AULTER

A-Z of Startup analytics

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 09:19:13 -0400

This post contains material on which analytics packages I (and only I) believe are best suited to your startup, I use or have used many of these packages and while I do not lay claim to being an expert, I would argue I am very useful on them. There is no preferential inclinations in this post (not explicitly at least) and I am in no way endorsing any package over its counterpart, ‘disclaimer’.

While there is enough copy on ‘big data’, ‘SaaS’ and ‘in the cloud’ to forge a papier-mache duplicate of mount Kilimanjaro, I will give you sluggers out there a head start in capturing, retaining, converting, commandeering, optimising, catalysing, and any other buzz word ending in ‘ing’ you can think of for your startup.

I appreciate I may miss a few off or at your time of reading some may have been acquired, so feel free to pick up on that. As you know, we all revel in those kinds of comments.

I’ve focussed on location, social, site and publishing analytics and missed out SEO, PPC, advertisement and in-app analytics to steer the focus toward product and avoid some of the murky waters, including campaign management in social that isn’t entirely applicable here. However, I have included some useful tools below if advertising really is your forte in propelling your startup.

So here you go, there’s really no excuse to not be testing, measuring and iterating, unless you’re bootstrapping with zilch but even then you can do the rounds with these guys on their trials/demos.

http://www.bazaarvoice.com/ (social)

http://www.beevolve.com/ (social)

http://www.brandwatch.com/ (social)

http://chartbeat.com/ (publishing)

http://chart.io/ (site)

http://www.clicktale.com/ (heatmap)

http://www.crazyegg.com/ (heatmap)

http://www.crowdscience.com/ (publishing)

http://www.experian.com/social-marketing/index.html (formally techlightenment)

http://www.hubspot.com/ (site)

http://geotoko.com/ (location)

https://www.gosquared.com/ (site)

http://www.lexalytics.com/ (publishing)

http://www.livefyre.com/ (social)

http://www.locately.com/ (social)

http://marketmesuite.com/ (social)

http://mixpanel.com/ (site)

http://www.omniture.com/en/ (social)

http://pagelever.com/ (social)

http://www.placed.com/ (location)

http://www.radian6.com/ (social)

https://www.reinvigorate.net/ (heatmap, webtrends owned)

http://shoutlet.com/ (social)

http://www.socialbakers.com/ (social)

http://www.socialflow.com/ (social)

http://www.splunk.com/ (site)

http://sproutsocial.com/ (social)

http://www.sysomos.com/ (social)

http://venuelabs.com/ (location)

http://www.viralheat.com/ (social)

http://visualrevenue.com/ (publishing)

http://www.woopra.com/ (site)

http://webtrends.com/ (social)

Advertising

http://www.addynamo.com/en/

http://www.buddymedia.com/products/buybuddy (Salesforce owned)

http://skimlinks.com/ (affiliates)

Spamonomics

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 11:18:15 -0400

This post is heavily weighted toward empirical assessments and won’t be peddling you an academic approach or the answers to your next media campaign, ‘disclaimer’.

I’m getting tired of email for some very basic reasons and while I know I can find an easy fix with tools like http://unroll.me/ I still wanted to check out the underbelly of email marketing to find out why it’s so messed up.

Out of 80 brands and services I catalogued, ranging across fashion, lifestyle, FMCG and hospitality (yes I signed up to that much clutter) only 3 demonstrated what I would deem articulate marketing.

While email usage is on its descent (especially for the 16-24 demographic) it still accounts for a much higher CTR (click-through rate) and much higher conversion rate than glorified social media. With time that’s likely to change but for the purpose of immediacy and the purpose of sales, email should be getting greater attention.

Email isn’t particularly social, we’re not glazing over that wedding, seeing what sandwich somebody instagram’d or what airport somebody might or might not be flying from. We’re more acute to being chaperoned into clicking through and buying or booking something of sorts and the hard data supports that hypothesis.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

So here’s the deal, with the vast majority of emails you click a link to unsubscribe and boom, that’s it, no more emails and a company has instantly cut off a potential sale with zero effort to buffer the current subscribers decision.

Keep that thought because here is what http://www.secretescapes.com/ are up to when you wish to stop receiving their emails

Personality is just oozing from Secret Escapes’ pores here, combined with seamless functionality to simply slide to what you want and when you want it. They’ve even thrown in some fun images to hit their message home and slap you around the face! Brilliant.

Http://www.jetsetter.com/ aren’t too far behind their rival in Secret Escapes and have dished out their own, cosy unsubscribe feature that promises to deliver some serious agility as to what, where and when you get those travel inspirations for the weekend break you still can’t afford. They’ve opted for some slick, selection boxes but it does come across as slightly stale.

Arguably a daily, flash sales platform in travel requires some serious email features but at least they’ve still made the effort, something I can’t say for vast majority of brands and services.

Conversely, I would challenge their gross negligence in applying some nice, big imagery, it is travel, evoke some emotions, no?

Too right! This is something http://www.ahalife.com (niche lifestyle retail) has implemented and they’ve even gone as far as telling me when I should expect my next email from them, how polite.

Http://www.my-wardrobe.com the online UK fashion retailer has a rather awesome mash-up/mood board of sexy shoes and dresses as you unsubscribe but that’s it. It automatically cuts you off, even if you like what you see and need a rethink or alternative options, it’s too late, you’ve been cut. I will also add, as a keen, male shopper and with them surely knowing I’m a guy from my profile settings and purchase history, it may be more productive to use male garments and shoes for the backdrop, just a thought.

So there you go, 3 articulate methods but could still be improved upon and 1 half way there, on a whole a glittering failure on the unsubscribe front!

However, it should go even further and here is why. If I can request what day and roughly what time I receive my parcel via a courier from the other side of the world, I should be able to ideally select not only a day but preferably a time slot as to when I get my email messages.

So here’s the breakdown.

· Emails are not social, they’re personal and should chaperone

· On unsubscribing build in beautiful, buffers

· Emphasise aesthetics and evoke some emotion

· Make sure to keep it clutter free and simple to navigate

· Provide some options and be compromising

· Be polite and offer some days and also times to email

Because remember, your recipients don’t seek out your address, turn up unexpected, kick down your door and continue to sell you whatever they just so happen to have on them. Keep that in mind, as that is why we’re all unsubscribing.

The first installment of Nokia striking back. This is considered...

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 07:31:07 -0400

The first installment of Nokia striking back. This is considered to be the first in a series of motivational stories from the world’s leading cities, in an attempt to connect people.

Darkness Falls- Hey!

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 04:56:15 -0500

Darkness Falls- Hey!

Rick Owens Interview with Diane Pernet

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 12:22:20 -0500

Rick Owens Interview with Diane Pernet

Black Swan and White Swan cocktails by Jeanine Thurston

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 12:12:41 -0500

Black Swan and White Swan cocktails by Jeanine Thurston

Maximilian Benedict Von Wallenberg- Quite possibly the sexist...

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:25:33 -0500

Maximilian Benedict Von Wallenberg- Quite possibly the sexist iPhone charger you have ever set eyes on?

Cinzia Araia- CA by Cinzia Araia, high-tops with a calfskin...

Sat, 12 Feb 2011 05:33:03 -0500

Cinzia Araia- CA by Cinzia Araia, high-tops with a calfskin suade twist for the boys! A few styles available at Luisaviaroma (Florence).

Labyrinth Ear- Navy Light

Sat, 12 Feb 2011 04:02:36 -0500

Labyrinth Ear- Navy Light

When Saints Go Machine- Fail Forever

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 19:00:25 -0500

When Saints Go Machine- Fail Forever

LOBOT (DESK LAMP) by Jinseok Hwang “I will see what you...

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 16:49:00 -0500

LOBOT (DESK LAMP) by Jinseok Hwang

“I will see what you see.”

As a designer, Jinseok always thought about presenting stories to people in a unique way through product design. He was inspired by the movements of the humanoid robot and mechanics from movies and comic books and tried to give life and emotion into a desk lamp design. LOBOT means “Lighting” plus “Robot” as well as a “Robot” designed by “low tech”.

LOBOT is a desk lamp with LED lighting source. Its simple design with anodized aluminum body will match with modern task environment. The body is designed to easily adjust and optimize for a particular task situation by well-engineered hinge system. LOBOT is the initial and iconic product of the line up from studioLOBOT.

Koko Lab- The Italian creative group have come up with 25...

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 14:34:43 -0500

Koko Lab- The Italian creative group have come up with 25 limited edition armchairs to showcase at the Stockholm fashion fair from the 9th of February.

Goodbye Edison- Parisian studio exploring conceptual LED table...

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 11:05:54 -0500

Goodbye Edison- Parisian studio exploring conceptual LED table lamps. The ‘up’ and ‘frame’ lamps look incredibly cool in my opinion and have a place on my desk any day of the week.

http://www.goodbyeedison.com/

CPH (Copenhagen) Fashion week commences today. Outstanding...

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 10:35:14 -0500

CPH (Copenhagen) Fashion week commences today. Outstanding re-branding of their website accompanied with an iphone app to keep up to date with schedules and show reports, as well as hotels and general night-life in the city.

Brilliant showcase to support an exceptional roster of Scandinavian design talent.

Congratulations to Not Just A Label for scooping the prestigious...

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 10:24:20 -0500

Congratulations to Not Just A Label for scooping the prestigious 2011 Etail award from Drapers magazine.

Exclusive Rick Owens conversations on ‘the corner’...

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:28:05 -0500

Exclusive Rick Owens conversations on ‘the corner’ from the 4th of February.

http://www.thecorner.com/

Selfridges are hosting ‘Bright Young Things’ during...

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 08:11:00 -0500

Selfridges are hosting ‘Bright Young Things’ during London Fashion Week, with numerous goings on throughout the week. Their selection of the ‘ones to watch’ I presume, however inclusions for Simone Rocha and Craig Lawrence (amongst others) are smart additions indeed. Kudos to the S buying teams and scouts respectively. Have a perusal by clicking on the image…

Colette- Fashion and product emporium Colette teamed up with...

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 08:05:12 -0500

Colette- Fashion and product emporium Colette teamed up with German born, Paris based artist Christian Haas to produce a limited time window display featuring LED rope lamps. Something to brighten up the damp, Parisian January night…

Looks rather inviting.

‘ploum’ by the Bouroullec brothers for Ligne...

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 09:34:29 -0500

‘ploum’ by the Bouroullec brothers for Ligne Roset’- presented at maison et objet and looks incredibly comfortable!

Lykke Li- Get Some. Her new album ‘Wounded Rhymes’...

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 15:52:27 -0500

Lykke Li- Get Some.

Her new album ‘Wounded Rhymes’ is available on pre-order now.