Big data and Small data

 

David vs. Goliath

Take the time to go through the pages of a blog devoted to online marketing and you will inevitably come across an article devoted to Big data, a term that has known its heyday for ten years.  

This term refers to the collection and analysis of huge amounts of data using complex algorithms. On the technical level, it is undoubtedly a feat that has something to impress, but Big data is generally not compatible with the small budget of SMEs .   

And that's not the only problem. The current trend is to pay too much attention to big data, to the detriment of user experience. Businesses get sidetracked and fail to pinpoint the real motivations of their customers.  

Big data can trap companies that fail to ask the right questions in a vicious cycle . This method does not allow you to find or transmit some of the most important information.   

Giving too much importance to big data impersonality in the interactions between companies and their customers. As a result, the company risks missing out on essential elements drawn from direct observation of user experience and their connection to digital marketing products and channels .  

It is precisely this problem that Martin Lindstrom addresses in his book " Small Data ". The title of the work refers to a concept that the author proposes as a solution.  

According to Lindstrom, being more interested in the small interactions between individual customers and companies or their products allows one to learn more about how emotional connections are created . This understanding of the emotional side of things is at the very heart of one of the greatest flip-flops in history for a brand.    

A good lesson 

The arrival of the new millennium has coincided with a dark time for LEGO. Sales were down and the Danish company had its back to the wall.

Times were changing and market research by LEGO experts indicated that the big trend for years to come would be instant gratification. They were convinced that the new generation of children would completely lose interest in toys that required time and patience.   

Fearful of no longer meeting children's expectations and giving in to panic, LEGO has changed its products. The company hoped that by reducing the construction time of its toys they would be more popular. She therefore increased the size of her bricks and reduced the number of parts needed to build toys. This strategy did not have the desired effect at all and only made the situation worse; sales continued to plummet. 

 Fortunately, a blessed day in 2014 turned the tide. A group of researchers sent by LEGO visited an 11-year-old boy. Big data hadn't paid off, so they hoped to find another way to understand the interest in their products by talking to one of the biggest fans of small LEGO bricks . They asked him to what he was most proud of.  

After a moment of silence, the boy pointed to an old pair of sneakers with worn sides. 

This answer left the researchers at first perplexed and then they realized that the young boy was a fan of skateboarding. He was proud of his shoes and their wear marks because they proved to the other kids in the neighborhood that he managed to pull off a complicated skateboard trick . Those old damaged shoes were a status symbol.  

They were proof that children valued the status they gained from demonstrating their abilities. Big data had missed this by retaining only instant gratification. Children wanted to continue to find challenges to overcome and LEGO should not simplify its products, it had to adapt them to this new generation.  

After this episode, the company immediately took a step back and returned its little bricks to their original size. She even marketed even smaller pieces and more complicated toys, for example during the launch of a Harry Potter range. The success has been resounding. By paying attention to the small details, LEGO has taken their business forward .    

Small data for your website 

This type of mistake is common in the digital marketing world . Some businesses spend a fortune to transform their website because the numbers tell them that visitors are not spending enough time on their pages. However, they don't even take the time to talk to a user and understand why they don't want to stay on their site. 

Internet users may not stay because the font used is too small and difficult to read or because there is not enough space between the lines of a text which quickly tires the eyes when typing. reading.  

Another reason could be that the website displays poorly on mobile devices or certain browsers. It could also take too long to load for new users.

All these problems do not require that we create a new site. Taking an interest in your customers' experiences will allow you to find solutions to problems you weren't even aware of. 

The best way to get a clear idea of ​​how effective your site is, is to ask people who don't know it to check it out . Make sure that they test as many technical configurations as possible (on PC, Mac, smartphone ...) with as many browsers as possible (Chrome, Explorer, Mozilla, Safari ...). This will allow to you to better understand your site and your customers' experience, and uncover obvious issues that you never realized before .    

Small Data and Keywords 

The concept of "small data" can also help you choose which keywords to optimize your site for. Apps like rankingCoach  tell you the SEO difficulty level of the keywords you choose. Taking the time to chat with others to find out what terms they are using in search engines to find businesses like yours will give you new and valuable insight . These people can also have interesting comments about your content and metadata.   

In  Your success is measured by that of your rivals, so choose them wisely!

So sometimes what really matters is in the small details, not in the big data statistics. This is THE lesson to be learned from Small data. We hope this will help you with your website.

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