Email contact list prices drop, still require attention for ROI

A recent study by the List Price Index indicates a drop in the costs of email contact lists. The Summer 2012 report revealed the average cost of aggregate business email database list prices was down 4.65 percent year-over-year as of this summer, and permission-based international email list prices declined 1.47 percent during the same period. That brings the costs to an estimated $164 and $401 per 1,000 names, respectively.

Larger company postal lists cost purchasers $620 on average this summer, the study found, just up from the $540 per 1,000 names for small business company lists.

"We are now seeing that many marketers are buying full data records - including a contact's postal address, email address and phone number for a much higher price and can use it through their home-based ESPs," said Ray Tesi, senior vice president at WorldData, as quoted by the source.

Tesi adds that this process can help buyers target their offers and brand awareness strategies before making any further investments. Another way to ensure the best results are achieved, and the company earns the best return on its investment, is to declutter the lists and verify the data quality regularly.