Consumer Intelligence

What to Consider When Choosing a Data Provider

Now more than ever, our ability to effectively leverage data has become critical to our ability to understand customers and deliver business results. And data from external providers has begun to take a larger role in helping drive those results. But, with data companies proliferating, and each one applying different standards to position their data as the “best”, how do you cut through the noise and find the third-party data provider that will best meet your needs? 

To help you more effectively evaluate potential data providers, Mobilewalla has created an in-depth evaluation guide with top considerations and an annotated checklist so you can be confident in your decision. Read on for an overview, or download the complete guide on “How to Choose a Data Provider” now.

Comparing Data Companies & Core Offerings

The first step is to assess each data provider’s core offering, whether or not it can address your business needs, and what it would take to integrate their solution into your current tech stack and processes. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Here are a few questions than can help determine whether a company is the right fit:

  • What is the company’s history? You may prefer an established firm with a steady foundation over a start-up with a tenuous future.
  • What products and services do they offer? Make sure that their data offerings will fulfill the needs you’ve identified and complement your existing data assets. You may also learn about beneficial services of which you were previously unaware.
  • What is their data collection methodology and source? Learn where the data is coming from to ensure it has the breadth and depth you need, and that there won’t be any privacy or compliance issues

This information will help you identify how the data providers differ from one another, how readily they will be able to provide the support and data you need, and whether or not the solutions offered will be able to scale to support your efforts as your business grows and changes. 

Data Quality & Handling

Once you’ve narrowed down your options, you may still be dealing with a large field of potential partners. It’s time to ask more technical questions to separate the high-quality data offerings from the run-of-the-mill. Here are some top-level ideas to get you started:

    • How often is data refreshed, and how long is it stored? Higher-quality data has greater recency, frequency, and longevity.
    • Which identity resolution techniques are employed? The ability to link and key your data is crucial to building a persistent customer identity across internal and external available data sets.
    • Is data cookie-based or device-based? Browsers are quickly phasing out support for third-party cookies. Vendors relying on cookie-based data will be significantly impacted over the next few years.

It’s also important to consider a provider’s level of data science and artificial intelligence expertise. When applied to data collection, data cleansing, and aggregation, AI methodologies can reveal greater insights and provide a more breadth and depth of data to use for decision making. 

User-Friendliness & Support

Even the highest quality data and insights won’t benefit you if they’re not delivered in a format that you can utilize. Before making the final decision, ask about delivery methods, integrations, and timelines to make sure the solution will be delivered on time and on budget. 

  • Can you expect dedicated account management? Without an appropriate level of service and support, your data investment could go to waste. 
  • What integrations are available – DSPs, DMPs, social platforms, publisher direct relationships? Understanding where a partner fits into your current technology stack and marketing tools will save you time in the integration process. 
  • How does the data get delivered? How long does it typically take? Understanding the time, cost, and effort for new integrations allows everyone to be working under the same set of expectations.

We also recommend asking for a sample data set or a time-boxed proof of concept. These allow you to assess data quality and quantity before making a commitment.

Get the Complete Checklist: How to Choose a Data ProviderGet the How to Choose a Data Provider Checklist

Mobilewalla: Better Data, Better Insights, Better Results

Still have more questions? Contact a Mobilewalla expert to better understand the importance of the considerations we’ve mentioned here, and learn more about how high-quality data can drive growth for your brand, improve predictive modeling results, and much more. 

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Mobilewalla

Mobilewalla is a global leader in consumer intelligence solutions, leveraging the industry’s most robust consumer data set and deep artificial intelligence expertise. Our refined consumer insights provide enterprises with unparalleled access to the digital and offline behavior patterns of customers, prospects, and competition.

Start making more informed business decisions and effectively acquire, understand, and retain your most valuable customers. Get in touch with a data expert today