Before You Buy Another Data Feed, Ask These 3 Questions

Before You Buy Another Data Feed, Ask These 3 Questions

Data has never been more accessible... or more misleading.

Many organizations invest in data feeds that look impressive on paper but deliver very little in real-world performance. Large volumes, attractive dashboards, and vague promises of accuracy often mask deeper issues around sourcing, quality, and freshness.

Before committing budget to another provider, there are three critical questions every business should ask. The answers can save thousands of dollars and reveal whether a partner is selling scale or substance.

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1. Where Is This Data Actually Sourced?

If a provider cannot clearly name their direct data sources, assume intermediaries and assume risk.

Data that passes through multiple hands before reaching you often loses integrity along the way. Each intermediary introduces potential duplication, delays, and a lack of accountability around how the data was collected and handled.

Why this matters:

• Limited visibility into sourcing reduces trust

• Indirect pipelines increase the chance of inconsistencies

• Compliance and privacy risks become harder to assess

  
  

Transparent sourcing is not a bonus feature, it is the foundation of reliable intelligence.

If the origin of the data is unclear, the decisions built on it will be too.

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2. How Is the Data Cleaned and Deduplicated?

Raw data is rarely usable as-is.

Without standardized cleaning and deduplication processes, data sets quickly become inflated with repeated records, outdated entries, and overlapping identifiers. This creates a distorted view of audiences and performance.

The consequences include:

• Wasted advertising spend

• Skewed targeting and attribution

• Inaccurate reporting and forecasting

If a provider cannot clearly explain how data is normalized and deduplicated, accuracy is likely being sacrificed for volume.

High-quality data prioritizes precision not just scale.

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3. When Was the Data Last Refreshed?

“Real-time” is one of the most overused terms in the data industry.

If a provider cannot give a precise refresh cadence, there is a strong chance the data is already stale by the time it reaches your systems. Outdated data leads to missed opportunities, delayed insights, and strategies that lag behind real-world behavior.

Ask directly:

• How frequently is the data updated?

• Is the refresh cycle consistent and documented?

• Does update timing vary by data type or region?

Fresh data is not about speed alone, it is about reliability and relevance.

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The Right Questions Reveal the Right Partners

These three questions do more than protect budget.

They quickly expose which providers are selling volume and which are delivering verified, decision-ready intelligence.

At GSDSI, transparency is built into every stage of the data supply. From sourcing and cleaning to refresh cycles, our partners know exactly what they are using and why they can trust it.

That is what verified intelligence looks like.

One Partner. Every Audience.