Working in ecommerce and looking for a way to improve your customer experience?
Your answer is in your data. But knowing what data to capture, how to capture it, and how to analyze it is key.
In this video, John sits down with Randy Jasinski of 5PConsulting. They talk about all things data reporting and where the future is headed for digital marketing.
Randy Jasinski and the Birth of 5PConsulting
Randy Jasinski is the President of 5P Consulting. This company is a digital transformation firm headquartered in San Diego, California.
After years of working with some of the biggest technology companies on the West Coast, Jasinski joined 5P Consulting. His goal is to help business owners optimize their organizations. He works to help them increase their productivity by improving their business processes and technologies.
He works with companies all over the world on their information technology and management. With Jasinski’s help, companies put effective processes into place to increase their influence and profitability.
He’s seen everything and has some advice to help marketing consultants better manage their data collection and reporting in a way that will deliver results and improve their customer experience.
COVID-19’s Effect on the Digital Industry
COVID-19 changed almost everything and the digital space was no exception.
One of the biggest challenges business owners faced was the acceleration of their move from brick and mortar to the ecommerce space.
Industry experts like Jasinski knew this transition was coming. But, many business owners were caught off guard when the pandemic hit. They didn’t have a few years to set up their backend systems and start to make the transition to the digital space. These companies needed to do it in a matter of days if they wanted to survive.
During this period, Randy Jasinski worked with companies to help them redefine their processes. The companies who pushed the envelope and created a robust customer experience at a tough time of uncertainty.
These companies all leaned into the one thing they needed the most: data visualization.
What is Data Reporting and Visualization?
Data reporting and visualization is the most effective way to analyze data that is collected from various customer platforms.
To thrive in the digital space, a company must have good data visualization. Strategists need to be able to see what is working and what isn’t. From there, they can understand what needs to change to keep up with the ebb and flow of their industry.
Necessary Data Reporting Systems
There are many different platforms a company can use to track the data they want to work with. However, the platform that is best for you all depends on your business.
The most important thing is to be able to access the data you need quickly and accurately. You can’t report data that is too hard to access.
Having everything in a central hub is important but it also might not be possible. Many older, more established companies usually have many data reporting systems. It isn’t easy to just drop them all.
If this is the case, come up with a system that ties all these platforms together and deposits the data into one central location. This will make it easier to visualize the data.
Steps to Take to Improve Data Reporting
Improving your data reporting doesn’t have to be a complete overhaul of your existing systems. The truth is, you already have the systems you need. You just need to learn how to use them better!
Step One: Audit Your Existing Architecture
According to Randy Jasinski, the first step to take when attempting to improve your data reporting is to start with an as-is audit of your current architecture. Figure out your existing technological footprint.
Determine what you like about your existing systems and what you would like to improve. Make a list of which systems you would be okay with eliminating. Then consider consolidating and moving into one centralized hub.
Step Two: Establish Your Data Reporting Goals
The next step is to look at your goals for your business. Do you want to increase sales? Are you looking for more tools to be available at your disposal so that you can improve your marketing? Do you just want to have a better process to record, store, and analyze your data?
Your data reporting needs to align with whatever your goals are. Since different platforms offer various features, the platforms you choose to use will also depend on these goals.
Step Three: Determine How Your Goals Fit Your Current Architecture
Once you have established your goals, confirm they will align with your current data reporting systems.
Sometimes, your existing systems will have the tools that you need. Before you consider supplementing them with more platforms, take a long look to see if they have the features you need to accomplish your goals.
Consolidate the number of platforms you’re using while optimizing your usage of their existing tools. This is a better strategy than piecemealing a bunch of different platforms together.
Due to undereducation on each system and the features they offer, cobbling a system together happens a lot. This results in companies using too many platforms. Streamline your processes and centralize your data into one core hub. That way, you can usually combine efforts to cut out the usage and licensing costs of one or a few platforms.
Step Four: Determine What You’re Missing
You’ve audited your existing architecture, established your goals and determined how you can apply your existing processes to your new goals. Now you’ll need to see which systems or platforms you need to fill in the gaps.
Coming up with a more streamlined process will not only make your team’s life easier but will also improve your customer journey.
An easier and more personalized customer experience will lead to a larger increase in your sales.
Exciting Improvements Coming to Data Reporting in 2022
One of the coolest things coming to data reporting this year is the idea of full customer journey mapping.
When you have all your data consolidated into one platform, you can start to get into marketing automation in a one-to-one predictive way. The information on your customer’s habits can all be put into an algorithm.
This algorithm then creates a super-specific ad campaign based on that data. Its goal is to give your customer exactly what they want. This makes a customer feels more seen, valued, and connected to your brand. In turn, this improves your brand identity, and makes them more likely to purchase from your company.
Most companies used to create these campaigns based on data they received from Facebook ads. With the iOS update, Facebook targeting is no longer reliable. You need to build up your own data reporting infrastructure to fill in the gaps.
The Best Tech Stack for Data Reporting – According to Randy Jasinski
As Randy Jasinski discusses in the interview, it’s hard to give a blanket recommendation. There is no one size fits all solution and the best tech stack will be as unique as your business goals.
Two of the best technology solutions he recommends are Hubspot and Salesforce.
Hubspot’s Pros and Cons
Hubspot is a great place to get started if you are unsure of your company’s future and you don’t want to invest a ton of money into a system.
It is very user-friendly. Its entry path is set up so data reporting newbies can hit the ground running. It also allows you to grow with the platform as your business grows.
One downside is that it’s not as customizable as other platforms. It doesn’t often perform as well for large enterprise-level corporations.
Salesforce’s Pros and Cons
If you’re looking for more enterprise-level customization, check out Salesforce.
Salesforce is not as user-friendly in the beginning. It can take a while to get it up and running but once you do, the growth ability and innovation are unmatched.
As a company, they are constantly innovating and evolving, which benefits the consumer.
What Data Reporting Strategy Aspects to Focus On in 2022
Randy Jasinski had a few main aspects he suggested businesses of all sizes should focus on in 2022.
This first is an investment into your systems and platforms. When COVID-19 hit, a lot of companies took a pause on investment. This was a natural response to a time when so much was unknown. We’re starting to get a grasp on the new world we’re living in, investing in your digital strategy is going to be one of the most important things you can do for the future of your business.
Second, take a look at your goals and the experience your company is providing to others. Then compare them to what your competitors are doing. Are they using a system or incorporating a strategy that might help you improve your experiences and reach your goals?
If you aren’t making changes to improve your customer and employee experience, you’re going to start to see cracks. By the time you make the necessary shifts, it’s very likely that your competitors have already made those changes.
For example, when your infrastructure is difficult to use, you’re going to have a lot of employees with a negative experience. They won’t feel valued and they won’t enjoy their work. This attitude will translate into their interactions with your customers.
The same goes for your customer-facing infrastructure. If your website is hard to navigate and use your customers will struggle. If your employees struggle to solve customer problems because your infrastructure is outdated, you’re going to create a negative customer experience.
Both your employees and your customers are eventually going to move to a company that offers a better experience. To stop this from happening, you need to evolve in the direction your data reporting suggests.
Wrapping It Up with Randy Jasinski
While we may have been forced online back in 2020, we now have the tools necessary to thrive here.
Improve your data reporting infrastructure and use the insight you gain to improve your customer experience. A happy customer will always improve your bottom line!
If you need some help evolving your software systems and IT solutions, check out 5P Consulting or shoot Jasinski an email to get the solutions your company needs to evolve and grow in 2022.
