Web Architecture Matt | 17 May 2007 10:47 pm
Update your zip code list!
Our washing machine is busted. After a bit of reading on both laundry repair and a refresher on how to use a multimeter, I’ve figured out that we need a new part. Off to the Sears website to see if part 3356465 is in stock at my local repair center. Where’s my local repair center? Oh cool, Sears is just asking for my zip and is going to do a proximity search. The zip code in my area officially changed with the post office 2 years ago now. The post office stopped delivering mail for my old zip about a year ago. And still, Sears isn’t aware that my zip code even exists.
I’m sure that when the site was developed, a zip code table was hooked up and promptly forgotten about. You’d be surprised how often this happens. I’d say still about a 3rd of the time my zip code doesn’t exist. A year ago that was half or more. So in my rough estimation, half of sites that use zip code lookups don’t update their database except once a year. And a third don’t update it at all. More likely I bet the large majority of sites don’t have a zip code refresh in the plans at all and just end up doing it when enough people complain.
Update your zips, it’s annoying your customers right now.
This site has some fair prices for zip code lists and offers several formats.
