Data visualization, or presenting data sets in a visually-appealing way, is becoming quite the rage in today’s data-driven world.
Data is collected (and stored) at ever-increasing speeds and data scientists, the people who interpret and turn information into action, are in higher demand than ever before.
As this trend ramps up, large and small companies alike have begun looking for ways to analyze the ever-increasing amount of data they acquire.
But why is data so important?
It’s expected that only 6% of all data (read: information) comes from books and printed materials – the other 94% is digital.
90% of all data has been created and stored digitally within just the past 3 years, which is striking considering human recordkeeping dates back thousands of years!
To top that off, we’re generating about 2.5 quintillion bytes of data daily, which just adds to the amount of data we have available to us.
But the question is – what do we do with the data we collect? Many people (entrepreneurs, business owners, and data scientists) are beginning to visualize it.
Have you ever stared at a spreadsheet or a list of figures that just made your eyes cross?
While our brains will eventually process what we’re seeing, it takes so long that sometimes we stop trying before the information really sinks in.
Human attention spans have decreased to about 8 seconds, so it’s no wonder we don’t really want to read a spreadsheet or look at a bunch of numbers.
This is why Data visualization is so powerful: it turns boring information into a visual that our brains can actually understand.
Because our brains process visuals up to 60,000 times faster than text alone, businesses, educators, and marketers want to make it easier to share data in ways that people actually absorb.
This is why data visualizations – such as interactive maps, charts, and infographics – are so popular across the web. They share quantifiable information in ways that don’t put the brain to sleep!
Data can be found in nearly every facet of journalism, media, and education for this reason alone, but what about in business?
Data in business doesn’t just come in the form of sales made, stock values, or the numbers on your inventory spreadsheet. There is no denying the importance of those data sets, but there are a variety of information pools to “collect” from, including:
The beauty of data in today’s world is that it’s so easy to collect, you don’t have to do much legwork at all. Your website’s administration panel can tell you about your traffic and retention rates, while social media sites now offer analytic reports.
Your email software will collect plenty of information about your subscribers, including who they are and what they buy. Engaging your customers with polls and chances to review your services will give you plenty of information, as well.
You can also pull from public data sets for information about your industry, your target audience, or the type of products/services you provide. There are billions upon billions of data bytes out there; just collect the ones that pertain to your business!
But now that you understand whereto find your business data, you’re probably wondering why in the world you should visualize it. After all, who really wants to see data about your email marketing conversions?
Instead of seeing your data sets as an entire story unto themselves, think of them as a piece of the puzzle.
