Append Your Contact List: What is Data Append?
Data append is the best way to update your customer contact list. If you collect data to contact, track, market to and sell to customers, then you want to make sure it’s complete and accurate.
When you’re trying to market and sell, you want to make sure you reach the right people. Without complete and accurate data, you risk losing customers. That’s where data append comes in.
What is Data Append?
Data append is the process of “attaching” data that might be missing. One common use for data append is for a company’s customer data files. Customer phone numbers, emails, and addresses are often collected and stored for future marketing and sales purposes. So it’s important to make sure these files are correct.
There are many reasons why you might have incomplete or incorrect files in your database. For example, a customer might provide a fake phone number in order to avoid receiving spam or marketing calls. Or a customer might provide his or her current address and then move within the year. Or, the error could be as simple as a typo.
Data append identifies mistaken and empty fields and is able to attach or add the correct data to each contact. As long as the correct information is registered somewhere, it can be located and added to your database. Now, how does it work?
How to Data Append
Searchbug’s do-it-yourself data append tool allows you to update over a million records in just a few simple steps:
- Upload your TXT, CSV, or Excel data file
- Identify columns
- Review options
- Process
- Download results
Sign up, login, pay, and download your results once processing is complete.
The data you need to already have in order to append missing records depends on what data points you need. For example, if you want to append email addresses, you at least need to have a phone number or a customer’s first and last name.
It’s easy to determine what information you need. Just check one or two data points you need, and we’ll let you know what data to provide.
Once you upload your file and define searchable columns, you’ll see applicable append options based on your existing data.
Processed results are returned in a CSV file with all originally uploaded data plus additional columns with the new data. When more than one result is found, the input data is repeated and new data added on subsequent rows. Blank cells indicate results not found. There is no limit on how many results you will receive for each record.
Data Append Steps
After you upload your TXT, CSV, or Excel file, identify the columns. When we show you a preview of your uploaded file, you need to tell us what data you have in each column.
Based on the data you already have, we will present possible append options and associated cost. We’ll also estimate the process time. Estimated time to process will also be displayed. Review your options, and proceed to payment.
Payment depends on your account. Existing users might have a pay-as-you-go account or prepaid account. New users will be asked to create an account and add a credit card. Your card will be authorized and charged when the results are ready.
If payment is successful, the processing will start immediately. You will receive an email when the file is ready. The new Batch Dashboard even allows you to monitor the progress and see details on all your recent batches.
Finally, you will receive an email with a link to download your report once processing is complete.
Match Rates
The match rate is the success each append experiences on average. Match rates depend on three factors: the availability of the data, the nature and quality of your input data, and the conduction of the search.
For example, if your input data isn’t accurate or up-to-date, your append results might not be either. Additionally, if you conduct a search for a contact’s phone number using his or her name and address, but you aren’t sure the address isn’t current, rather than risk getting an inaccurate or empty result, search by name and city and state instead.
Since appended data is aggregated from a variety of sources, we cannot guarantee accuracy, but data is updated monthly, quarterly, or annually depending on the source. You can view our average match rates by append type here.
Standard Append vs. Premium Append
Premium append costs a little more per hit than standard append, but match rates are higher. Since premium append sources are updated more frequently, you can be sure you are paying for the best data quality the market has to offer.
Premium append results include
- Names and aliases
- Current and recent addresses (last 3 years)
- All known phone numbers
- Date of birth and date of death, if deceased
- Relatives’ names with their dates of birth
Search by address only, name and city/state, name and address, or by phone number. Searching by old address or old phone number will return recent address and phone number as well.
How Much Does Data Append Cost?
Depending on volume, the cost for standard append is $0.04-$0.20 per hit and premium append ranges from $0.50-$0.95 per hit. A hit refers to a record that is found. However, if multiple records are found for a single line of input data, it still counts as one hit, and you are only charged for one hit.
You do have the chance to see a maximum cost estimate based on a 100% hit ratio for the file record count and selected append option. You can also use our Pricing Calculator at any time for a specific quote. Just enter the number of records and hit “Calculate”!
Where Does the Information Come From?
Our data comes from multiple sources. We aggregate data from 15 million business records and 220 million consumer records from public directories and private sources. We also pull data from social media profiles, various website registrations, and premium cell phone and email databases.
Directory data used in the standard append service always contains the most recent data. The data is validated by numerous proprietary processes with frequent National Change of Address (NCOA) updates for both business & consumer lists.
The Importance of Data Append to Your Business
Upon review of your data, you may come to find that there are gaps or blank fields. Data append fills in those gaps.
You might also just want to update certain data. Perhaps you have an SMS campaign coming up and you want to make sure you have accurate numbers for all of your customer records. Upload the name and address of each contact and indicate that you want to append current phone numbers. Once you have the new data, you’re ready to go!
Cleaning up your customer data ensures that your messages always reach the intended recipients. Without accurate data, you risk wasting resources reaching out to outdated, inaccurate numbers, emails, and addresses. For businesses, accuracy is key; your reputation is on the line.
Fortunately, updating your records is simple and affordable. Check out data append today!