I want to send
interested users email updates about my progress with the app they're signing up to use. I see three choices (fill me in if I'm missing any):
1. Simply add users to the list when they sign up with their email address. Easiest and most effective, but assumes that a signup = permission to send email. Not totally comfortable with this; should I be?
2. Add a checkbox to the signup process that users can check if they want email updates. Nice middle ground, requiring some back-end integration but ensuring I have permission to email. But it won't catch anyone who's already signed up.
3. Add a blog-style pop-up, smartbar, or otherwise prodding UI element to gather signups. Easy for me, but annoying for users who just want to use the app and may already be signed up. But it does catch people who are already signed up for the app and aren't on the list.
All thoughts welcome.
1) Include a check box saying you will mail people when they give you their email via sign-up. It's generally considered OK to pre-check this these days.
2) Distinguish promotional vs service emails you send. Its generally OK to send service emails without pre-consent e.g. new terms and conditions but you need permission to send promotional emails e.g. New refer a friend program.
3) Include an easy to find stop contacting me link on every communication. Don't try to hide this or make it difficult to use e.g. login in to update preferences. If people start marking you as spam this could hurt your ability to communicate with users once ISPs view your mail as lower quality.
Additionally I would avoid doing pop-up/notification style prodding. Any app that does this to me gets removed quick smart. Perhaps do this one time to update your current base but if you do this with any regularity any short term gains will likely come at a long term price.