Big Sisters has a text entry field in the middle left portion of its homepage that makes it easy for people to subscribe to news about upcoming events and new Web site features.

Background

Maintaining contact with visitors to your site can be difficult. E-mail subscriptions are one way of informing interested and self-selected visitors of new and interesting content, such as upcoming events, sales, or news. This pattern looks at different kinds of e-mail subscriptions and ways that e-mail newsletters should be written for greatest impact. This pattern complements E-MAIL NOTIFICATIONS (E7).

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PROBLEM

Companies need a way of maintaining contact with customers who are interested in what their Web site has to offer.

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SOLUTION

magnify image FigureE2.6 E-mail subscriptions can be used to send newsletters, focused advertisements, and periodic reminders to interested and selfselected customers.

Make it easy for people to set up an e-mail subscription. Write newsletters, focused advertisements, and periodic reminders in an inverted-pyramid style. Use text e-mail messages unless you know that the recipients can read HTML e-mail. Include information about how to subscribe and unsubscribe in each e-mail message. Be sure to use your customers’ e-mail addresses only for what you say you will.

Other Patterns to Consider

Three places to offer e-mail subscriptions are the HOMEPAGE PORTAL (C1), the SIGN-IN/NEW ACCOUNT (H2) page, and the ORGANIZED SEARCH RESULTS (J3) page. Write newsletters, focused advertisements, and periodic reminders in INVERTED-PYRAMID WRITING STYLE (D7). Include information about subscribing and unsubscribing in each message, as well as on a FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (H7) page. Collect and handle your customers’ e-mail addresses according to FAIR INFORMATION PRACTICES (E3). Furthermore, communicate these policies to your customers through a PRIVACY POLICY (E4) and modify them using PRIVACY PREFERENCES (E8). E-mail subscriptions should also be written to PREVENT PHISHING SCAMS (E9).

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