Email is considered the best marketing solution on the web for a number of good reasons. From its reach to the higher click-through rates it has over social or mobile, email marketing is a sure way to succeed with marketing in the internet age. However, despite its popularity as the top choice for many companies, some find that their list data is often out of date or just wrong in general.

According to Internet Retailer, 29 percent of companies have said that they’ve lost customers due to inaccurate data in their email management services. A study conducted by Dynamic Markets found that 94 percent of businesses suspect that their customer data is wrong or incomplete, with an average of 17 percent inaccuracy. Everything from typographical errors to simply having addresses on file that are no longer in use can cause an error, and ultimately these issues can degrade the success of the marketing solution.

On top of the need for accurate email list management to keep email marketing successful, inaccurate contact data can cause businesses to waste their budgets on false information. According to the study, the average company has wasted about 12 percent of its marketing budget due to wrong customer data. Despite these percentages, 98 percent of respondents to the survey said that they have solutions in place to manage the accuracy of their contact information. However 23 percent are using manual methods and only 19 percent use automated systems.

One sure way to improve the accuracy of customer data and improve marketing success is to invest in higher quality list management tools. With suppression list management solutions and software to automate updating opt-out lists and other information, a business will be able to keep its contact information up-to-date and relevant, minimizing loss. This will help companies build a more comprehensive database of customer data, demographics and behaviors, which many have yet to do according to the news source. It will also allow businesses to better leverage their email marketing data and improve their strategies overall.

Despite these needed improvements, email is still the most effective and successful marketing solution for any business, and will help turn metrics into actionable information that can be used to reach more consumers and increase sales in the long run.