A Big Data Imperative: Driving Big Action

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Is there anything in the analytics space that is so full of promise and hype and sexiness and possible awesomeness than "big data?" I don't think so.

So what is big data really? No one quite knows.

As I interpret it, big data is the collection of massive databases of structured and unstructured data. The data sources include traditional (now considered puny) sources like corporate ERP/CRM systems and non-traditional (massive) sources like every technical ping from every human or mechanical sensor, all web behavior by everyone across the entire Internet, increasingly digital data from analog sources like hospitals or the atmosphere, and (good lord!) our collective tweeted wisdom.

That…

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The Biggest Mistake Web Analysts Make… And How To Avoid It!

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The single biggest mistake web analysts make is working without purpose. We work very hard. We torture SiteCatalyst. We send out a lot of data. Then we resend it again and again. And yet our work results in very little impact on the business in terms of action taken by company leaders. Why this sad state? Almost always we dive into the ocean of data first. Sadder still, we don't ask questions later. We never ask questions. No questions. No tie to what's important. No impact from the data. Result? Our work lacks purpose. It is that simple. My normal recommendation to address this supremely corrosive issue is to…

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