The secret has never been into data.

Today we are all involved with data in our daily business.

It’s now the new gold rush. 

Owning data would make you powerful and successful in your marketing and sales. Data would be the key to understanding and unlocking your business situation.

You will finally meet your customers through data. Fine but take out the full stop.

You’re forgetting something… I’m about to tell you what.

I want to bust two beliefs about data

• Data will not define your success.
• Data is not the solution.

I also propose you to free yourself from data with my checklist!

So let’s go!

I used to be a data geek. ??

Seriously. I could not have one conversation without claiming data truth within.

I made most of my recommendations with strong statements out of data only.

I recall the day I discovered Google Analytics...

Google Analytics was born in 2005! Crazy, right?

I was hooked. This was utterly satisfying. 

The rise of behavioral data was absolutely mindblowing. It was like being a little mouse… I could finally see what was happening on the other side of the screen.

I could finally understand what the customers’ behavior was:

• How fast they were leaving my website...
• How they never clicked on my blinking calls to action 
• How they never visited some of my key converting pages
• How my promotion had absolutely no impact whatsoever on the decision of the users.
• ...

Yes, it was mainly disappointment at first sight.

But as I don’t give up that easily...

Instinctively, I started to challenge the beautiful design with genuine questions:

• What if we put the button on the other side? Or on the top of the page?
• What if we try this wording instead?
• What if we shorten this text and put it here?
• …

The A/B test was the best invention to complete my curiosity cravings for data and success! And so began my passion for optimization and experimentation.

They call it Growth Marketing today. (so you know ?? )

I do understand the disappointment you could have when your campaign or new website goes live. 

You worked hard, and it took time to get all the stakeholders on board. You had numerous insights, learnings from data. You had brilliant people around the table, even digital experts! All the ingredients were right there to launch a successful project!

But you had to face it… encountering the customers’ behavior. This reality check is tough because the results are rarely a happy surprise. It’s not working as expected. You have to optimize the user flow over and over.

It sounds like a never-ending process.

Well, yes, it is.

Don’t expect to work secretly on a website or an app and when you reveal the final oeuvre everything works fine. 

You need to test it over and over. When you get onboard with a digital project, it’s a process.

There is the learning and then the learning and when you learned a lot…. You still have to learn.

The behavioral data is an excellent way to get acquainted with the people who interact with your content and tools, but it’s not enough.

You need to start with your customers and get to know them very well.

I was not humble enough when I was shouting all over that data was the only gold of optimization. No matter how many digital experts you have around the table and how many data dashboards you have. 

They are not in the head of your customers. 

Experts will advise you on the right strategies, trends, and best practices. You will interpret data in insights based on your own expertise, but you need more.

Whatever digital project you want to create. Your primary purpose is to reach your ideal customers and make them take a specific action.

To do so, you need to know these people. 

Who they are, what do they need, what are their day to day struggles, what do they do, why they do what they do, how do they feel when they do it? 

No, their name and email address will not tell you anything about them yet. As well as his/her address… does that really help when you just met them?

Spoiler alert - the answers to these questions will ALWAYS confront the certainties you have already built. They will also probably go against some of the data interpretation.

Because people are not rational and change their minds. All the time.

We, humans, are fascinating.

So I had to admit a few years back that I was wrong with my data worshiping. I started to have a closer look at the people. And I started to ask questions and challenge the data collected with the answers.

It changes everything. 

When you get to know your customers better, you start to offer digital solutions and not just websites or mobile apps.

This is another mindset. 

The knowledge of your customer’s personality will strengthen your data insight and you will envision data in a very different way. 

Data will not be the goal anymore but a strong support for success.

It’s your turn now.

Do you know your customers? When is the last time you asked them questions on their dislikes and habits?

Well, it’s never too late.

I propose a checklist: 10 things you should already know about your customers.

I also have other material to share with you to help you take the next steps towards digital efficiency, so stay tuned!

You can start with my podcast: People&Digital, the Podcast. You'll find it as well on iTunes, Google Podcasts & Spotify

Or subscribe to the Digital Letters, the weekly Rendez-vous for digital minds!

See you soon,

Amélie ?