Take a look at four common mistakes companies make when using this information (as laid out by Practical Ecommerce):
- Not Communicating with Shoppers - No matter how much insight you can obtain through big data analysis, there's always more to be said. Practical Ecommerce states that while maintaining a passive approach to data collection is convenient, it may alienate your customers. Ask them questions and make them feel important. Often times, the information you receive can supplement your big data findings.
- Poorly Integrated Systems: In business (especially ecommerce), time is money! Be sure that your shopping cart software, email marketing software, site analytics and other programs integrate well with one another. This will help to avoid data loss and wasted time. Doing so helps to ensure the information you receive is accurate.
- Being Too Aggressive: You receive a ton of data about your customers, and it's important to use it wisely. Set limits on retargeting campaigns and tailor your marketing efforts accordingly, using the data to deliver the right message to the right place - without being too aggressive.
- Not Comparing Information to Other Data Points: Compare your customer data across multiple sources (social media, chat logs, web traffic, etc.) to be sure the information is correct and to determine what works best for your company.
If used properly, customer data is a useful tool for any business strategy. Take a look at our previous blog, "Applying Big Data to Your Online Business" to explore what big data is and how it can benefit your company.
by Samantha Warner
Marketing Extraordinaire