• by Ray Schultz , January 2, 2019

Typos, spambots and shady data sources are hurting email marketing lists, eroding sender scores and jamming up marketing funnels, according to How To Stop Harmful Data From Entering Your Funnel Immediately, a study by XVerify.

Invalid data has drown from 15% of the average list a few years ago to 22% today, the study says. This has caused hard bounces and led to lower sender scores.

Take typos. They are more prevalent because consumers are entering their data on mobile devices. Human error accounts for up to 5% of data quality issues. 

In addition, autocorrect often misinterprets nicknames that are used as email IDs, the study says. 

Moreover, third-party data sources like data brokers and affiliate marketers are unreliable: The study states: “You are never getting the best quality data.” Worse, they often consist of “fake accounts that are not valuable to you,” it adds.

Here’s one more problem: That good data can go bad. “Users abandon accounts, an some convert into traps,” it states. Finally, malicious bots will often push fake data.

Brands are responsible for some of their own problems. For instance, some send too many emails and others create subject lines that are different from the content within the email — classic bait and switch.   

But many problems can be avoided by taking these measures, the paper argues: 

• Syntax check (helpful) — This can ensure that all necessary form fields are filled in, while eliminating the invalid characters often caused by bots. It can also make sure that each email address has an @ symbol and a valid ending.
• Captcha (more helpful) — These reduce bots, but there’s a side effect: it can frustrate consumers and reduce conversions. 
• Email verification and hygiene (most helpful) — Verification tools can do all of the above in real-time and ensure that only valid, active email addresses enter the funnel, the study claims.