5 Crucial reasons to keep your data up to date
21st January 2025
Data is one of the most important and strategic assets your business has. But here’s the truth: many businesses are still guilty of not giving their data the care and attention it needs.
Did you know that customer data deteriorates so rapidly that if you fail to maintain it, much of it could be useless within three years? In the new digital age knowing your customer can give you a huge advantage over your competition. So ask yourself, can you afford to ignore your data?
Did you know that customer data deteriorates so rapidly that if you fail to maintain it, much of it could be useless within three years? And using outdated records? It can be just as harmful as not using your data at all.
At Data Clarity, we’ve seen first-hand how businesses make better decisions when they’re driven by accurate, timely data. Maintaining clean, current data is no longer a best practice – it’s a necessity, and here’s why:
1. You have a Legal Responsibility to Keep your Data Accurate
It’s not just good practice – it’s the law. Regulations like the UK’s Data Protection Act and the EU’s GDPR require you to keep personal data accurate and up to date. Falling short doesn’t just risk your reputation; it can lead to significant fines.
In 2023, the UK’s office for National Statistics came under scrutiny for releasing outdated labour data. Public trust eroded, and their data accreditation was withdrawn.
One way to make sure your data is compliant is to make sure you state what each record is meant to show (e.g., “current address” vs “previous address”). This way, it will be easier to check your data is accurate and correct when cleansing.
2. Leads are Harder to Track with ‘Bad’ Data
Outdated contact details, wrong job titles, or even duplicated records — these issues make it harder for your sales team to track leads effectively.
According to HubSpot, around 2% of your database goes bad every month. That adds up fast — by the end of the year, nearly a quarter of your records could be out of date. And 54% of marketers (Gartner) say bad data is the biggest barrier to campaign success.
Bad data doesn’t just hurt your workflow. It damages trust. When customers don’t receive the emails or offers, they expect, they tune out — or worse, walk away.
3. High quality data results in better marketing decisions
Clean, reliable data sharpens the accuracy of your insights, giving you the confidence and tools to make smarter marketing decisions. The more precise your information, the more effectively you can tailor your messages—whether by audience demographics, behaviours, or interests.
In fact, 78% of organisations reported better decision-making after investing in stronger data governance. And with customer expectations for personalisation at an all-time high—regardless of whether you’re a global brand or a growing e-commerce business—having up-to-date, high-quality data allows you to deliver messages that are timely, relevant, and meaningful.
4. Outdated Data Can Harm your Brand
Picture this: you send a marketing email to a customer who opted out last year. Or worse, you email them twice because of duplicate records. These small missteps can damage your brand’s credibility.
Prehistoric data leads to outdated assumptions — and that can make your business seem careless or out of touch. Luckily, many database systems let you run a check to identify duplicates automatically, however you never know what might be missed and it’s always best to double check when cleaning your data.
5. Clean Data Drives Business Efficiency
Data isn’t just about marketing or compliance — it fuels your entire business.
When your employee, product, and sales data is accurate, you can:
- Identify best-performing products
- Optimise payroll and staffing
- Detect inefficiencies in your workflows
- Make strategic decisions with confidence
And the cost of poor data? According to Gartner, organisations lose at least $12.9 million a year due to bad data — through inefficiencies, missed opportunities, and reputational harm.
Clean data helps you learn from past performance too. If a campaign succeeded, you’ll know exactly why — whether it was the timing, content, or audience segment.
How Data Clarity Helps You Harness the Power of Clean Data
Your data holds untapped power — and we help you unlock it.
At Data Clarity, we provide award-winning, data-driven systems that turn information into insights. Our solutions simplify processes, automate reporting, and support better business outcomes.
We’re also ISO 27001 certified, meaning your data is safeguarded by industry-leading information security standards.
When your data is clean, you get ahead — with smarter campaigns, better decisions, and streamlined operations.
So, here’s the real question: is it time to take a closer look at your data? Let’s explore.
