Did you know that within a year, 21% of a customer database becomes obsolete ?

In its relationship with its customers (or prospects), a company's database is, unsurprisingly, a major issue. A good database of business customers is an invaluable asset, enabling improved customer relations through targeted, personalized communication, more effective marketing, improved processes and increased customer loyalty. This is not a secret.

And yet, it can quickly be thrown out the window if we're not careful. Because, according to a study by Inoopa, one statistic is particularly alarming: after just one year, around 21% of the database becomes invalid. There are many reasons for this: cessation of business, relocation, change of telephone number or e-mail address, changes in activity, etc.

If companies don't keep an effective watch, it still means that in just over 2 years, their database is only half as good! It's best not to stand idly by. This obsolescence can be costly. It means that a lot of effort (contacts, sending useless e-mails, letters or SMS) will be expended for nothing and it can mean a significant loss of revenue.

Here are the consequences:

• In the case of email campaigns, this will rapidly increase the bounce rate and the risk of the sending address being blocked.

• In the case of outbound calling campaigns, the connection rate (i.e. the number of people who pick up the phone during the call) will drop drastically, with the result that the return on investment will be too low.

Let's imagine a database of prospects in a certain niche. If this database doesn't take into account the latest business start-ups, it's impossible to be the first to propose an offer to young, fresh companies. In a world where speed is one of the most promising virtues, it would be a shame to miss out.

So you see, keeping your database up to date is essential, given the speed at which it is becoming outdated. There are many ways of doing this: data cleansing, monitoring customer activity, working with other departments to identify changes, using automation tools in the CRM, and so on.

At Inoopa, we offer you a free database audit or a free data sample.