We recently announced that we have released an extension for the Magento eCommerce platform to streamline the checkout process and ensure the capture of accurate address details by adding Postcode Lookup to all address entry screens in Magento.

In a move to differentiate our offering from similar solutions in the market place we have also added real time email validation.

There are four levels of validation that can be chosen -

• The first is Syntax level so will basically make sure that there is an @ sign in the middle and valid characters either side.
• The second is MX level and that basically validates everything to the right of the @ sign so ensures that the domain name exists and is set up to receive email.
• Third is Server level, so in addition to the MX level checks, it validates that at least one of the mail servers advertised for the domain is actually live.
• Finally the forth and most accurate level is Address level and this validates that the mail server accepts mail for the full email address.

Adding the plugin couldn’t be simpler. It can be downloaded from the Magento Connect marketplace, http://www.magentocommerce.com/magento-connect/catalog/product/view/id/12372/ and once you have obtained your extension key you can then register here to access our free trial.

If you want to discuss this, or any of our real time validation services contact Data8 on 0151 355 4555 or email info@data-8.co.uk

I am sure you have all been there, you have trawled the internet researching which TV offers the best HD experience, or spent hours looking through countless websites for the perfect summer getaway only to be faced with a long drawn out checkout process.

Those that build, develop and manage ecommerce sites will know that in the UK over 40% of online shoppers see long, complex forms as a main reason for abandoning an online order, with having to manually type an address one of the primary reasons.

The remedy to this is to integrate a postcode lookup solution that can assist in reducing the number of keystrokes required to capture a valid address by up to 90%.

You can add Postcode Lookup options to your existing website or business applications quickly with no development required using Data8’s Postcode Javascript popup or postcode desktop application, or use the web service or Ajax interfaces directly.

So don’t lose a sale by having a complex registration process, make it simple for the customer after they made their selection. They have done all the work selecting what they need and now they are in a hurry to give you their money.

ReturnPath, who are a global email marketing organisation, recently published statistics stating that 20% of permission based email marketing does not get delivered to the correct address. This can be a problem for marketers as this can have a massive effect on response rates.

The solution to this is to validate the email address at the point of capture. Most traditional methods of validating email addresses only check that it looks like an email address, i.e. has an @ in the middle with some valid characters on either side. The Data8 email validation service goes much further:

• checks that the email domain exists and can accept messages
• checks that the domain will accept messages for the individual mailbox
• suggests corrections for misspelt domain names
• suggests corrections for misspelt user names
• identifies email addresses as personal, generic, free etc.

Different levels of checking take different amounts of time, so you can choose what depth of validation to apply depending on your priority of thoroughness or speed.

To improve the response rates of your email campaigns and increase the likelihood of increasing the ROI from them contact Data8 on 0151 355 4555 or email info@data-8.co.uk

This is a scenario that I am sure you are familiar with, a call came through to my mobile from a number that I didn’t recognise, 0207 619 7597. As I didn’t recognise the number I ignored it thinking that if it was important they would leave a voicemail. As they didn’t, I called the number which went straight through to a voicemail. I decided to Google the number and discovered it was listed on a great many nuisance call listing sites. What is annoying is that I am registered on TPS and as any telemarketer worth their salt will know a company found calling numbers registered with the service can face a fine of up to £5,000.

One of the best ways of ensuring that this isn’t happening is to screen the data against the TPS and CTPS registers. Our automated Telephone Preference Service checks in real-time if a number is registered with the TPS, allowing you to screen against the TPS just moments before placing a call.
You can also check a number at the point you obtain it from a customer, allowing you to gain overriding permission while you still have contact with the customer. Our APIs can even be integrated directly in to Microsoft Dynamics CRM therefore making sure telephone numbers are TPS screened the moment they are entered in to your database.

You have all heard the horror stories of motorists whose Sat Nav systems take them to the edge of a cliff or they end up driving down the cross channel hovercraft slip way or of foreign lorry drivers looking for Gibraltar and ending up on Gibraltar Road in Skegness.

Today the government are hold their first summit between Transport Ministers, Councils, Ordinance Survey and Sat Nav manufacturers in response to complaints of vehicles being sent down minor local roads – and occasionally, up paths, alleyways and into streams – by computers relying on outdated or wrongly marked maps.

The importance of an accurate address and postcode cannot be overlooked. Data 8 have a number of validation services that can help ensure that you are capturing accurate address and contact details.

Our Postcode Lookup service provides methods to find full, accurate addresses from a postcode or partial address details using the Royal Mail's UK Postal Address File (PAF).

By adding a postcode lookup service to your CRM system, website or other business application, you can save valuable time and rely on having complete and accurate address details for your customers.

Using postcode lookup on your website or business process can save upto 90% of the keystrokes to capture an address quickly and accurately. Postcode lookup is part of our postcode software which in turn forms part of our total data quality strategy that includes data cleansing, data capture and data validation techniques.

By knowing where in the country your customers are can allow you to offer better, more personalised services. You can put your customers in touch with their closest store or dealer, or use the information yourself to help identify trends in customer buying patterns.

Our Geocoding service quickly and accurately translates a postcode, town, street or other address details to a location, either as a latitude/longitude, easting/northing or OS grid reference.

This service covers the whole UK, including England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Isle of Man. It does not cover the Channel Islands. Locations in England, Scotland and Wales are provided with an accuracy of 1 metre, while Northern Ireland and Isle of Man locations are provided to 100 metres.

To find out how we can help you make sure you are capturing valid customer contact details, call on 0151 355 4555, or register for a free trial via our website, www.data-8.co.uk.