Hi All -
We have a handful of forms on our website that allow people to opt-in for future e-mail communications by checking a checkbox at the bottom of the form. If they check it, they get opted in, if not they don't. However, we've discovered that upon future form submissions (different form on the site), if someone who previously opted-in does not check the opt-in box on their next form submission, they then get opted-out as the checkbox returns a false reading in Marketo. We use server side form posts instead of Marketo forms as the form data needs to go elsewhere (we create user accounts in a different system) so I can't use progressive profiling to remove the opt-in checkbox on future forms if the prospect is already opted-in.
I'm curious how others are allowing their website visitors to opt-in - are you using check boxes, other types of form fields (like a yes/no drop down that doesn't require an answer), or are you simply opting everyone in who fills out a form and then allowing them to unsubscribe using the typical links in your e-mail footers? I thought the check box was a common practice but it doesn't work well in this specific application for the reasons I mentioned above.
Any feedback or alternate ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike
Guys, think I'm not being clear... my point is that because the form is incapable of knowing if the lead viewing it has opted in already, you have to default an Unsubscribed-linked checkbox to unchecked (on this we seem to agree).
And even though some leads might have turned out to have already opted in, it doesn't make sense for an unchecked box to have no meaning for previously opted-in leads, while being interpreted as Unsubscribed=true for new or previously opted-out leads. I feel it should have the same semantic meaning in all cases.
The problem is solved by never displaying a checkbox linked to the Unsubscribed field unless you have made a good-faith effort to Pre-fill it. In this case the form is not ready for prime time IMO!