How to "profile" your customers via their Zip code...
 

If you know the zip number of where a lot of your customers live, here's one way you might be able to find out a "profile" of some of your customers (at least without doing a survey)...

That's to use this new service called... ZIPskinny!

You put in a zip code, and it will show you a profile of people who live in the area of that Zip code...

You can use it the other way too. If you know your customer's profile, you can put in a Zip code to find other areas where other people live who match your customers' profile...

It gives you info on education, marriage status, average household income, occupation category, racial diversity, age, and gender...

Anyhow, check it out!

http://www.zipskinny.com

(As far as I know, it only works with US zip codes...)

Best wishes, :)

Dien

A limitation of the site... How does it work for you?
 

Someone checked this service out with a few areas he knows about (and sent me a message). The site was wildly off for population and income figures...

Anyway, I just checked the bottom of the page you get with the data, and it says the data comes from the 2000 Census. So it's 7 years old... That might help explain it.

So use it keeping that in mind. Also, read the whole "What You Need To Know" section at the bottom of the page you get after you put in a Zip code - so you know the limitations...

It still could be useful though. How does it stack up for the areas you know about?

Best wishes,

Dien

Re: A limitation of the site... How does it work for you?
 

Dien,

You must be reading the same online publications... :)

ZIPskinny looked like quite an interesting concept... But the old data kinda kills it...

Here's a few other interesting links/resources that many know about...

But a couple are a little more up-to-date and contain all kinds of Useful information...

http://factfinder.census.gov/
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html
http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Reference_Shelf/Data.shtml
http://www.city-data.com/

geodata.gov is a web-based portal for one-stop access to maps, data and ... This is a U.S. Federal Government computer system that is "FOR OFFICIAL USE ...

It works fine for me... Use it "FOR OFFICIAL USE only... ;)
http://gos2.geodata.gov/wps/portal/gos

Phil

Re: Write Zippy Articles
 

Via this tip from Poynter Online I came across this Zip Code Index that arranges news articles by their zip code of origin.

Seems this is an opportunity to niche your products.

How?

Well they seem to allow you to upload your own links to news by zip code.

You could use a free service like google trends to best target zips to your quips.

Then write news related to those zips and your niche then upload the link.

Ummmmm.....

Re: Write Zippy Articles
 

Add the idea of Zips into Focused Local domain names and web concepts...

Marchex has 1,000's upon 1,000's But there are still many Untapped business opportunities in Zippy codes... :)

If you're not familiar with Marchex...

More than a decade ago, a small group of visionary individuals began dabbling in a hobby business...

You just never know where a little Dabbling can Lead you... ;)

The Marchex Story: Why They Spent $164 Million on Domains and What They Have Planned For Their Eye-Popping Portfolio...

And some other Food for thought...

marchex zip codes domain names...
http://www.google.com/search?q=march...ient=firefox-a

Phil

Re: Write Zippy Articles
 

So it is kinda like analytics for your website?