Clean address data is key for successful order fulfilment and delivery
Ecommerce continues to rapidly grow, with online sales projected to reach $6.3 trillion globally by 2024. However, as ecommerce scales, shipping and logistics can become increasingly challenging. Incorrect customer address data leads to failed deliveries, returned packages, and poor customer experiences.
In fact, 1 in 6 online purchase deliveries result in failure due to inaccurate address information. This not only wastes operational costs for retailers, but also diminishes customer lifetime value and loyalty. Research shows that 9% of consumers will not reuse an ecommerce website after just one incident of a delivery issue. Maintaining clean, validated address records is essential for companies to ship orders successfully.
Mistakes in customer address data happen for various reasons:
Typos during manual entry - transposed letters/numbers, misspellings
Copying data inaccurately from one system to another
Information missing - no flat or apartment number
Outdated records - old addresses not updated after a move
Inconsistent formats - abbreviations, directionals, postal codes
With multiple touch points for data entry - online forms, sales reps, third party sources - errors easily slip through. But dirty address data doesn’t have to be an inevitable part of ecommerce. Proper validation can solve these issues.
Address validation processes address records against postal authority databases to identify and correct mistakes. The key steps include:
Correcting formatting - Standardising street, city, postcode and other address elements
Verifying accuracy - Checking for valid postal codes, streets, buildings
Completing information - Adding missing pieces like postcode, flat number
Confirming deliverability - Ensuring the address is legitimate
Integrating address finder across ecommerce systems enhances delivery accuracy:
Website forms - Instantly validate data as customers enter information for precise records.
CRM/ERP - Maintain a single source of truth for clean data across all platforms.
Warehouse systems - Verify address details on each order for accurate fulfilment and labelling.
3PL integrations - Share perfect delivery data with logistics partners to guarantee deliverability.
Address Finder can also add rooftop accurate coordinates for more precise drop-offs and provide full residential vs commercial classification. This further optimises last mile delivery.
For ecommerce retailers, validated address data means:
Decreased failed deliveries and returns
Reduced operational costs from shipping errors
Improved customer experiences and satisfaction
Increased repeat purchases and customer lifetime value
Maximised revenue by avoiding wasted marketing budget