It’s hard to escape all the talk about big data. Armed with actionable information, companies can more effectively and efficiently market to customers, design and manufacture products that meet specific needs, increase revenue, streamline operations, forecast more accurately, and even better manage inventory to hold the line on related costs.
But can your business afford to take advantage of it?
To successfully compete in today’s marketplace, small businesses need the tools larger companies use. Of course, small businesses don’t have all the resources of an enterprise-level corporation, like data scientists, analysts and researchers. However, there are many ways your small business can gather, analyze and make sense of the data you already have, as well as gain additional insights to help level the playing field. To that end, here are nine big data solutions for small businesses.
1. SAS
Being a small business is no longer a limitation to obtaining market and business intelligence, according to SAS, a leader in business analytics software and services since 1976. SAS transforms your data into insights that help inform decision-making and give a fresh perspective on your business, whether your company is a small, midsize or large organization.
Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) face the same challenges as large enterprises. SAS’s easy-to-use analytics, automated forecasting and data mining enable businesses without a lot of resources accomplish more with less. These analytics help companies overcome challenges to grow and compete. SAS’s message to SMBs is simple: “Identify what’s working. Fix what isn’t. And discover new opportunities.” Contact SAS for more details and pricing and to learn about free software trials.
2. ClearStory Data
Analyzing complex business intelligence doesn’t have to be rocket science. ClearStory Data offers advanced data mining and analytics tools that also present information in a simple, understandable way.
ClearStory Data works by combining your business’s internal data with publicly available information to help you make better business decisions. These insights are displayed using the StoryBoard feature, which allows you to create graphs, storylines and interactive visuals from the dashboard. It also comes with collaboration features that enable team discussion. For instance, you can comment on individual StoryBoards, much like you would on social media.
In addition to business data, ClearStory Data can provide department-specific data, including marketing, sales, operations and customer analytics. The platform also covers a wide variety of industries, such as retail, food and beverage, media and entertainment, financial services, manufacturing, consumer packaged goods, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals. Contact ClearStory Data for pricing information.
3. Kissmetrics
Looking to increase your marketing ROI? Kissmetrics is a platform that enables you to understand, segment and engage your customers based on their behavior. With Kissmetrics, you can create, manage and automate the delivery of single-shot emails and ongoing email campaigns based on customer behavior. The platform measures campaign impact beyond opens and clicks. The company has also launched Kissmetrics for E-commerce, which is designed to increase Facebook and Instagram ROI, reduce cart abandonment rates, and drive more repeat purchases.
Kissmetrics users can access web-based training and educational resources to improve marketing campaigns, including marketing webinars, how-to guides, articles and infographics. As part of onboarding, new users get a dedicated customer success rep for the first 60 days and strategic guidance to learn how to get the most from the platform. Plans start at $500 per month.
4. InsightSquared
With InsightSquared, you don’t have to waste time mining your own data and arduously analyzing it with one spreadsheet after another. Instead, InsightSquared connects to popular business solutions you probably already use – such as Salesforce, QuickBooks, Google Analytics and Zendesk – to automatically gather data and extract actionable information.
For instance, using data from CRM software, InsightSquared can provide a wealth of sales intelligence, such as sales and pipeline forecasting, lead generation and tracking, profitability analysis, and activity monitoring. It can also help businesses discover trends, strengths and weaknesses, and sales team wins and losses.
InsightSquared’s suite of products also includes marketing, financial, staff and support analytics tools, as well as custom reporting to let you slice and report data from any source in any way you choose. InsightSquared offers a free trial, and its service plans are modular and scalable. Contact InsightSquared for pricing.
