What do you do if you're not sure what data visualization software is best for your business needs?

1 Identify your goals and audience

Before you start looking for data visualization software, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with it and who will use or see it. For example, do you want to analyze trends, patterns, or relationships in your data? Do you want to present your findings to your clients, stakeholders, or team members? Do you want to monitor key performance indicators, track progress, or identify problems? Depending on your goals and audience, you may need different features, functions, and formats for your data visualizations.

2 Evaluate your data sources and formats

Another factor to consider is the type and amount of data you have and how you want to access and integrate it. For example, do you have structured or unstructured data? Do you have small or large datasets? Do you have data from multiple sources, such as databases, spreadsheets, web pages, or APIs? Do you want to import, export, or update your data regularly? Depending on your data sources and formats, you may need different capabilities, compatibility, and flexibility for your data visualization software.

3 Compare different options and features

Once you have a clear understanding of your goals, audience, and data, you can start researching different data visualization software options and features. Online reviews, ratings, testimonials, or demos can provide an overview of the pros and cons of each option. Additionally, you can use a checklist of features to compare them based on your specific needs. When it comes to features, ease of use is important to consider. How easy is it to learn, use, and customize the software? Functionality should also be taken into account; how well does it perform the tasks you need? Visualization is another key factor; what types, styles, and options of data visualizations does it offer? How interactive and dynamic are they? Collaboration is also essential; how easy is it to share or embed your data visualizations with others? And lastly, support should be considered; how much training or customer service does the software provide?

4 Test and refine your choice

The final step is to test and refine your choice of data visualization software. You can do this by signing up for a free trial, a demo, or a sandbox version of the software and using it with your own data. You can also ask for feedback from your colleagues, clients, or stakeholders on the quality and effectiveness of your data visualizations. You can then use this information to evaluate how well the software meets your needs and expectations and make any adjustments or improvements as needed.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?