It’s no secret that our world generates an increasing amount of data , even if the ever-growing accumulation is still difficult to comprehe...
It’s no secret that our world generates an increasing amount of data, even if the ever-growing accumulation is still difficult to comprehend.
For businesses, it’s not exactly controversial to advocate for more data collection given that today’s leading companies are all involved deeply in data initiatives.
While the case for more data collection may be tough to dispute, some organizations still tiptoe around data-collection efforts, either due to fears of added complexities or introducing new workflows in a company culture resistant to change.
If your company is on the trepid end of the spectrum, don’t let what could go wrong cloud your analytics viewpoint. Instead, look at the many bright sides that come with collecting more data and using it properly.
Grow Your Database
To many companies, fully investing in data collection means more disorganization, mess, and ultimately failure. This certainly can be the case if a business hasn’t laid out a strategy for collection, storage, accessibility, and governance. However, if a company waits on data collection because they haven’t decided on the infrastructure to house the raw info, they’ll miss out on countless insights.
Analytics, on the other hand, is about making sense of the data, not getting more data. More importantly, if a company later decides to use machine learning analytics to get more insights, there won’t have as much volume to feed algorithms. Even if an organization doesn’t plan to use all their data right now, starting to collect it now will aid future efforts that much more.
Validate Existing Strategies
Organizations are comprised of various teams for a reason. It takes effort from multiple angles for businesses to gain traction. With so many teams and initiatives swirling in a given week though, it’s easy for companies to forget to grade themselves. This results in a lot of activity but no refining.
A marketing team might be cranking out a lot of content, but is the overall strategy impacting the business’ bottom line? Unique visits, time on page, bounce rate and more are all easy to track, but they don’t tell marketers if the content is equating to business value. Collecting more data beyond standard engagement metrics, as well as documenting the time that it takes to create content itself, gives businesses a more accurate idea of whether their content program is cost-effective to maintain.
Reduce Operating Costs
Myriad inefficiencies lurk in companies small and large. Tracking high-level operational costs tell businesses how they are faring overall. However, without more in-depth data collection, much of the business context is lost. Deciding on improvements comes down to guesswork.
Businesses that have more data at their disposal can drill down into granularities, uncovering the root source or sources affecting operating costs. For example, a manufacturing firm that tracks data via machine-specific sensors instead of overall throughput has a better pulse on their manufacturing cycle. Quickly assessing machine health could predict breakdowns and avoid bottlenecks before they occur.
Generate More Revenue
Data isn’t a prerequisite to coming up with great ideas. But it does help spawn new lines of thinking and lead to improving business aspects that may have been overlooked. The more data a company controls, the better equipped they are to find insights that move the needle.
Sending customers occasional surveys, such as after they’ve purchased or dealt with customer service, can clarify ideas for new products or services. Likewise, a brick-and-mortar retail firm with robust analytics could sort historical product sales by region and season to optimize seasonal shelf selections in each geo.
Boost Customer Engagement
It’s hard for businesses to grow if they can’t acquire new customers, but the road will be just as treacherous if those new customers can’t be turned into loyal users. Companies that collect more data have more knowledge about what their customers want, and thus can tailor their experiences accordingly.
In-depth customer data allows companies to analyze customer behavior patterns and the unique aspects that make them different. This enables organizations to define more personalized user segments and deliver messaging that caters to users’ specific needs and wants. With data providing a clear overview of customer interactions across every touchpoint, brands have an easier time keeping conversations valuable. Over time, this will not only result in more brand engagement but an increased base of loyal advocates.
Data holds the answers to most of the questions businesses need to know. While setting up an analytics infrastructure isn’t easy, companies can’t afford to bypass data collection in the meantime. Establish collection practices that pull information from a wide array of business areas, and then work on making the information accessible to end users. The long-term fate of your company depends on it.
For businesses, it’s not exactly controversial to advocate for more data collection given that today’s leading companies are all involved deeply in data initiatives.
While the case for more data collection may be tough to dispute, some organizations still tiptoe around data-collection efforts, either due to fears of added complexities or introducing new workflows in a company culture resistant to change.
If your company is on the trepid end of the spectrum, don’t let what could go wrong cloud your analytics viewpoint. Instead, look at the many bright sides that come with collecting more data and using it properly.
Grow Your Database
To many companies, fully investing in data collection means more disorganization, mess, and ultimately failure. This certainly can be the case if a business hasn’t laid out a strategy for collection, storage, accessibility, and governance. However, if a company waits on data collection because they haven’t decided on the infrastructure to house the raw info, they’ll miss out on countless insights.
Analytics, on the other hand, is about making sense of the data, not getting more data. More importantly, if a company later decides to use machine learning analytics to get more insights, there won’t have as much volume to feed algorithms. Even if an organization doesn’t plan to use all their data right now, starting to collect it now will aid future efforts that much more.
Validate Existing Strategies
Organizations are comprised of various teams for a reason. It takes effort from multiple angles for businesses to gain traction. With so many teams and initiatives swirling in a given week though, it’s easy for companies to forget to grade themselves. This results in a lot of activity but no refining.
A marketing team might be cranking out a lot of content, but is the overall strategy impacting the business’ bottom line? Unique visits, time on page, bounce rate and more are all easy to track, but they don’t tell marketers if the content is equating to business value. Collecting more data beyond standard engagement metrics, as well as documenting the time that it takes to create content itself, gives businesses a more accurate idea of whether their content program is cost-effective to maintain.
Reduce Operating Costs
Myriad inefficiencies lurk in companies small and large. Tracking high-level operational costs tell businesses how they are faring overall. However, without more in-depth data collection, much of the business context is lost. Deciding on improvements comes down to guesswork.
Businesses that have more data at their disposal can drill down into granularities, uncovering the root source or sources affecting operating costs. For example, a manufacturing firm that tracks data via machine-specific sensors instead of overall throughput has a better pulse on their manufacturing cycle. Quickly assessing machine health could predict breakdowns and avoid bottlenecks before they occur.
Generate More Revenue
Data isn’t a prerequisite to coming up with great ideas. But it does help spawn new lines of thinking and lead to improving business aspects that may have been overlooked. The more data a company controls, the better equipped they are to find insights that move the needle.
Sending customers occasional surveys, such as after they’ve purchased or dealt with customer service, can clarify ideas for new products or services. Likewise, a brick-and-mortar retail firm with robust analytics could sort historical product sales by region and season to optimize seasonal shelf selections in each geo.
Boost Customer Engagement
It’s hard for businesses to grow if they can’t acquire new customers, but the road will be just as treacherous if those new customers can’t be turned into loyal users. Companies that collect more data have more knowledge about what their customers want, and thus can tailor their experiences accordingly.
In-depth customer data allows companies to analyze customer behavior patterns and the unique aspects that make them different. This enables organizations to define more personalized user segments and deliver messaging that caters to users’ specific needs and wants. With data providing a clear overview of customer interactions across every touchpoint, brands have an easier time keeping conversations valuable. Over time, this will not only result in more brand engagement but an increased base of loyal advocates.
Data holds the answers to most of the questions businesses need to know. While setting up an analytics infrastructure isn’t easy, companies can’t afford to bypass data collection in the meantime. Establish collection practices that pull information from a wide array of business areas, and then work on making the information accessible to end users. The long-term fate of your company depends on it.
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