Data is important. It is not a secret for anybody. We can even paraphrase famous saying mentioning that “who owns the data, owns the world”. And if you are a business person, you should know like no one else. Your activity can be changed for better if you use Big Data sources. Sales growth, clever marketing strategy – you can achieve it using Big Data. Let’s check it out what is Big Data and how you can make use of it.
Big Data – meaning and particularities
In fact, Big Data means special tools that turn your technical data into statistics indicating all important particularities that you can pay attention to and use them for gaining benefits. Thus, you will be able to optimize your business and gain the lead.
Who can make use of Big Data? It can be fruitful for the following enterprises:
- Enterprises that need to transform their information to business statistics;
- Enterprises that want to use analytical tools for their daily routines;
- Industrial companies that need to obtain the technical data about their machinery.
It is worth noting that many large well-known companies use Big Data to improve marketing strategy.
For example, Airbnb service is one of such companies. When you are surfing their website, you can see mutual Facebook friends with a landlord.
Netflix is also trying not to lag behind. Using specially developed algorithm, Netflix can provide users with proper recommendations of the content one or the other individual likes.
Predictive analytics in Big Data – the way to perform it
When you get new information, you should not just read it – you should analyze it. But how to do it?
First, it is necessary to structure all information since not all data is important there. There are a few methods to process statistics and we would like to discuss them all.
Data gathering
If you plan to create your own app, you should pay a deliberate attention to this feature. You can gather predictive analytics of Big Data from many sources to get an information useful for you. For example, as follows:
- Geolocation data from GPS sensors;
- Insurance companies use information from accelerometers on smartphones to understand the driving speed of the client;
- Wi-Fi signal is used by some stores to understand a number of customers;
And so on. There are many options of the predictive analysis use. Apart from this, it is necessary to mention one solution of Big Data analytics entitled Import.io. It transforms your website into a mechanism with structured data-reading and page is modified into a spreadsheet with detailed information.
Processing of data
When data is received, it should undergo processing and structuring to analyze it later.
But in the final version after processing, data can contain some errors and bugs. How to fix this problem? There are apps like OpenRefine that can cleanse your data without any troubles.
Obtained data analysis
Analysis time. You can do it using such special Big Data apps like MapReduce, 1010Data and others.
By the way, MapReduce is developed by Google, and it can process a large amount of data simultaneously.
Big Data analysis – available types
How can you implement Big Data analysis methods? We should accentuate your attention on it.
Simple analytics
This type can select data, create reports, visualization and so on. Thus, this type is a better for the development of simple business reports.
Advanced analytics
Here you can make a more deep analysis using predictive modeling and smart data aggregation to obtain a detailed information concerning all changes that influence work process. Apart from this, advanced type allows you to determine a right customer category to propose your product and implement other important tasks.
Commercial analytics
Using this type, you can manage your income. It is better to combine this type with advanced analytics type because it uses algorithmic methods fixing up convoluted systems and processes to improve required indicators.
Big Data apps: how to choose
IT giants like Google, Microsoft, IBM and others can offer you Big Data solutions for conduction of an abundant analysis. You can choose an app what is needed in your specific case and use it to achieve success. Also, don’t forget to estimate your budget since the cost of these apps may vary significantly. If you plan to build your app, you should know in advance an approximate cost to create an app.
One of the main popular analytics tools is Microsoft Azure. It offers you all necessary tools to use them in your software. You just need to connect to the cloud and voila! – the work is starting.
After the analysis is made, you may visualize it and display in the form of chart or diagram. DataHero app can help you do it, for example.
Benefits you can get from Big Data
The first advantage, of course, lies in the opportunity to improve your product or create something new and really impressive. In fact, due to Big Data, you can gather information concerning your customers, their needs, and life value, so you can do everything to improve these processes.
Detailed personalization of customers. If you understand preferences of the customer, you will be able to improve the user experience.
Improvement of customer service. If your product was returned and it didn’t gain popularity, using detailed analysis you will understand what has happened and how to fix it.
Self-service improvement. Big Data tools will make it possible to learn what types of self-service are interesting for your customers. Better product interaction and fewer expenses may become the result of such tools use.
Pitfalls on your way
We would like to note that not everything is so shiny regarding big data. Some companies had certain troubles when they tried to deal with projects that require Big Data programming.
Primitive infrastructure and new data collecting approaches-related troubles are the main pitfalls.
So advanced testing of the final product is necessary and why you should do it.
Also, there is a problem of a large amount of data, some of which can be simply useless for a specific company.
Of course, Big Data has much more strong sides than weak sides. But you should keep in mind that you will have to spend money not only on the integration and setting up but also on fixing up of business processes.
Thus, you can make use of Big Data technologies and get all benefits you need. It will simplify all the processes related to business management and attraction of customers.
