Thinking of renting an email list? Before choosing a list provider, there are several important questions that should be answered. At ConsumerBase, we understand that many companies will choose a list provider by cost. Before you do this, make sure to make the following checks first:

How reliable is the list?

Before renting any list, you should find out where it comes from and decide if it is a valuable source.

How many names and email addresses do they have?

A good email list provider should have a large list of quality names and addresses. The list provider should also be able to easily profile the people on the list. The more selections that are available to you, the more likely you will be to segment and target your customers.

Has the list been used too often?

Studies have shown that companies should avoid lists that have been mailed-to too frequently. The prospects are normally less responsive and you could be in danger of damaging your brand or reputation.

How clean is the list?

Good list providers will add and suppress data on a regular basis.

How old is the data?

Since email data decays at a much faster rate than postal data, it is important to make sure that the data is both fresh and clean.

Almost every Internet user has experienced it. You log in to your email account and your eyes immediately dart to that commercial email you did not sign up for. Where did this email come from? The most likely source is from email appends.

What are email appends?

Simply put, email appends take a portion of your customer database and find matching email addresses. Most often, the email addresses taken are from those with whom you have an established relationship. Email appends give the customer the chance to decide whether or not they want to receive your emails. The email addresses are then appended to your database and sent back to you.

Aren’t these emails SPAM?

No, they are not SPAM. When marketing on the Internet, you must remember that content is king. If you send out relevant and compelling emails, there is a good chance that the email recipients will not only read your email, they will also buy your product! As long as the email is written and sent correctly, it can be a very powerful marketing tool.