Big Data for Small Businesses

Jude Hoffner, Principle, Hoffner Marketing ServicesAl Bessin

Geoff Wolf

Agenda

• Big Data in SMB Context

• Game Planning

• Break & Breakout

• The Missing Link

• One for the Road

Agenda

• Big Data in SMB Context• Game Planning

• Break & Breakout

• The Missing Link

• One for the Road

What is Big Data

It’s So Big…

…Don’t Even Know What it Is

Example of Big Data

Example of Big Data

Hadron Collider

• 150 million sensors deliver data…

• 40 million times per second…

• 600 million collisions per second, of which…

• 100 are of interest

Example of Big Data

Wikipedia

• “…is a collection of data sets so large that it becomes difficult to process using traditional data processing applications.”

• Challenges include “capture…storage…analysis…sharing…”

• “…requiring massively parallel software running on tens, hundreds, or THOUSANDS of servers!!!”

Wikipedia

• Characterized as a technology problem

• Scary!

• EXPENSIVE!!

SMB Challenge

Must extract meaning & value

Without 100MM parallel servers

Without sophisticated software

SMB Context

• As much a qualitativechallenge as a

quantitative

• As much a peoplechallenge as a

datachallenge

Case Profile

Channel % of Revenue KPIs Total Rev (M)

Dir Mail 57% RR%, AOV, Sales $1,824

Retail 16% Sales, Traffic $512

Email 6%Delivery, Opens, Clicks, Converts

$192

SEO 7% Source, phrases $224

PPC 13%CPC, Converts,

Terms$416

Social 1% Audience $32

Case Profile

Channel % of Revenue KPIs Total Rev (M)

Dir Mail 57% RR%, AOV, Sales $1,824

Retail 16% Sales, Traffic $512

Email 6%Delivery, Opens, Clicks, Converts

$192

SEO 7% Source, phrases $224

PPC 13%CPC, Converts,

Terms$416

Social 1% Audience $32

Case Profile

Channel % of Revenue KPIs Total Rev (M)

Dir Mail 57% RR%, AOV, Sales $1,824

Retail 16% Sales, Traffic $512

Email 6%Delivery, Opens, Clicks, Converts

$192

SEO 7% Source, phrases $224

PPC 13%CPC, Converts,

Terms$416

Social 1% Audience $32

$3.2MM

<20m orders

SMB Challenge

Extract Meaning & Value

Without 100MM parallel servers

Without sophisticated algorithms

Agenda

• Big Data in SMB Context

• Game Planning• Break & Breakout

• The Missing Link

• One for the Road

Game Plan

• Be Organized

• Be Knowledgeable

• Be Focused

Be Organized

HAVE A PLAN

• What’s truly important to know?

• When?

• Set Realistic Objectives

What’s Important?

Merchandise Analysis

What’s Important?

Interested in Change vs Last Year

Better

What’s Important?

Interested ONLY in Change vs Last Year

Best!

Be Organized

BE A DETAIL HAWK

• Create and enforce rules

• Implement Data Validation screens

• Prize data stewardship

Be Organized

Data Validation screens

Be Knowledgeable

UNDERSTAND CONTEXT AND PURPOSE

• Google Analytics

• Email Analytics

• Customer Summaries

• Etc

Be Knowledgeable

AVOID SQUARE PEGS IN ROUND HOLES

• Don’t expect web analytics from order management system

• Don’t ask Email software to provide customer profiles

Be Focused

AVOID ANALYSIS PARALYSIS

• Rejoice in imprecision

• Be Inclusive; include your SME’s

• Ask targeted questions

Questions

**Difficulty framing the right question

ExampleProspect “Hold Out” Test

Online specialty retailer

Built customer file online

Testing direct mail channel

Example

Order Distribution by First Order Channel

Prospect Hold Out Test Orders ONLY

SMB Challenge

Extract Meaning & Value

Intuition

Flexibility

Situational Awareness

Agenda

• Big Data in SMB Context

• Game Planning

• Break & Breakout• The Missing Link

• One for the Road

Breakout Challenge

Create your Big Data Profile

Identify the Pain Points

Your Profile

Channel % of Revenue KPIs Total Rev (M)

Agenda

• Big Data in SMB Context

• Game Planning

• Break & Breakout

• The Missing Link• One for the Road

People, the missing link!

What do these people look like?

Who is Big Data

Who is Big Data

Who is Big Data

9 Attributes of a Data Rockstar

#1 –Knows The Tools

• How well do they know the tools you’ve provided?

• Excel

• Databases

• Tableau

• Other

#2 – Communicator

• Often overlooked!

• S/he is a liason

• Good = Efficient

• Communication is 2 way street

#3 – Inquisitive

• Asks good questions

• About the business

• About the data

#4 – Enjoys Data

• Tough to teach

• Have it or you don’t

• Evident after limited exposure to data

• Afflicts less than 10% of humans

#5 – Primed for Improvement

• Continuous quest for Better

• Better performance

• Better understanding

• Better outputs and results

#6 – Self Aware

• Understands not everyone possesses this mix of traits

• Embraces mission to make things simple and useful for others

#7 – Versed in the Business

• Absolutely Crucial

• Think of this person as a “techie” at your own peril!

• Displays capacity to become deeply versed if not already so

#8 – Aesthetic Sensibilities

• Often ignored trait

• Supports Communication (see #2!)

• Supports Usefulness & Utility Mission (see #6!)

#9 – Empathetic

• Can place themselves in the shoes of the “consumers”

• Understands that others may use their work, not just look at it

• Sees through the eyes and workflows of others

Who is Big Data

Case StudyThe Challenge

• Small Business marketing skilled labor

• Individuals billed out at different hourly rates depending on project

• Needed to see projected revenue by individual and project, by week

Case Study

Resources

• 4 data sources

• People, Projects, Rates, Projected Hours

• Excel

• Solution Designer (fancy word for human being)

Case Study

Solution A

Case Study

Solution B

Case Study

Solution A

• 4 data sources

• Excel

• Designer A

Solution B

• 4 data sources

• Excel

• Designer B

Zero Adoption Full Adoption

Agenda

• Big Data in SMB Context

• Game Planning

• Break & Breakout

• The Missing Link

• One for the Road

Challenge for the Road

• Visualize your People

• Which one/s possess at least half of these traits?

• What role are they currently in?

Challenge for the Road

• Visualize a New Hire

• What traits would you search for?

• What background would s/he have?

Challenge for the Road

Questions?