5 ways to improve your email database

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© 2011 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved. Experian and the marks used herein are service marks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners. No part of this copyrighted work may be reproduced, modified, or distributed in any form or manner without the prior written permission of Experian. 5 Ways to Improve your Email Database May 25, 2011

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Experian QAS discusses the growing importance of email, current challenges businesses are facing today and five ways to improve your email database.

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Page 1: 5 ways to improve your email database

© 2011 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved. Experian and the marks used herein are service marks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc.

Other product and company names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners. No part of this copyrighted work may be reproduced, modified,

or distributed in any form or manner without the prior written permission of Experian.

5 Ways to Improve your Email Database

May 25, 2011

Page 2: 5 ways to improve your email database

© 2011 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.2

Featured Speakers

Brad Wyman, Strategic Account Manager, Experian QAS

Christine Dunkley, Product Manager, Experian QAS

Michelle Kavalchuk, Marketing Programs Specialist, Experian QAS

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© 2011 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.3

Agenda

The growing importance of email

Current challenges business are facing today

5 ways to improve your email database

Case studies

Overview of QAS Email Services

Q&A

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© 2011 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.4

The Growing Importance of Email

90 trillion emails sent annually

1.4 billion email users

Preferred communication method

Inexpensive channel for direct marketers

$43.62 ROI for every dollar spent

Email allows for consistent interactive and effective communication

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© 2011 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.5

Current Challenges Businesses are Facing

Sources of „bad‟ emails include

3rd party sources (purchased lists, etc.)

Information captured at point of entry

Web forms, ecommerce checkout

Syntax and domain errors

Soft bounces vs. hard bounces

Complaints and spam traps

ISPs are becoming more strict

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© 2011 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.6

Impacts of Bad Email Addresses

Impacts customer communication efforts

Lost marketing opportunities

Bad emails affect your ISP reputation and inbox placement

Emails sent to Spam folder

High bounce rates

Emails never reach the intended recipient

Spam traps

Sender shut down by large ISP‟s

Ultimately, lost revenue opportunities

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5 Ways to Improve your Email Database

1. Diagnose your email database

2. Attack the bad emails already in your database

3. Validate new emails before they enter your database

4. Improve your reputation with ISPs

5. Perform append services periodically

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© 2011 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.8

TIP 1: Diagnose your email database

Capture rate

Penetration rate

Bounce rate

Complaint rate

Spam trap hits

Existing invalid emails

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TIP 2: Attack the bad emails already in your database

More than 50% of flagged bad emails are due to minor syntax errors within the email address that can be fixed

Identify and correct invalid characters

► Example 1: cavendish2gmail.com = [email protected]

► Example 2: jpommers @ yahoo com = [email protected]

► Example 3: [email protected] = [email protected]

► Example 4: [email protected] = [email protected]

► Example 5: “Smith, Joe” <[email protected]> = [email protected]

Quickest and easiest way to increase your marketable email database

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© 2011 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.10

TIP 3: Validate new emails before they enter your database

Catch and correct syntax errors

► Ensure proper standardization and conformity to internet standards

Confirm email domains work

► It exists, its active, and can accept mail

Verify mailboxes exist

► Invalid mailboxes account for over 70% of undeliverable emails

Suppress spam traps and risky email addresses

► Role based accounts = [email protected]

► Fake emails = [email protected]

► Malicious emails = [email protected]

► Do not mail list

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© 2011 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.11

TIP 4: Improve your reputation with ISPs

Major ISPs actively screen and filter incoming mail for their users and rely on individual mailers “reputation” to determine emails they will let through

Reputation determined by

► Bounce rate

► Complaint rate

► Spam trap hits

77% of delivery problems were based on sender reputation

Each ISP has their own set of metrics

Sending too many bad emails will flag the sender as “spam”

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© 2011 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.12

TIP 4: Continued… Improve your reputation with ISPs

Implementing a comprehensive validation prior to emails being sent will

► Immediately reduce bounce rate by 50-70%

► Reduce complaints and spam trap hits

► ISPs increase inbox delivery

► Reduced mailing costs from your email service provider (ESP)

► Higher conversion rate on email leads captured

► Avoid blacklisting

► Never get shut down by ISPs

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© 2011 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.13

TIP 5: Perform append services periodically

eAppend

► Use name and address in your database to append valid email

► Immediately increase email penetration rates

Email Change of Address (ECOA)

► Best for previously performing email that hasn‟t been opened in 6 months or suddenly bounces

► People change emails frequently for many reasons

► Leverage ECOA to find your loyal customer‟s new email

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© 2011 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.14

5 Ways to Improve your Email Database

1. Diagnose your email database

2. Attack the bad emails already in your database

3. Validate new emails before they enter your database

4. Improve your reputation with ISPs

5. Perform append services periodically

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© 2011 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.15

Case Study: Multi-Chanel Retailer

Women‟s apparel and accessories chain

► 1,000+ stores in US

► Online, catalog business

Email Problems

► High bounce rates

► Deliverability issues

► Missed opportunities to connect with opt-in subscribers

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© 2011 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.16

Multi-Channel Retailer

Solution

► QAS Express Nightly Processing

● Pre-process for newly captured emails from all sources

● Suppress malicious emails

Results

► 9% increase in deliverable addresses

► Cleaner files led to better inbox placement

► Incremental opens, clicks, transactions

► 15% increase in revenue per campaign

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© 2011 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.17

Case Study: Cabela’s

About Cabela‟s

► “World‟s Foremost Outfitter”

► 29 Stores, catalog business, online

► Ranked #40 in Internet Retailer Top 500

Email problems

► Experienced a large number of bad emails collected in stores, online and in call centers

► Wanted to ensure all opt-in subscribers received emails

► All email bounces were treated the same

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© 2011 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.18

Case Study: Cabela’s

Solution

► Email batch cleansing service

► Cross-checked with existing database

► Ping determines if an email is a “good” address

Results

► Reached ROI on service in 2 weeks

► Bad emails were recovered, tested, and added back into the database

► “Very easy, definitely worth the time and money”

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© 2011 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.19

QAS Email Services

Real time service

► Hosted web service

► Interacts with front end users to correct email

Email Express Processing

► Run an automated correction/validation nightly batch service on newly acquired emails

Bureau services

► Email cleanse and correction

► ECOA

► Email Append

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© 2011 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.20

Please visit www.qas.com

for more information.