Return Path’s Preference Center Update Experience.
I like Return Path. They have great products and some really smart people working over there. It’s a shame that in order for me to change my preferences, I need to go through a LONG and I mean LOOOONG multi-step process that is a user experience nightmare.
Step 1 – Click on “manage my subscriptions” in an email that I already got from them.
Step 2 – Get to web page. Enter in email address and click submit. Wait for email.
Step 3 – Receive email and click on “update my preferences” (now mind you…look at the creative. I have already subscribed. The email is catered to people that just signed up)
Step 4 – Get to preference center. Fill in some “required information” and click submit.
Are they serious? 4 steps to update my preferences!! By no means is this a great user experience and it certainly goes against the grain of what would generally be accepted as a “best practice” This is classic case of not practicing what is being preached. C’mon guys, you can do better than this.
I have said it before and will say it again…all ESP’s or agency’s or folks associated with giving out best practices in the email marketing industry should take a long hard look at their own email programs and if they truly are walking the talk.
Return Path: the best practice doorbell just rang…..are you gonna answer?
Technorati Tags:
return path, www.returnpath.net, preference center, email marketing, email best practices, bad user experience, email strategy, email campaigs, email experience, triggered email, email engagement, bad email practice
Andrew,
Thank you for your feedback. Even more than most email marketers, we at Return Path need to strive to follow the best practices that we preach, but that does not make us immune to certain technical limitations. Like our clients and partners we must balance the internal and external realities of business with the more ideal processes that we hope to one day achieve. Without getting into a level of detail that isn’t appropriate to a public forum like this, we did look at a number of possibilities for this process. And while we are well aware that this process is not ideal, it was the best option. But that certainly doesn’t invalidate your feedback and we recognize that the process could clearly be improved. Like all marketers we are on a never-ending quest to improve all of our programs and in that spirit I will share your feedback very widely within Return Path to see what the possibilities are for making changes to this process.
Thanks again for your feedback.
Cheers,
Tami M. Forman
Director of Corporate Communications, Return Path
Tami,
Thanks for reaching out and commenting as it validates my thought that Return Path is a great company. As I mentioned, you have great products and people and its nice to see that you do recognize that the preference center process is a bit frustrating. That being said, I am extremely confident you guys will try to improve the experience soon enough.
Thanks again for reaching out Tami.
Andrew