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The missing step to building a solid customer database
A large part of direct marketing efforts is having the correct information to contact customers. This data bridges the gap between the business and the consumer, allowing the brand to communicate meaningful and personal marketing messages directly to them. Mailing campaigns are an important part of building a strong relationships with buyers, but direct mail only works if companies have accurate contact information in their database. Address verification software is absolutely necessary, and if companies have a better idea of what makes good and bad data, they will be able to address system problems much better.
Good data vs. bad data
Knowing which data is good and bad is a great start when building a solid database. Data expert Jim Harris stated that even though one piece of information be valid and technically correct, it can be in the wrong form and throw off the entire database. He uses the example of "St. Louis" versus "Saint Louis." While both are technically valid names for the town and neither is particularly wrong, the company database needs to use only one of the choices - therefore making the other incorrect. Having consistent accuracy is one of the main problems that many businesses have with their information systems. If IT and marketing departments don't make an effort to sort through the data and make sure it all lines up with company policy, there are going to be mounting discrepancies in the future.
Inconsistent data formats lead to errors
On top of having incorrect addresses for customers because they moved to a new location or storing multiple addresses for a person, holding inconsistent and confusing data can be a hazard to the future of the organization. If employees get confused and don't know what the piece of data is referring to, then it is almost useless. Harris also mentioned the example of inputting dates into a system. In the U.S., dates are written with the day first, then month and end with the year. But in Europe, dates are written with the month first, day second and year third. This can be cause a big problem in databases simply because it offers a completely different date depending on the location. The form of the piece of information makes a big difference, and not having consistency can cause many problems down the line.
Good customer data improves customer experience
Data plays a big role in all marketing endeavors, and can therefore affect customer retention over the long run. Having a clean database will allow businesses to pursue promotional activity that will reach intended customers and ensure a high return on investment. Clients appreciate when they receive personalized mail that speaks to their needs and offers relevant information. It's possible to provide this if organizations utilize address verification and pay attention to detail with their databases. Investing in the customer experience means maintaining a strong database with leading technology like mailing software and keeping in contact with buyers over long periods of time.
