Consumer Lists, Databases, and Lists

If you marketing plan targets consumers then you may want to consider purchasing consumer leads or consumer lists. Consumer sales leads lists can provide you with a wealth of data to feed your marketing efforts including traditional marketing methods, email marketing, and telemarketing.



There are an abundance of companies, online and offline, that offer a wide array of consumers lists and consumer databases. These consumer leads can be targeted down to the neighborhood and gender. On top of excellent targeting abilities most internet consumer list companies offer a wide variety of contact management tools aiding you in maintaining contact throughout the sales cycle with your consumers lists. In this article we will highlight the different aspects of consumer lists including where these leads come from, what to expect from your leads, what to ask the companies from which you are purchasing residential leads.

As with any lead company you will want to look for a few characteristics that identify a quality lead source. Below are some questions to ask and things to look for in a consumer leads list company.

How often is your residential database updated? How fresh is are your lists?
Finding a company that updates its data frequently is critical. Stale and inaccurate data is worthless. Ask each company how often their data is verified and what methods of verification are used. Common methods of updating consumer lists include processing data against the National Change of Address File (NCOA), the Delivery Sequence File (DSF), tracking residential moving records and telephone verification.

Lead Accuracy and Lead Replacement Policy
Accuracy of your data really goes hand in hand with the previous question, the freshness of your consumer lists. The issue here is that you want to make sure the company you are dealing with has a liberal lead or list return/replacement policy. Look for companies guarantee replacement of bad consumer sales leads lists.

Do you have a minimum order?
Some companies have minimum orders that are considerably higher than others. Also watch for minimum yearly maintenance fees. Some list companies will require that you purchase a certain amount of leads per year. Make sure to read all agreements.

Cost
Your main goal when it comes to purchasing consumer lists is Return on Investment (ROI). However, going with a company because their lists are less expensive isn't always the best way to increase ROI. The key here is the quality of your lead source. Find a company that proves it provides effective, verified high quality leads at a reasonable cost.

Data fields are included in the average consumer lead lists?
Common data fields included in residential lists are Name, Address, City, State, Zip, Phone, etc.


Sample Consumer Sales Lead:

Basic and Specialized search filter criteria for a consumer lead database?

Common ways to filter or narrow down your consumer leads selection include Zip Codes, City, County, Radius from An Address, Metro Area, State, Telephone Area Code, Name of a Street, Estimated Household Income, Gender, Age, Home Value, Home Ownership, Estimated Home Value, Year Home Built, Mortgage Information, Children, Seniors, Ethnicity, Mail Order Buyers, Bankruptcy, Credit, Investors, Life Style Interests, Net Worth, New Movers, New Parents, Newlyweds, Pilots, Doctors, College Students, Teachers, Teens, Weight, Entrepreneurs, Veterans, Ailments, Car Owners, Motorcycle Owners, Nurses, Lawyers, Executives, CEOs, etc.

Consumer Lists Sources
Telephone Directories, Mail Order Purchases, Real Estate Information, Voter Registration Data, Consumer Reports, Magazines and Newspapers, US Postal Service Information (NCOA), Governmental records and filings, Public Record Information, Nationwide utility transactions, Phone surveys

Consumer Lead Delivery Formats
E-mail Files, Multiple Types of Labels, Floppy Disks, CD-ROM, ZIP Disk (100 MB), Internet Download, Excel and Word Files, Database Files, Sales Leads Cards, etc.

Do Not Call Compliancy
If you intend to call any of your leads make sure that your lists have been scrubbed against the National Do Not Call Registry. As of Jan 1 2005 all telemarketers must search the national registry at least one time per 31 days and remove all numbers of consumers that have been added.


Consumer Sales Lead Contact Management Software and Services
Some companies that offer sales leads also provide you with contact management tools to accompany your leads. Tools include contact management software, follow up tools with integrated calendar functions, contact location mapping, mailing label tools and email managers.


Click here for a list of companies and sponsors that provide Consumer Leads or Consumer Lists.