Collecting order data has never been easier thanks to platforms such as Shopify.

But many eCommerce brands struggle to translate their order data into useful insights. How much can you really learn if you only know someone’s first name and zip code?

A lot, it turns out.

But the data alone is pretty useless if you don’t have a few external datasets to help you make sense of it.

Over the years, I’ve helped several ecommerce brands analyze their order data — often using just first names and zip codes — and I’m sharing a few datasets that I’ve come to rely on.


Dataset #1
The United States Postal Service’s ZIP Codes by City & State

What you can do
Calculate the % your shoppers who live in any given city or state. Just download a list of zip codes from your order data and use the USPS’s dataset to find the zip code’s corresponding city and state.

Link

Dataset #2
Simple Maps’ ZIP Codes Listed by Population

What you can do
Find the zip codes where you have more (or fewer) customers than what the population would predict. If .01% of your customers live in the zip code 55436, you'll want to know what percent of Americans live in that zip code (it's about .00004%).

Link

Dataset #3
CUBIT’s Zip Codes Listed by Mean Household Income

What you can do
You’ll have to pay for this one but it will be worth it. You can use it to estimate your customers’ household income and compare the results to the national average. (Using zip code to infer HHI isn’t perfect but it’s often the best available option if you do not have data on household income.)

Link

Dataset #4
Namsor’s First Name Checker for Gender, Race, and Ethnicity

What you can do
Using a list of first names from your order data, calculate the ratio of men to women and the most likely race and ethnicity for each first name. It’s technically a Saas, but they provide a one-time freemium option if you want to test it before paying for anything.

Link



That’s it. 

Designing a survey and not sure if you’re thinking about the demographics of your customers or your total addressable market the right way? Send me a note. Or use the form below to sign up for the newsletter and get tips, resources, and insights every Tuesday morning.