SES New York 2012 – iCrossing talks Data Management Platforms

Peter Randazzo, Chief Technology Officer at iCrossing, explains Data Management Platforms

Peter Randazzo, Chief Technical Officer for iCrossing , spoke at Search Engine Strategies, about DMP – Data Management Platforms, program meant to automate the marketing experience in a nuanced way.

Randazzo started with a notion from a leading marketing research firm.  “ Forrester is claiming the age if information as ended – we maintain its the age of the customer.”

Randazzo noted that there is a lot of “chaos” in the marketplace – numerous vendors that can overlap – how much distance there is between marketer and consumer, “when you think about it you see how daunting it is because of the number of vendors exists.”

Randazzo believes the world is become about two datasets – audience (the people you interact with) and content (and the attributes with it)  “At its fundamental level you know person and the interaction – when you have that the complexity disappears.”

A Data Management Platform is designed to securely collect data, model the persona, and serve it to the channel where its needed.   “The more you are linked to your audience, the more you know what makes that audience tick. “

Some vendors have evolved in the DMP space .  “iCrossing has been willing to evolve, and we see another revolution. All media should be accountable to the audience it brings.”

Important capabilities on a Data Management Platform

• Provides one universal view of the customer
• Agnostic to data sources and purpose
• Secure use of 1,2, and 3 party data sources (PII in aggregate form, not individual)
• Real time segment build and use (can you use it in real time)
• Data portability
• Self service capability
• Reciprocal; integration channels – In short does the system identified by the DMP make your business smarter

Randazzo also discussed data security, and how audience leakage affects what a competitor knows. “Every pixel is a chance for someone else to get smarter as well.” He recommends managers to understand the vested interests of vendors (do they sell data, who is doing what with the information).

Randazoo shows an interesting browser plugin, Collusion.  Used with Firefox, it populate the browser window to show different companies and their association based on their data collection.  His example showed 44 companies that collected audience data.

Avinash Kaushik kicks off Search Engine Strategies New York 2012: Optimal Attribution Model

Pierre DeBois with Avinash Kaushik at Search Engine Strategies expo - SES New York 2012

Avinash Kaushik (@avinash), Google Analytics evangelist, kicked of Search Engine Strategies New York 2012 (#SESNY ), with the gusto and interest that would certainly rev any warm-blooded analyst.  I had the opportunity to listen to him (see also a review of his book Web Analytics 2.0 on Small Business Trends)

Throughout his presentation, Avinash noted the irony in how online marketing is approached.  “We try to acquire a ton of traffic, but you are only attracting people to show up for your digital existence.  We measuring everything but instead we over optimize our measured sites – we don’t get to the big picture, the macro experience that should answer the “So what?” How does this affect our business.”

To get to that so what Avinash advocated the group to embrace economic value in the campaign path – understanding that messages that encourage people to buy should identify the value of each avenue to purchase.  “A group of people will see a search on Yahoo, look for a discount code, then commit to a purchase,” Avinash explained. “In life people can have multiple steps leading to an economic value – so how do you optimize your budget for that experience?”

To apply the value Avinash describes, marketers should look to an Optimal Attribution Model. These are steps meant to measure the value of what is discovered. The measure occurs from a number of variables, tested to optimization. The cycle is repeated, allowing marketers to do three important activities that will lead to meaningful answers for the business.

1. To understand what we did with the campaign

2. To refine through testing

3. Be less wrong

Avinash Kaushik speaks about atribution at SES New York 2012

Avinash goes on to explain that “We must move away from “data pukers” and put strategy before data. We must seek a Scientific Method and Design of Experiment for calculating value….If 10% of your budget is not used to fail faster, it is impossible to identify where to experiment.”

“Today we look at all this data, but we do so to shout loud at people instead of engage meaningfully.   We are coming to social web revolution, with connect between people as much as marketing in the center.” Avinash showed a circle of people with connections along the circle and spokes to the center where marketing is – a representation that access is 360 degree.

Avinash ended his presentation by reminding the audience to note 3 incredible things about their campaigns

1. Ask So What? Focus on the value.

2 Do social because it delivers economic value – gain precision engagement

3. Why is the activity happening

Avinash gave an example from a big box store in which  “$1 of each paid search lead to $15 offline sales, leading with 22% contribution margin.”

Those are numbers any retailer should pay attention to.

Avinash displayed an attribution circle model to show how marketing sources connects people to a digital existence - imagining the data associated is a great purpose for an digital analytics solution

Zimana is an Alltop web analytics blog

Ok, this one has been saved for a while, but a quick note. Zimana is among a number of great Alltop blogs. Very honored and very much a reminder to keep providing the best information for small businesses.

What is important for creating a website for business

Before picking up a manual for web design, understand what it takes to understand code

Today there are choices to have a website created. Used to be you would go to a designer and voila! Achtung Baby, we have a website!

Many people believe you shouldn’t use a template, but “should” and “could” become irrelevant in the face of one’s budget.  Designers complain about templates – customers release template-based sites that is not well optimized for search – but it is the business budget that makes the ultimate decision for small business owners.

If your budget does not permit hiring a web designer, you may want to consider what may be costing your business if you decide to create the website on your own.

1. Although building a website has become easier, you have to weigh your time against coding issues that can occur. How much is an hour of your time worth?  Free can become expensive if the coding issue is difficult to identify. Coding requires a patience and some effort to verify proper operation across browsers.
2. After a launch, a website must be optimized for exposure online, and coordinated with social media.  This means applying content changes for search engine optimization and using social media to make the website a working conduit.  Integrating the site into other systems, such as email services and e-commerce checkout, is also essential.
3. The needs for a website changes with added content and services.  Adding social media such as a Linked In page, a Facebook page, or a blog means clearing a section of page for its visibility while avoiding a cluttered page appearance.

I am not suggesting to always seek a designer. I am saying weigh your resources carefully to build your own website.  Your worst enemy is time.  An awful mistake is to delay improvements that drag into months and months.  A website is a part of the real experience for clients and customers as much as a handshake or presentation.  People are becoming more accustomed to reviewing digital properties and expect WYSIWYG.

Because of the points outlined, a website can become outdated over a few years.  One way to update on the light is to include recent photos of products and services. Images should display how your customers will benefit from your product or service. A few insertions can help, with some A/B test to verify the changes that gave the greatest lift.

 If you do decide to create your site, follow these tips on my Pitney Bowes Smart Essential post 1o ways to improve a website on a budget to make the most of the launch.

Consider your website as an investment, not as a cost  – you’ll find that ultimately you will build the site the right way that will attract leads and make “working in your business” into “working on your business”.