Big data is a trendy topic in the business world today. It didn’t spring forth from nothingness in the early 2000’s, though. Processing large amounts of data for business purposes is centuries old, going back to clay tablets.
Today, instead of 20 scribes and dozens of amphorae, we have technologies which give us a deluge of data in real time. How do you separate the useful from the not so great in this flood? A business goal and some tools.
Your business goal leads to the search for data to help reach it. Your business already has some of this data in a database or spreadsheet. You now need a tool to analyze it.
Big data tools for small business abound. Your website sees lots of action so capturing that data is gold.
Google Analytics is a useful free tool with customizable metrics to gather specific data. But visitor analytics is rudimentary. Other options with more muscle but not a high cost include Heap and GoSquared.
If your business needs to analyze vast swaths of data across multiple departments, take a look at on demand (Cloud) based business intelligence applications. Consider your business goals to make the smart choice and don’t jump in feet first.
Companies such as Tableau, Birst, and Qlik offer uncomplicated solutions to small businesses. Capterra, http://www.capterra.com, is an excellent resource to drill down quickly to the best BI (business intelligence) software options for your business.
Nail down your business goals, proceed thoughtfully, and your small business can play with big data like the best of the Fortune 500.
Author: Kris Keppeler, writer for Crossing Genres, and The Must Go List on Medium.com, and Does This Happen to You? on Channillo. Follow her @KrisKKAria on Twitter.
Small Business Solutions 