What’s your most valuable asset in DtC marketing? It’s not just your wine or your beautiful tasting room—it’s your data. Imagine the challenges your winery would face if your customer records were incomplete or outdated, making it harder to reach your audience effectively. As 2025 approaches, it’s time to ensure your data is pristine, setting the stage for better-targeted marketing and a smoother sales year ahead. Here’s your guide to making that data shine.
What is Data Clean-Up?
Data clean-up is about making your customer information more accessible and usable. This means removing redundancy, fixing inconsistencies, filling in gaps, and correcting mistakes. By addressing these areas within your CRM system, you’re preparing your winery to conduct more efficient and effective marketing campaigns.
1. Defunct Customers
Do you have customers who haven’t made a purchase in years and consistently ignore your email offers? It’s likely time to stop allocating resources toward them. First, decide on a timeframe (e.g., 3, 4, or 5 years of no purchases), then run a search query to identify these defunct profiles. Next, create a new Customer Type or apply a Customer Tag, and use eCELLAR’s Bulk Modify functionality to move or apply. Before doing so, consider sending a final email offering them an opportunity to re-engage. If there’s no response, it’s time to part ways. You may have your own way of accomplishing this, and that works too—the key is to maintain a clean, organized database, however you choose to do it!
Best Practice: After running a search to segment and identify customers using eCELLAR’s reporting tools, be sure to save the search! Saved searches are dynamic, meaning any customers who meet the criteria will automatically appear in future query results. This makes it a repeatable process you can use any time, not just at the end of the year.
2. Duplicate Customers
Duplicate records can cause inefficiencies in your marketing efforts, leading to wasted time and resources. Additionally, they can skew your KPI reporting, which is far from ideal for management and ownership. By cleaning up your records and ensuring accurate data, you streamline operations and ensure that every marketing effort is precise, ultimately increasing your chances of achieving a higher ROI.
Best Practice: Use eCELLAR’s built-in Dedupe Tool to streamline this process and keep your email lists clean and efficient.
3. Inconsistent Data
Standardized data is essential for accurate marketing and analytics. Phone numbers should all follow the same format (e.g., 707-555-5555), and addresses should be consistently recorded (Suite # vs. Apt #, Street vs. St.). These little things matter when targeting specific customer segments or running personalized campaigns.
Best Practice: Set data entry standards within your CRM system.
4. Missing Data
The more complete your customer profiles are, the better your marketing opportunities. Ensure all records include necessary details like first and last names, complete addresses, emails, and dates of birth. For missing information, try to fill it in on your own using data from past orders or communications. If that’s not possible, craft a polite outreach message to gather the missing details. Remember—every interaction is a chance to build rapport and potentially make a sale.
Best Practice: Maximize eCELLAR’s Campaign Manager by using magic links. These personalized links allow your customers to access their My Account page instantly, without needing to log in. It’s as simple as one click, making it easy for them and creating a seamless, positive customer experience.
Why Now?
End-of-year clean-up can be time-consuming, especially if it’s been neglected. However, the work you put in now will pay off in faster, more efficient campaigns next year. Plus, with clean data, your winery is set to make more informed decisions, improving customer retention, personalized marketing, and revenue growth.
