The ‘Unsubscribe’ experience needs to be improved
I’ve spent a LOT of time this week unsubscribing from newsletters, mailing lists and the such like. Why? Because all of the ones I’ve unsubscribed from, I never actually signed up for and a constantly clogged inbox is no good for anyone.
This behaviour seems to be happening over and over again and frankly, it’s annoying. When did it become ‘ok’ to do this?
Obviously, once your email address is on a list, the list gets around and all manner of companies, PRs and whoever feels like it will feel compelled to send you an email you ‘NEED’ to see.
What has really struck a chord with me is the complete mess that is the ‘unsubscribe experience’. Seriously, what is going on here?
Now, in an ideal world, I click or tap the unsubscribe link and that’s it, I’m done. That would be ideal, right?
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case and time and time again I end up on a page where I’m presented with a multitude of options:
- Pause emails for X months.
- Every checkbox ticked for emails I didn’t even realise I’d signed up for.
- Go to my ‘preference centre’.
- Present me with ALL of the options to tell you why I no longer want to receive emails from you (many many check boxes).
- Show me a page before I can even unsubscribe, confusing me with so many things that I may give up.
- Ask me to login and update my subscriptions.
The list goes on…
So, we have two things here. Emails I did sign up for, and emails I didn’t sign up for. Either way, the experience of unsubscribing from something is very broken.
I should, realistically, be able to click on a link, be taken to a page and have confirmation and assurance that my email address has now been removed.
A real world example:
I go to a night club and I end up staying for a few hours.
There’s one way out, which is the front door.
When I approach the door, no one is asking me a multitude of questions about why I am leaving, stopping me from completing a task that is really simple.
I leave the club.
I’m out.
It was my choice to leave when I decided.
Why are companies forcing people down another route, asking them if they are sure they want to leave their mailing list? My choice was to unsubscribe and I clicked that link so I am genuinely wanting to leave.
Example 1: Netflights
I received an email from Netflights. I DID sign up for this, however I don’t want to be on their list any more, so I decided to leave.
First thing’s first – I need to find that unsubscribe link.
We’re good. I can see the link, it’s at the bottom, it’s clear and I can click on it! (BONUS).
I’ve clicked the link and next I see this…
WOW. Just wow. Seriously, what has my browser just loaded for me?
Even though I clicked to unsubscribe I’m on a page that is titled “Update your preferences”.
Now I can do all of the following on this completely overblown form:
- Change my name, DOB and email address.
- Choose what type of offers I am interested in.
- Choose what type of holidays I am interested in.
- Choose how often I want to receive emails from Netflights.
- Choose which destinations I want to hear about.
- Tell them who I usually travel with.
- Select my preferred departure airport.
- Choose my second preferred departure airport.
- Choose my third preferred departure airport.
- Tell them how I view my emails.
- Oh, and finally, right at the bottom I can UNSUBSCRIBE.
Now, I understand that companies don’t want to lose people from their mailing lists and I understand that for marketing needs these sorts of pages exist but there’s a small detail that was forgotten here.
I clicked unsubscribe, not update preferences (that didn’t exist) and now I’m on a page which I didn’t expect to be on – the experience is broken.
Tucking the unsubscribe button away at the bottom is not helpful for me. I made a choice, it was a very clear one. I wanted to leave, so why be dishonest in designing an experience that doesn’t match my expectations?
Next, I click on unsubscribe. Hey, wait – didn’t I do that already?
Right, so now I’ve clicked unsubscribe for the second time, I’m on a new page, this time telling me “It doesn’t have to be goodbye. It could be see you later…”
WHY are you stopping me from completing this really simple task?
I’ve now been presented with a “snooze” option, but seriously I just want to leave and have no more of this nonsense.
The second half of the page reads “If we can’t convince you to stay…” and Netflights are now asking me for reasons as to why I am leaving.
Some people may find this annoying, but I think it’s ok. There’s likely a better way to do this however, similar to what MailChimp do — and they ask me these questions once I’ve clicked a button to confirm my wish to unsubscribe.
Lastly, Netflights ask me for First Name and Last Name and my email address. My memory is good enough to remember the first two, but what if I used an email address such as jenkins.mark+promotions@gmail.com?
I can’t actually remember which email address I used and I have multiple, so it’s time to go back to my Gmail tab, have a quick check and then come back out and fill in the three form fields.
So, I got there in the end, but it was a long process, which at times was confusing. I can speculate whether the UX here was to perhaps confuse people to a point where they give up on their original aim of unsubscribing.
People wouldn’t do that? Surely? ;)
Example 2: MailChimp Unsubscribe Process
My second example is from MailChimp. I’m inside the newsletter I wish to leave and I simply click on “unsubscribe from this list” which is at the bottom of the email.
I am trusting that what happens after I click is exactly that – I leave the list.
Low and behold, a new page loads. Before I’ve even had time to blink, it tells me that I’ve successfully unsubscribed from the list and the short and simple task is complete.
If I want to I can give the provide a reason as to why I’ve left and simply hit ‘submit’. These radio buttons are actual reasons as to why I’ve left and not masking the task at hand.
That’s it.
Finito!
Final thoughts
These experiences may not be the things people desire to work on. They’re not the most glamorous of projects and making it easier for someone to leave something may not feel like ‘good’ UX.
However, these are important experiences and I feel that so many companies are using backhanded tactics to confuse people who want to leave their mailing lists.
Through hiding links, overloading them with information and through doing the exact opposite of Ronseal; not doing what it says on the tin.
Make it easy for people and keep things human. After all, we’re humans wanting to complete a VERY simple and what should be, easy task.
