Understanding data in every way – what the metrics, sources and movements tell you – is crucial for projecting how real changes in your marketing process could affect sales and conversions. More and more marketers rely on digital marketing tools that allow a granular perspective of web traffic flows and conversions. Yet it’s easy to make mistakes. Here are seven big data mistakes to avoid:
Sourcing The Wrong Data
Feeding non-useful data into your digital marketing management or customer relationship management tool can be disastrous. From slowing down your system to creating false pseudo-insights, the wrong data can undercut your digital marketing efforts. Make sure you:
Acquire data from reliable sources.
- Check that your data is matched to your objectives and CRM priorities
- Ensure any data you import has a clear purpose within your sales funnel
Setting Up Data Flows Incorrectly
For an efficient, workable data collection and analysis process, your data flows need to be set up so that your digital marketing processes run smoothly. Ensure that your data is processed in a logical, sequential manner that makes it possible to scale your procedures as your operations expand.
False Or Missing Metrics
To learn from data insights and make progress towards better results, it’s important to be gathering the right metrics accurately. Measure existing performance over a fixed time period and obtain averages for specific goals (such as customer sign-ups).
Set goals in statistical terms for how you want these metrics to move in a set period (for example a 5% increase in sign-ups over a one-month period). Instead of having gaps in your metrics, collect metrics you can use this way to work actively towards positive upliftment and better outcomes.
Failing To Analyse Your Data Effectively
Another wrong turn beginner marketers sometimes take is failing to analyse data productively. Don’t gather metrics for the sake of it. Categories and understand data according to what purpose it serves (for example, gather time-on-page metrics to understand what content on your website is resonating most or has the best structure, encouraging site visitors to linger).
Giving The Wrong People Data Oversight
It’s vital to give the right people the task of understanding the broad picture of your website data. You need a complete picture of where efforts and budget are being spent and what the net result is to optimise and streamline your digital marketing. Choose a team leader who is capable of seeing how all the individual parts of your website’s traffic and sales funnel work together (e.g. organic search, social media, and referral traffic).
Using The Wrong Apps
There are now more tools than ever for managing your digital marketing processes. Make sure that you are using tools that provide accurate reporting and allow for creative insight into how you can improve your digital marketing results. Make sure your digital marketing manager keeps abreast of the latest tools and trends as well as the most reputable options.
A Negative Approach To Big Data
Besides analytical competence, it’s also crucial to have a positive attitude to data. Whoever is looking at your data and their personal attitude and methodology does affect the kind of insights you can glean so make sure that your company’s digital marketing team has a great attitude.
As the world of marketing and sales becomes increasingly data-oriented, it’s vital that you avoid the data mistakes above so you can maximise the returns of your digital marketing efforts.
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