Retailers Fail At Email Address Validation

Hats off to the folks at Fresh Address for bringing to light an extremely important study on the costs & issues of bad email addresses getting into your system.   You can find the report on their site here.

Unlike so many irrelevant "studies" that look at things like open rates, this actually shines a light on two giant issues associated with permitting bad addresses into your system:

1) Deliverability.  When you mail you are penalized by the ISP's for undeliverable email.  Reach a certain threshold and you are blocked.  Why would you tie a hand behind your back by trying to mail to addresses that you know are not going to make it?

2) Money.  I hadn't really contemplated this one too much, but FreshAddress says that bad addresses cost the retailers in the test an average of $6.7 million dollars annually!

What amazes me is how difficult marketers make Email.   I think the problem is that we are so used to marketing being hard, that when we have a tool that makes it so easy to do well.....Marketers must feel like they have to find a way to make it more difficult...

Comments

[Richard Gibson]

Interesting post. Thanks.

[Gary Bourgeault]

Good post Christ!

I think your comment here is telling:

"What amazes me is how difficult marketers make Email. I think the problem is that we are so used to marketing being hard, that when we have a tool that makes it so easy to do well...Marketers must feel like they have to find a way to make it more difficult..."

Not only in marketing, but in design as well, everything is done much harder than it has to be.

For example in online banking there are still huge, simple functionality problems for the consumers, who want simple ease of use and not the cool additions.

Like you say, we sometimes try too hard and the results are far inferior to simple solutions.

[Scott Burkey]

Great post, Chris.

One of my favorite sayings is, "If you don't ever get away from the basics you don't have to worry about Getting Back To Basics."

Too many times we get into advanced concepts in technology (and life) and end up wondering how we got so far off the proven path of success. Basic web practices are to do proper validation on things like phone numbers and email addresses.

I've been guilty of it too, but learned lessons in recent years with regards to exactly what FreshAddress is talking about with reduced deliverability and wasted money. It's always good to see an agency come out with research that lends further support to points I try to make with my clients.

Thanks again!

[ronald mcmahon jr]

I need my email address valided please

[Singapore Increase Web Traffic]

Your post have brought me a greater insight into a deeper level of thinking for me and I just wish to say thanks.