What Data to Collect and How to Deal with the Collected Data?

When we talk about data analysis, we must know that it necessarily rhymes with data collection. We seem to appreciate much less this last expression, and yet, one does not go without the other so try not to see the negative side and try to understand why it is important to collect data, analyze them in order to use them intelligently.

Data Collection

Collecting data is learning more about the market and the users. Yes it’s sure! But there are many ways to collect them and their reuse can also diverge. Let’s first look at the different ways of collecting and then talk about their purpose.

Internal data

When you visit a website, the company that owns the site collects information about you. This information may be generic or personal. In the generic data, we mainly talk about the data that will be found in Google Analytics (behavioural data via navigation, socio-demographic data, navigation device, etc.), in the analysis platforms, When talking about personal data we talk about:

• Your identity (name, first name, sex and age).
• Your “contact” (email, phone number, nickname on social networks, login on Skype, etc.).
• Your behaviour as a consumer in a shopping journey can also be considered as personal data (for example what are the kinds of products you look at most on the internet).

This personal data can be collected by:

• tracking and personalized URLs in their emailing campaigns
• newsletter subscription
• Via online registration, contest, etc …

External data

These are complements to the internal data. They can be collected in various ways (paid or not) when browsing web users:

• On social networks
• In customer reviews
• In the annular, press releases, polls, statistics, etc…

When talking about Internet users, it is generic meaning so it concerns prospects, customers, competitors, etc…

And what do we do with all this data?

Once the databases are filled, it is still necessary to analyze them in order to understand them. The primary goal is to be able to identify users, their demands, their expectations and their feelings through their behaviour. It is essential for a company to know what their targets are waiting for in order to better customize its offer and therefore to be able to satisfy them.

As a result, optimizations are conceived by having the Internet user at the heart of any strategy: adaptation of communication on social networks, adaptation of the site, products, services, etc… It is necessary to touch the right person to the good moment and not leave room for chance.

And evolve!

It seems quite relevant to say that data analysis also rhymes with evolution! Just think of the development of the Internet of Things (IoT). These connected objects reach an incredible level of customization! Today, there are 16 billion connected objects. In 2022, the number is estimated at 29.7 billion.

It is pretty impressive but it’s the connected world! We are already there and it will not stop anytime soon.