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3 Ways Analytics Will Save Your Company Time & Money

 

Any business owner will tell you that a large part of their job is analyzing everything they've done so far. Whether you're using a free analytics tool like Google Analytics or you're implementing something more advanced, it's crucial that you use analytics within your business to know where you've been, where you're going and what you should be focusing on. There are many powerful tools available to help you find data, export that data and analyze it, and many tools are also so user friendly that even a beginner can figure out great ways to utilize the information. If you're not sure where to start when it comes to analytics, here are a few things to keep in mind.

 

 
Extracting data

If your business has any type of software involved, you're already gathering data. If your customers or clients use your software, they have data stored on your servers as well. One of the first things you should be seeking when it comes to an analytics tool, is something that both you and your clients can use to extract important data. It is very convenient when, as a consumer, you can login to a system, pull any reports and use them for anything you may need. As a value-ad for your potential clients, this one is huge.

 
Getting professional help

When you sign with an advanced analytics tool, you also get the benefit of professional help. You may not have an advanced degree in statistics or data, but once you sign with a professional, you can get the benefit of an expert. This means they can assist you as you export that data into pretty much any usable format. They can assist you with anything you need, whether you need help just exporting your data or help finding a specific data set or other information. You can get your information into any format you want, thanks to the professionals you just hired.

 
Using that data

Now that you have the data from your systems, it's time to use that to plan for the future. You can use analytics to find out which marketing tactics work the best, then you can focus your ongoing marketing efforts in the right place. You can also use analytics to find out which salesperson is the most effective, which tools are the most useful and which systems you should be using. Really, there is no end to how you can use that information, and in the long run, it will end up saving you money since you won't be spinning your wheels on things that may not work. Use your analytics to inform your future decisions, and you'll quickly realize their value.
 

 
This article was written by Deborah Flomberg for CBS Small Business Pulse.
 

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