#10 - Analyze Better With Data Visualization

10Dec07

This is my series of 30 brief interactive marketing tips. I’m posting each business day at 8:30 a.m. EST. Catch them all by subscribing to my blog or bookmarking the site. All of the posts will be tagged “30 interactive marketing tips” and listed on this page.

#10 - Analyze Better With Data Visualization

Great analysis is persuasive and actionable. Chances are the decision makers in your organization exist on the spectrum from data-phobic to Excel Fanatics.

Make your analysis more approachable with a little data visualization. Here are a few ideas:

Contrast Metrics with 2 Axes
Metrics rarely make sense unless put in the context of other data. Would and increase of $60K in PPC profit look so great if the cost-per-order tripled?Find the proper mate for your key performance indicators and contrast them on different axes on the same chart (one on the left, another on the right, or “secondary”, axis)
Create A Chart Style Guide
One of the barriers in data analysis is that readers must orient themselves to the particular way information is being displayed. Rather than retraining people to understand each report, create a chart style guide.

Specify the basic requirements of a chart for your organization. Sample elements could be the use of titles, chart type for different kinds of data, use and location of legends and so on.
Visually Define Failure
Or, if you’re a glass half full type, visually define success. The most common question I’ve encountered from audiences when discussing data is “Is that good or bad?” We typically expect data to go up and to the right.

Rather than leaving your data naked for your audience to interpret as they may, set performance expectations with a goal line. For example, if you’re charting ROI, draw a line across your threshold, say 300%.Now the conversation will switch from is that good or bad to “What do we do about it?”

For more ideas about data visualization, check out my list of free data visualization tools.

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