Data has an important place in business. It helps us measure our progress. It can highlight areas where performance meets or exceed expectations, as well as when efforts fall short. It can give a “medical history” of the health of a business over time. And, perhaps most importantly, the right kinds of data can enable businesses to keep up with and anticipate market trends.
The problem is that ever since the advent of the internet, we’ve been dealing with much larger data sets. “Big data” has changed how we collect, process, analyze, and act on the information that’s floating around in the aether. And with so much data to deal with, old-school tools like spreadsheets just aren’t cutting the mustard anymore.
Good news, though: there are services out there designed to help you make sense of all the numbers, and draw powerful insight from the data your company has been collecting. These business intelligence tools and marketing dashboards organize and illustrate the data, helping to emphasize the data’s importance—which, in turn, helps us make strategic decisions for our business.
Domo
Domo (which takes its name from the Japanese word for “thanks”) is a relative newcomer to the game. Started in 2010 in American Fork, Utah, it’s quickly grown to capture a clientele of over a 1,000 and has been hailed as one of Utah’s “unicorns.”
Domo is attractive as a service for a number of reasons. It’s an all-in-one solution, so you don’t have to pay for multiple data and analytics solutions. It’s been highly praised for the intuitive user experience and the visual appeal of the display. It’s a cloud-based solution, which makes access and sharing simple. It’s self-service focused, meaning users can access the tools and reports they need to, usually without any help from IT.
Domo is an effective solution for a marketing dashboard, and allows for many integrations with other APIs, apps, and programs.
Tableau
Tableau is the oldest of the platforms on our list, having been founded back in 2003. Starting out in humble beginnings out in Mountain View, California, Tableau has since accumulated a clientele of over 35,000. Their prices favor enterprises and mid-sized businesses, and the platform supports customizable dashboards and drag-and-drop functionality.
Unlike Domo, Tableau isn’t cloud based, and is installed on a device on a company’s internal network. This may appeal to those who don’t need the convenience of cloud access, or who are worried about security. And as a minor note, Tableau’s visuals aren’t as vibrant or engaging as Domo’s, so be warned in the event aesthetics is an important quality for you.
Sisense
Sisense is a tool designed specifically for those who don’t want to have to ask the IT crew for help every time they want to change something or print a report. Started in 2004, it offers an intuitive solution for those who aren’t very tech savvy and may not need to customize much of the tool to meet their needs.
Sisense supports drag-and-drop features and role-based access restrictions (among many other things). It’s a solid platform that competes well with its peers on this list.
A marketing dashboard can do a lot to help you make strategic decisions in your business, but deciding which one is the “best” marketing software depends on the needs of your business, your use cases, and your budget. Whichever tool you choose, big data is here to stay, and you’re going to want a solid business intelligence solution to help you make sense of it all.