Integration challenges for address list matching instead of email matching

[KJ003]

TLDR: We are a service-based business and have a specific address for every home that we can market to because we have infrastructure that we build to homes in a specific area. We are trying to find a way to connect address information on contact records with our address data base for segmentation and prevention of unmatchable duplicates. How can we work with or around standard contact matching fields to integrate with and push updates for specific addresses based on status changes in our address only database? Without this connection we are unable to communicate in a timely manner with the right leads, send the right offers and message for their area's status, and conserve resources used by preventable duplicates. 

Here's a scenario where this is needed.

Service area A is in pre-launch phase so we collect leads that will be interested in signing up when our services are available at their address. After learning about our expansion, Molly and John visit our website, find a lead gathering form for updates/information on the project. Molly submits the form using thier address and her personal email and phone number because they are interested in our services.

The address Molly entered matches an address in our address database in “service area A”, and a status column shows they will have a connection for active service 60 days in the future; however, the HubSpot form doesn't have a way to check our address data, so the form collects them as a general pre-sign-up lead. We market to their home through her contact record and nurture them with our pre-launch workflow triggered by the form.

When this form was submitted, HubSpot didn’t match or connect the addresses on her contact information with our address only data base so we couldn’t tag her with details that we need to group the contact with other leads in “service area A” and leads in a similar construction phase. As a result, we can’t segment or automate movement of her contact record into progressing messaging workflows as her area's construction status changes. This is the first challenge we’re trying to solve.

The second shows up when we fast forward a couple of months and our infrastructure is installed at their address. John orders services on our website and put the customer contact information in his name with the family email address they use for bills and his personal phone number. When John or any other customer signs up via our check-out process, this triggers a new customer contact to be made, or matched, in HubSpot via integration. When the contact’s name, phone number, or email doesn’t match a record or look like a duplicate in HubSpot, but should be based on address as in John’s case, a new customer contact record is created for John's contact information.

Now we have 2 contacts for the same address - Molly who remains a lead, and John who is marked as a customer, so our segmentation and campaigns are no longer accurate. The next time our lead lists for mailers or email automations is used, our marketing will duplicate and contain conflicting messages and offers that are irrelevant to them.  

Additionally, in a few years this issue will be perpetuated if they move away, and the next homeowner sets up their account for our services. John as our customer will update to cancelled customer and be removed from our marketing contacts, but Molly will still be receiving communications because she is perpetually a marketing qualified general pre-sign-up lead unless manually scrubbed out. We want to trust our lead lists for automations and avoid wasting resources on preventable duplicate records.

• What are we missing here?
• Is there a way to tie our address database to HubSpot so it can match and pull information for us even if it doesn't solve lead duplication?
• What tools, or platforms can help us achieve the outcomes we need to have accurate lead lists?
• How else could we qualify leads on specific addresses in our database while using HubSpot?
• Is there a platform for us that generally does what HubSpot can do but with geographic matching we should consider?
• We use esri GIS software to collect/create address information, could we use this in any way in HubSpot?
• Our current integration flows through Salesforce lightning as part of our company billing platform.

[danmoyle · Accepted solution]

Hi @KJ003 and welcome to the HubSpot Community. 

My first thought is that you could use a HubSpot Custom Object for the address - something like "Household" or "House" maybe. Then you would associate the Contacts to that address. 

This would solve for the different people in that home having separate lifecycle stages (lead vs. customer) becuase you could use a HubSpot workflow to ensure associated Contacts with that Household are marked the same (assuming you used the same lifecycle stage names in a property in "Household").

It would also mean that the Household record could be re-associated with a new family or homeowner. John and Molly could be un-associated from the Household record, remain in your database, and potentially re-associated when they pop back up in another Household in your service area. 

Of course, I'm not 100% sure how this would interact with Salesforce or other tools, but it's a potential HubSpot solution. I'd suggest working with a HubSpot Partner to map this out and ensure success, especially one well-versed with both HubSpot and Salesforce.

I also used some AI research tools for other ideas. Here are a few ideas I liked and some citations below. 

Address Database Integration

Custom Integration: Develop a custom integration between your address database and HubSpot using HubSpot's API. This could allow you to:

• Match incoming leads with your address database
• Update contact records with service area and status information
• Prevent duplicate creation based on address matching

Middleware Solution: Use a middleware platform like Zapier or Integromat to connect your address database with HubSpot, enabling automated data syncing and matching.

Duplicate Management

• Unique Identifier: Create a custom property in HubSpot for a unique address identifier that corresponds to your address database. Use this for deduplication and matching.
• Deduplication Tool: Implement a deduplication tool like DeDupeD, which can prevent duplicates based on custom fields like address.
• HubSpot Operations Hub: Upgrade to HubSpot Operations Hub for advanced deduplication capabilities, allowing you to use custom properties (like address) for matching.

Geographic Matching

GIS Integration: Explore integrating your Esri GIS software with HubSpot through custom API development or middleware solutions.

Geolocation Services: Implement a geolocation service to standardize and validate addresses during lead capture, improving matching accuracy.

To address your specific questions:

• Yes, you can tie your address database to HubSpot using custom integrations or middleware solutions.
• Tools like DeDupeD or HubSpot Operations Hub can help with lead deduplication based on address data.
• Consider using a combination of custom properties, integrations, and workflows to qualify leads based on address data within HubSpot.
• Salesforce with custom objects might be a more suitable platform for your address-centric needs.
• Esri GIS data can be integrated into HubSpot through custom API development or middleware solutions.
• Your Salesforce integration could potentially be leveraged to enhance address matching capabilities in HubSpot.

Because these tips came from AI, I'm not guaranteeing they're the right fit, but they do give us some things to think about. And here a few of the resources the tool cited:

• How to avoid a duplicate record when there is no email or domain? 
• Address data integration 
• Melissa Data SmartMover Address Validation 
• Does a Business Need a Physical Address in its Service Area to Rank Well? 

[BérangèreL]

Hi @KJ003 and welcome, we are delighted to have you here! 🎉

Thank you for the detailed post to the Community, sharing the challenges you are facing!
Let's see how we can help you!

I have found for you these resources that might help you:

- Match records in data sync
- The solution from @karstenkoehler on this post "Searching Contacts or Companies by Geographic location"
- Connect and use HubSpot data sync
- Google Address Manager
- Set up score properties to qualify contacts, companies, and deals

Also, I'd love to put you in touch with some of our Top Experts: Hi @johnelmer, @danmoyle and @Jnix284 do you have suggestions and/or tips to help @KJ003, please?

Have a lovely day and thanks so much! ❤️

And Happy New Year!!! Sending you my warmest and best wishes for 2025!

Best,
Bérangère