October 7, 2008

Table of Contents   

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Update Old Edition Content Posted on Your Website

Some of you may have posted your edition content on your website as an example or for archival purposes. While this is a great way to extend the functionality of CoolerEmail, and we do encourage it, some recent changes in link tracking will require you to update editions you've posted on your site that are more than four months old. All you need to do is send a copy of the edition to yourself and post the new content.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Reader.ice Will Cease to Function April 1st

Our "view this email as a web page" script has changed. This was implemented some months ago and went unnoticed by many. However, some of you may have hard coded the old reader.ice link in your editions or templates.

Currently, the old reader.ice script forwards to the new location but only until April 1st.

For more information about the new script, you may read the "Embedding Link to Webpage In Message" Knowledge Base article.
Templates Make Design Easy

Did you know that even Cooler Tips uses a Cooler Template? You're looking at one, and it's available to you in the Cooler Template Library along with dozens more. Templates make building a CoolerEmail really simple while giving them a professional look. And they are included in your account.

To check out all these handy-dandy templates, log into your account and create a new edition. Once in the Cooler Editor, click on the blue "Choose" button or on "Layout" to the left of the dropdown menu. Either one will take you to a page titled "Choose a Layout for This Edition" where you can see graphic representations of template choices. Scroll down and notice the different segments with more than 30 standard ones plus 36 themed ones, all professionally designed!

Select one and click on the "Update Layout" button at the top or bottom of the page. You can easily change templates and experiment with different designs to suit your needs. Some are flexible and highly customizable, providing virtually unlimited options for formatting emails. For a list of helpful tips, see this past issue of Cooler Tips and notice the section "Message and Template Creation Best Practices."

Cooler by Design

Send a Cooler cartoon suggestion, to Bill Mitchell!
Closed Loop Confirmation Opt-Ins, aka Double Opt-ins
April 15 Deadline Set to Switch to Confirmed Opt-Ins
Update Accounts to Help Ensure Deliverability
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CoolerEmail's terms of use require confirmed opt-in records for all emails sent. Effective April 15, 2008, CoolerEmail clients will be required to use the confirmed opt-in form for adding new contacts to their lists*. Any clients who who currently allow single opt-In signups must switch before that date to ensure the best possible deliverability of their emails. Because spam is an ever-growing problem, more and more postmasters are actually requiring proof of confirmed opt-ins, as this is the only way they can determine if a complainer made a mistake. A confirmed opt-in is the only fail-safe mechanism for determining that the owner of the email address being added to your list is the one clicking the "subscribe me" button.

Making the switch to confirmed opt-ins benefits all CoolerEmail clients; it really is a "win-win" situation. By switching from unconfirmed to confirmed opt-ins, users solve a principal problem in email marketing, that is, consistently reaching only those customers who want to hear from you and are the most likely to respond to your message. As a byproduct, you reduce the likelihood of generating a spam complaint and contribute to fewer total spam complaints generated by our network. The fewer complaints, the more likely it is your message will reach the target inbox and not register as a bounce or land in the junk folder.

A confirmed opt-in, also known as a "closed loop" or "double opt-in" works by sending the new recipient a confirmation of their subscription request that requires them to click on a confirmation link prior to adding them to your contact list. This ensures that the owner of the email address is the one who signed up for your list (making spam complaints much less likely), that their email address is valid (causing you to have fewer bounces), and that they truly want to receive emails from you (meaning that they are more likely to respond to your campaigns).

So, update your account today!

How? It's simple. All you have to do is log in to your account, click on the "My Account" screen and uncheck the "Allow Single Opt In Signups" option. This will automatically forward any forms that make use of the unconfirmed opt-in script to the confirmed opt-in script! What could be easier?

Unconfirmed opt-ins, whether they are behind another authentication layer or not, are simply a risk to deliverability. Any user who has not unchecked the "Allow Single Opt In Signups" option before April 15 will be placed into our unconfirmed opt-in sending pool. This pool delivers email off of IPs that are separate from our primary pool.

Remember, uncheck that "Single Opt In" option before April 15 to ensure the best possible deliverability rate for your emails. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at support@cooleremail.com.

*An unconfirmed opt-in script is still available for those clients whose websites have already authenticated their subscribers.


Thank you ...

We are always striving to make CoolerEmail ever better. Customer requests for feature enhancements are responsible for many additions. If you have feedback or suggestions, please send them to suggest@cooleremail.com.

CoolerEmail
249 S Hwy 101, Suite 525   •   Solana Beach, CA 92075
866.4COOLER   •   Fax:   •   editor@cooleremail.com   •   http://cooleremail.com