Introduction
The amount of customer data we collect is constantly growing. With more channels to gather this information, businesses now have a wealth of data at their fingertips. One department that relies heavily on this data is marketing. Marketeers connect different pieces of data, such as client information, advertising metrics, and sales figures, to improve business performance and evaluate success.
Understanding the connection between customer data and your role, how you collect, use, and analyse this data, plays an essential role in your overall business success. Accurate and well-managed data can lead to better marketing strategies, improved customer experiences, and ultimately, greater business growth.
The Importance of Accurate Customer Data
Accurate customer data is the backbone of effective marketing. When you have a unified customer profile, often referred to as a "customer 360" view, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of your clients. This profile is built from various types of customer data: identity data, engagement data, behavioral data. In this guide, we will focus on identity data, such as phone numbers, emails, and addresses, which should be collected selectively. Always remember to collect only the customer data you need and nothing more.
Personalised marketing
Personalised marketing is one of the primary benefits of accurate customer data. This involves tailoring your marketing efforts to individual preferences and behaviors. For example, if you know a customer’s purchase history and browsing patterns, you can send personalised product recommendations or special offers that match their interests. Accurate identity data, like a customer's name and email address, is essential for this level of personalisation. This makes your marketing messages more relevant and engaging, fostering a deeper connection with your customers, leading to higher satisfaction and loyalty. Marketers report that segmented emails drive 30% more opens and 50% more clickthroughs than unsegmented ones.
Targeting
Targeted campaigns focus on reaching specific segments of your audience with tailored messages. Unlike personalised marketing, which is individualised, targeted campaigns group customers based on shared characteristics, such as demographics, geographic location, or past purchase behavior. For instance, you might run a targeted email campaign for customers in a particular region promoting a local event or offer. Having accurate customer addresses allows you to effectively segment your audience and ensure your messages are delivered to the right people. This increases the likelihood of conversion because your message is reaching the right audience at the right time.
Lead Aquisition
Effective lead acquisition is closely tied to the quality of your identity data. High-quality leads are those that match your ideal customer profile. Accurate contact information helps in identifying these leads more efficiently, ensuring that your marketing efforts are directed towards prospects who are more likely to convert into customers. For example, having correct contact information, such as validated phone numbers and email addresses, allows you to follow up with contacts promptly and maintain a reliable communication channel, increasing the chances of conversion.
Data-driven analysis
Data analysis is an essential component of modern marketing strategies. For example, using accurate address data in marketing allows you to conduct more precise geographic analyses and implement location-based marketing tactics. This approach can reveal patterns and insights that drive more informed business decisions and marketing strategies. Understanding where your highest-value customers are located can help you allocate marketing resources more effectively and tailor your campaigns to regional preferences, all of which rely on the accuracy of your customer data.
Challenges with Inaccurate Data
Inaccurate customer data can have a significant negative impact on your business operations and marketing efforts. When customer identity data, such as phone numbers, email addresses, and physical addresses, is incorrect, it can lead to a range of challenges that hinder your business’s success.
Marketing: Reduced campaign effectiveness is one challenge. Marketing campaigns are only as effective as the data that drives them. If your data is incorrect, your messages may not reach the intended recipients. For instance, emails sent to invalid addresses will bounce back, and direct mail campaigns may result in undelivered materials. This not only wastes resources but also leads to missed opportunities, as your carefully crafted campaigns fail to engage the right audience.
Customers: Another issue is decreased customer satisfaction. Customers expect seamless interactions, and inaccuracies in their details can result in poor experiences. For example, if a customer receives an email with the wrong name or address, it undermines their trust in your brand. Mistakes in order deliveries or appointment scheduling due to incorrect data can lead to negative experiences and damaged relationships.
Compliance: Regulatory compliance is also at risk with inaccurate identity data. Various regulations, such as GDPR, mandate the accurate collection and processing of personal data. If your data is wrong, you could inadvertently violate these regulations, leading to legal penalties and reputational damage. Ensuring data accuracy is essential for maintaining compliance and protecting your business from potential fines and legal issues.
Fraud: Fraud is a concern associated with customer information. When data is incorrect or outdated, it becomes easier for fraudulent activities to go unnoticed. For example, if a fraudster uses a fake identity to make a purchase, inaccurate data can make it difficult to trace and prevent such activities. This can lead to financial losses and potential damage to your reputation.
The Lifecycle of Customer Data
Understanding the flow of customer data within your organization can help you visualise its lifecycle and understand why maintaining its accuracy is essential. From the moment data is captured to when it is used across various departments, each step in this journey affects your business operations.
Customer data typically begins its lifecycle when captured through various channels, such as web forms, mobile apps, or point-of-sale systems. For example, when a customer fills out a form on your Unbounce landing page, their details are collected. Accurate data at this initial step sets the foundation for all subsequent processes.
Once captured, this data is transferred to a centralised storage system, such as a CRM or data warehouse. Here, the data is organised and stored securely, making it accessible to various departments within your company. It's important to ensure that data remains accurate and up-to-date during this transfer process to prevent any duplicates or corruption.
Departments like marketing, sales, and customer service access this data to perform their functions. For marketing, accurate customer data enables personalised campaigns and targeted communications. Sales teams use this data to identify and nurture leads, while customer service relies on it to provide timely and effective support. Data teams also scrape and analyse the information to uncover insights and trends. Each department's success depends on the quality and accuracy of the data they use.
Throughout these steps, customer data can still become outdated. According to a study by Dun & Bradstreet, 22% of businesses' customer data becomes outdated every year. This data decay can result from changes in customer information, such as moving to a new address. The journey doesn't end here, it should be regularly maintained for accuracy.
Strategies for Maintaining Data Accuracy
With regular data flowing in, it's important to maintain its quality to ensure effective business operations and marketing efforts. Here are a few key strategies to help keep your customer data accurate:
Regular Data Audits
Regular data audits, also known as data cleansing, involve systematically reviewing and correcting your database. This process helps identify and eliminate inaccuracies, duplicates, and outdated information. For example, a customer might have moved to a new address or changed their phone number. During an audit, you can cross-reference your data with reliable sources to verify its accuracy. Scheduling periodic audits such as quarterly or annually, ensures that errors are caught and corrected before they impact your operations. Data audits can also help identify patterns in data errors, allowing you to address the root causes and improve data collection processes.
Automated Data Validation Tools
Implementing automated data validation solutions allows you to check the accuracy of data in real-time as it is entered into your system. These tools can instantly validate email addresses, phone numbers, and physical addresses, ensuring that incorrect data is flagged and corrected immediately. For example, when a customer fills out an online form, validation can check if the email address format is correct or if the phone number is valid. Real-time validation helps maintain high data quality from the moment it is captured, reducing the need for extensive data cleansing later. Additionally, these tools can integrate with your existing systems, providing a seamless and efficient way to ensure data accuracy.
Manual Data Correction
Sometimes, the best way to ensure data accuracy is to go straight to the source, your customers. Periodically ask your customers to confirm or update their information. This can be done through various methods, such as email confirmations, account update prompts, or during customer service interactions. For example, when a customer logs into their account, you can prompt them to review and update their contact details. Engaging directly with customers helps keep your data current and accurate. It also shows customers that you value their information and are committed to providing them with the best service.
Data Validation: Ensuring Lead Quality
Customers with verified identity data are more valuable because they can be accurately identified across multiple channels and touchpoints, and their data is more likely to be up-to-date and real.
What is Data Validation and Why It Matters
Data validation is the process of verifying the accuracy and completeness of your data. This involves checking that data is correctly formatted, consistent, and accurate. For instance, ensuring that email addresses have the correct structure, phone numbers contain the right number of digits, and addresses match known geographic locations. Accurate data is essential for making informed business decisions, improving customer interactions, and maximizing the return on your marketing investments.
Types of Data Validation:
Address Validation: Ensuring that physical addresses provided by customers are correct and exist within known postal systems. Address validation tools can autocomplete addresses as customers type, check for accurate postal codes, and verify the existence of the address.
Email Validation: Verifying that email addresses are correctly formatted and active. Email validation tools check for proper syntax, the existence of the domain, and whether the email address is deliverable.
Phone Number Validation: Confirming that phone numbers are valid and reachable. Phone verification tools verify the number’s format, country code, and whether it is a landline or mobile number.
Capturing Customer Data for your Unbounce Landing Pages
Unbounce is a powerful tool for creating landing pages designed to capture leads effectively. Whenever you are capturing leads, design user-friendly forms that are simple and encourage input. Here are three use cases to capture and verify customer data using Unbounce:
Webinar Registrations
When hosting a webinar, it's important to gather accurate information from attendees. Make sure to also highlight the value and relevance of the webinar content to encourage interest and use a Call to action (CTA) like "Register for Free" or "Reserve Your Spot" to drive registrations. Your form should collect:
- Email: To send webinar details, reminders, and follow-up materials. Email verification ensures the email provided is accurate and deliverable.
- Industry or preferences: To tailor the webinar content and future communications to the attendee's interests. Use a dropdown menu or predefined options to avoid typos.
Free Trial Sign-Ups for Software
When offering a free trial for your software, collect details that can enhance the user experience and follow-up communication. Use a CTA like "Start Your Free Trial" or "Get Started Now" to motivate visitors. They’ll also want to read about the benefits and features they can explore after creating an account. Your sign-up form should gather:
- Name: To address attendees properly.
- Email: To send login details, usage tips, and trial expiration reminders.
- Phone Number: To offer personalised support and follow-up calls. Phone number validation ensures the mobile numbers or landlines provided are valid and reachable.
Contest Entries for a Giveaway
Running a contest or giveaway can attract many entries. Capturing accurate customer data ensures you can follow up with participants and announce winners correctly. Use a CTA button like "Enter to Win" or "Join the Contest" to encourage participation. Your entry form should include:
- Name: To personalise the winner announcement and communication.
- Email: To notify participants about the contest results and future promotions.
- Shipping Address: To send prizes to the winners. Address validation ensures the address provided is accurate, reducing the risk of failed deliveries.
Data Validation for Unbounce Forms
Implementing data validation in your Unbounce forms can significantly improve the accuracy of the data you collect, reduce form abandonment, and improve user experience.
Unbounce Address validation
Ideal Postcodes provides both an address finder that autocompletes addresses and a postcode lookup that allows users to search for addresses using a postcode. These tools use real-time validation to correct address errors instantly, reducing form abandonment by minimising friction.
3 Steps to Integrate Address Validation:
1. Add the Address Input Fields to Your Form:Design your Unbounce form to include address input fields where users can enter their details.
2. Copy and Paste Pre-made Code: Use the pre-made code provided by Ideal Postcodes. Simply copy this code and paste it into your Unbounce form settings. This code integrates the address finder or postcode lookup with your form.
3. Test Your Address Form: After integrating the code, preview and test your address form on your Unbounce landing page to ensure it works correctly. This step ensures that the address validation tool is functioning properly.
For detailed instructions, visit the Ideal Postcodes Unbounce Integration.
Unbounce Email and phone validation
Zapier allows you to automate workflows between Unbounce and Ideal Postcodes, simplifying tasks. You can use cleansing to check if emails and phone numbers are correct, and then feed this information into your CRM.
All you need to do is choose Unbounce as the trigger app and Ideal Postcodes as the action app when you create a workflow. This will cleanse and validate the emails and phone numbers data collected from your Unbounce forms automatically.
For more information, view the Zapier Unbounce and Ideal Postcodes Integration.
Learn More about Customer Data Verification with Ideal Postcodes
Ideal Postcodes offers comprehensive solutions for data validation. Ready to improve your data quality? Explore our solutions and see how easy it is to integrate powerful validation tools into your Unbounce forms.
Visit Ideal Postcodes for more information.