richADZ's Site Build It! - Profitable Web Business or Bust

This post follows up from the previous one on Building an Opt-In List using SBI!

As I was saying, I have a problem when it comes to, more specifically, the Confirmation Email, which is automatically generated by MailOut Manager.

Let me explain.

Once someone subscribe, they will be sent a confirmation email (automated by SBI!, great), but the message is from and signed off with your full name. If your SBI! site is a hobby site, or if you are operating an individual business, this may not be such a big issue.

But my newsletter is intended to brand my company, not my name. My partners will not likely be too happy with me as well.

Additionally, I would like to import my previous list from my my non-SBI! site.

I can do that easily at MailOut Manager by individually entering the emails followed by names, or simply import a csv file from my computer. But then I found that the Confirmation Email (for double opt-in) is not up to my satisfaction.

At this stage, SBI! only allows partial customization of the Confirmation Email (i.e., add a paragraph in between the ready-made message). So, even if you do not like the way the automated message was written, you have no way of changing it.

Let me illustrate...

The Confirmation Email started with something like the following:

Hello { first_name_of_subscriber },

{ Your Full Name } here. I am writing this letter to ask you to subscribe to our e-zine, which is called Tropical Vacation Borneo Newsletter (note: that's the name of my planned newsletter through my SBI! site).

and the message signs off with:

All the best,
{ Your Full Name }
http://www.borneo-tropical-vacation.com

Hope you can see from my perspective.

I guess I'm not the only one who feels this way. A lot of SBIers also touched on this at the SBI! Forum and the last I heard was This functionality is currently being developed by SiteSell. Many are anxiously awaiting it.

With regards to my full name on the message, I read from the Forum that if you remove your name or part of it from the "My Account" section of SBI!, then it will update in the other modules but still won't affect your ownership or renewal.

Hmmm, I could possibly change it to "The e-borneo.com Team" like we used to sign off previously in our now defunct newsletter, but then I suppose all my emails from SiteSell as well as my name at the Forum will be "The e-borneo.com Team"?

And how would SiteSell charge my credit card if the name of the contact person is not in their record?

More crucial though, since SBI! and SiteSell Affiliates contact info are integrated, I wonder whether if I have a check, it will be made payable to "The e-borneo.com Team"?

This I gotta ask at the Forum soon.

But besides the full name issue, I guess most experienced webmaster would prefer to fully customize (and re-write) all automated messages. I for one would like to use my tone of writing, and whether it's against SiteSell's advice or not, I don't feel like a professional starting a message with "Hi, Rich Adz here".

Hence, I just have to wait and...

That holds back my plan to publish my newsletter.

Patience..., Richard.