Big Data: Using SMART Big Data, Analytics and Metrics To Make Better Decisions and Improve Performance


Bernard Marr - 2015
    We all need to know what it is and how it works - that much is obvious. But is a basic understanding of the theory enough to hold your own in strategy meetings? Probably. But what will set you apart from the rest is actually knowing how to USE big data to get solid, real-world business results - and putting that in place to improve performance. Big Data will give you a clear understanding, blueprint, and step-by-step approach to building your own big data strategy. This is a well-needed practical introduction to actually putting the topic into practice. Illustrated with numerous real-world examples from a cross section of companies and organisations, Big Data will take you through the five steps of the SMART model: Start with Strategy, Measure Metrics and Data, Apply Analytics, Report Results, Transform. Discusses how companies need to clearly define what it is they need to know Outlines how companies can collect relevant data and measure the metrics that will help them answer their most important business questions Addresses how the results of big data analytics can be visualised and communicated to ensure key decisions-makers understand them Includes many high-profile case studies from the author's work with some of the world's best known brands

The Halo Effect: And the Eight Other Business Delusions That Deceive Managers


Philip M. Rosenzweig - 2007
    In a brilliant and unconventional book, Phil Rosenzweig unmasks the delusions that are commonly found in the corporate world. These delusions affect the business press and academic research, as well as many bestselling books that promise to reveal the secrets of success or the path to greatness. Such books claim to be based on rigorous thinking, but operate mainly at the level of storytelling. They provide comfort and inspiration, but deceive managers about the true nature of business success.The most pervasive delusion is the Halo Effect. When a company's sales and profits are up, people often conclude that it has a brilliant strategy, a visionary leader, capable employees, and a superb corporate culture. When performance falters, they conclude that the strategy was wrong, the leader became arrogant, the people were complacent, and the culture was stagnant. In fact, little may have changed -- company performance creates a Halo that shapes the way we perceive strategy, leadership, people, culture, and more.Drawing on examples from leading companies including Cisco Systems, IBM, Nokia, and ABB, Rosenzweig shows how the Halo Effect is widespread, undermining the usefulness of business bestsellers from "In Search of Excellence" to "Built to Last" and "Good to Great."Rosenzweig identifies nine popular business delusions. Among them:"The Delusion of Absolute Performance: " Company performance is relative to competition, not absolute, which is why following a formula can never guarantee results. Success comes from doing things better than rivals, which means that managers have to take risks."The Delusion of Rigorous Research: " Many bestselling authors praise themselves for the vast amount of data they have gathered, but forget that if the data aren't valid, it doesn't matter how much was gathered or how sophisticated the research methods appear to be. They trick the reader by substituting sizzle for substance."The Delusion of Single Explanations: " Many studies show that a particular factor, such as corporate culture or social responsibility or customer focus, leads to improved performance. But since many of these factors are highly correlated, the effect of each one is usually less than suggested.In what promises to be a landmark book, "The Halo Effect" replaces mistaken thinking with a sharper understanding of what drives business success and failure. "The Halo Effect" is a guide for the thinking manager, a way to detect errors in business research and to reach a clearer understanding of what drives business success and failure.Skeptical, brilliant, iconoclastic, and mercifully free of business jargon, Rosenzweig's book is nevertheless dead serious, making his arguments about important issues in an unsparing and direct way that will appeal to a broad business audience. For managers who want to separate fact from fiction in the world of business, "The Halo Effect" is essential reading -- witty, often funny, and sharply argued, it's an antidote to so much of the conventional thinking that clutters business bookshelves.

SEO 2016: Learn Search Engine Optimization (SEO Books Series)


R.L. Adams - 2015
    It's certainly no walk in the park. And, depending on where you've been for your information when it comes to SEO, it might be outdated, or just flat-out wrong. Why is that? Search has been evolving at an uncanny rate in recent years. And, if you're not in the know, then you could end up spinning your wheels and wasting valuable and precious time and resources on techniques that no longer work. The main reason for the recent changes: to increase relevancy. Google's sole mission is to provide the most relevant search results at the top of its searches, in the quickest manner possible. But, in recent years, due to some mischievous behavior at the hand of a small group of people, relevancy began to wane. SEO 2016 :: Understanding Google's Algorithm Adjustments The field of SEO has been changing, all led by Google's onslaught of algorithm adjustments that have decimated and razed some sites while uplifting and building others. Since 2011, Google has made it its mission to hunt out and demote spammy sites that sacrifice user-experience, focus on thin content, or simply spend their time trying to trick and deceive their way to the top of its search results. At the same time, Google has increased its reliance on four major components of trust, that work at the heart of its search algorithm: Trust in Age Trust in Authority Trust in Content Relevancy In this book, you'll learn just how each of these affects Google's search results, and just how you can best optimize your site and content to ensure that you're playing by Google's many rules. And, although there have been many algorithm adjustments over the years, four major ones have shaped and forever changed the search engine landscape: Google Panda Google Penguin Google Hummingbird Google Mobilegeddon We'll discuss the nature of these changes and just how each of these algorithm adjustments have shaped the current landscape in search engine optimization. So what does it take to rank your site today? In order to compete at any level in SEO, you have to earn trust - Google's trust that is. But, what does that take? How can we build trust quickly without jumping through all the hoops? SEO is by no means a small feat. It takes hard work applied consistently overtime. There are no overnight success stories when it comes to SEO. But there are certainly ways to navigate the stormy online waters of Google's highly competitive search. Download SEO 2016 :: Learn Search Engine Optimization Lift the veil on Google's complex search algorithm, and understand just what it takes to rank on Google searches today, not yesterday.

Email Marketing Blueprint


Steve Scott - 2013
    Does that mean you should build a list and spam people with offer after offer? Heck no. I say that the relationship is in the list.An email list can be a vital asset to your online business — as long as you treat it with care. Subscribers are more than a collection of email addresses. They're a group of people who have a specific interest in your niche topic. Treat them right and you’ll create a lifelong asset.In "Email Marketing Blueprint" you'll learn what Steve Scott has done to build engaged email lists that exceed 90,000 total subscribers.

Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World


Carl T. Bergstrom - 2020
    Now, two science professors give us the tools to dismantle misinformation and think clearly in a world of fake news and bad data.It's increasingly difficult to know what's true. Misinformation, disinformation, and fake news abound. Our media environment has become hyperpartisan. Science is conducted by press release. Startup culture elevates bullshit to high art. We are fairly well equipped to spot the sort of old-school bullshit that is based in fancy rhetoric and weasel words, but most of us don't feel qualified to challenge the avalanche of new-school bullshit presented in the language of math, science, or statistics. In Calling Bullshit, Professors Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West give us a set of powerful tools to cut through the most intimidating data.You don't need a lot of technical expertise to call out problems with data. Are the numbers or results too good or too dramatic to be true? Is the claim comparing like with like? Is it confirming your personal bias? Drawing on a deep well of expertise in statistics and computational biology, Bergstrom and West exuberantly unpack examples of selection bias and muddled data visualization, distinguish between correlation and causation, and examine the susceptibility of science to modern bullshit.We have always needed people who call bullshit when necessary, whether within a circle of friends, a community of scholars, or the citizenry of a nation. Now that bullshit has evolved, we need to relearn the art of skepticism.

The Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry


John Warrillow - 2015
    But customers can be fickle, markets shift, and competitors are ruthless. So how do you ensure a steady flow of repeat business? The secret—no matter what industry you’re in—is finding and keeping automatic customers.These days virtually anything you need can be purchased through a subscription, with more convenience than ever before. Far beyond Spotify, Netflix, and New York Times subscriptions, you can sign up for weekly or monthly supplies of everything from groceries (AmazonFresh) to cosmetics (Birchbox) to razor blades (Dollar Shave Club).According to John Warrillow, this emerging subscription economy offers huge opportunities to companies that know how to turn customers into subscribers. Automatic customers are the key to increasing cash flow, igniting growth, and boosting the value of your company.Consider Whatsapp, the internet-based messaging service that was purchased by Facebook for $19 billion. While other services bombarded users with invasive ads in order to fund a free messaging platform, Whatsapp offered a refreshingly private tool on a subscription platform, charging just $1 per year. Their business model enabled the kind of service that customers wanted and ensured automatic customers for years to come.As Warrillow shows, subscriptions aren’t limited to technology or media businesses. Companies in nearly any industry, from start-ups to the Fortune 500, from home contractors to florists, can build subscriptions into their business.Warrillow provides the essential blueprint for winning automatic customers with one of the nine subscription business models, including:The Membership Website Model: Companies like The Wood Whisperer Guild, ContractorSelling.com, and DanceStudioOwner.com offer access to highly specialized, high quality information, recognizing that people will pay for good content. This model can work for any business with a tightly defined niche market and insider information.The Simplifier Model: Companies like Mosquito Squad (pest control) and Hassle Free Homes (home maintenance) take a recurring task off your to-do list. Any business serving busy consumers can adopt this model not only to create a recurring revenue stream, but also to take advantage of the opportunity to cross-sell or bundle their services.The Surprise Box Model: Companies like BarkBox (dog treats) and Standard Cocoa (craft chocolate) send their subscribers curated packages of goodies each month. If you can handle the logistics of shipping, giving customers joy in something new can translate to sales on your larger e-commerce site.This book also shows you how to master the psychology of selling subscriptions and how to reduce churn and provides a road map for the essential statistics you need to measure the health of your subscription business.Whether you want to transform your entire business into a recurring revenue engine or just pick up an extra 5 percent of sales growth, The Automatic Customer will be your secret weapon.

Monetizing Innovation: How Smart Companies Design the Product Around the Price


Madhavan Ramanujam - 2016
    Today, more than ever, companies need to innovate to survive. But successful innovation—measured in dollars and cents—is a very hard target to hit.  Companies obsess over being creative and innovative and spend significant time and expense in designing and building products, yet struggle to monetize them: 72% of innovations fail to meet their financial targets—or fail entirely. Many companies have come to accept that a high failure rate, and the billions of dollars lost annually, is just the cost of doing business. Monetizing Innovations argues that this is tragic, wasteful, and wrong. Radically improving the odds that your innovation will succeed is just a matter of removing the guesswork. That happens when you put customer demand and willingness to pay in the driver seat—when you design the product around the price. It’s a new paradigm, and that opens the door to true game change: You can stop hoping to monetize, and start knowing that you will. The authors at Simon Kucher know what they’re talking about. As the world’s premier pricing and monetization consulting services company, with 800 professionals in 30 cities around the globe, they have helped clients ranging from massive pharmaceuticals to fast-growing startups find success. In Monetizing Innovation, they distil the lessons of thirty years and over 10,000 projects into a practical, nine-step approach. Whether you are a CEO, executive leadership, or part of the team responsible for innovation and new product development, this book is for you, with special sections and checklist-driven summaries to make monetizing innovation part of your company’s DNA. Illustrative case studies show how some of the world’s best innovative companies like LinkedIn, Uber, Porsche, Optimizely, Draeger, Swarovski and big pharmaceutical companies have used principles outlined in this book. A direct challenge to the status quo “spray and pray” style of innovation, Monetizing Innovation presents a practical approach that can be adopted by any organization, in any industry. Most monetizing innovation failure point home. Now more than ever, companies must rethink the practices that have lost countless billions of dollars. Monetizing Innovation presents a new way forward, and a clear promise: Go from hope to certainty.

The Choice Factory: 25 Behavioural Biases That Influence What We Buy


Richard Shotton - 2018
    In The Choice Factory, Richard Shotton sets out to help you learn. By observing a typical day of decision-making, from trivial food choices to significant work-place moves, he investigates how our behaviour is shaped by psychological shortcuts. With a clear focus on the marketing potential of knowing what makes us tick, Shotton has drawn on evidence from academia, real-life ad campaigns and his own original research. The Choice Factory is written in an entertaining and highly-accessible format, with 25 short chapters, each addressing a cognitive bias and outlining simple ways to apply it to your own marketing challenges. Supporting his discussion, Shotton adds insights from new interviews with some of the smartest thinkers in advertising, including Rory Sutherland, Lucy Jameson and Mark Earls. From priming to the pratfall effect, charm pricing to the curse of knowledge, the science of behavioural economics has never been easier to apply to marketing. The Choice Factory is the new advertising essential.

Decoding the New Consumer Mind: How and Why We Shop and Buy


Kit Yarrow - 2014
    In Decoding the New Consumer Mind, award-winning consumer psychologist Kit Yarrow shares surprising insights about the new motivations and behaviors of shoppers, taking marketers where they need to be today: into the deeply psychological and often unconscious relationships that people have with products, retailers, marketing communications, and brands.Drawing on hundreds of consumer interviews and shop-alongs, Yarrow reveals the trends that define our transformed behavior. For example, when we shop we show greater emotionality, hunting for more intense experiences and seeking relief and distraction online. A profound sense of isolation and individualism shapes the way we express ourselves and connect with brands and retailers. Neurological research even suggests that our brains are rewired, altering what we crave, how we think, and where our attention goes.Decoding the New Consumer Mind provides marketers with practical ways to tap into this new consumer psychology, and Yarrow shows how to combine technology and innovation to enhance brand image; win love and loyalty through authenticity and integrity; put the consumer's needs and preferences front and center; and deliver the most emotionally intense, yet uncomplicated, experience possible. Armed with Yarrow's strategies, marketers will be able to connect more effectively with consumers--driving profit and success across the organization.

SEO 2019 Learn Search Engine Optimization With Smart Internet Marketing Strategies: Learn SEO with smart internet marketing strategies


Adam Clarke - 2018
    First, let me tell you a little secret about SEO marketing...Most search engine optimization advice on the Internet is wrong!If you've sifted through search engine optimization advice online, you may have noticed two things: - Most published SEO advice is either outdated or just dead-wrong.- Google's constant updates have made many popular SEO optimization strategies useless.Why is this so? Google's constantly evolving. Recent changes: 1. August, 2018 - Google releases an industry changing update, with some sites showing up to 50% decreases or increases in traffic, later titled the "Medic Update" or "Your Money or Your Life Update."2. July, 2018 - Google announce's Speakable markup, making it easier to target voice search results.3. March, 2018 - Google's game-changing "Mobile First Index" is rolled out, completely overhauling how search results are calculated.SEO 2019 is now updated covering new changes to Google's algorithm, walks you through major updates and how to use them to your advantage. This book also reveals industry secrets to stay ahead of Google's algorithm, and potential Google changes coming up in 2019. With this best-selling SEO book, learn SEO from a fundamental level, achieve top rankings, and generate a wave of new customers to your site.Discover powerful link building techniques experts use to get top rankings and generate massive trafficLink building is the strongest factor for ranking high in Google. Unfortunately, most widely-used methods suck! This chapter walks you through new and powerful techniques that won't get you in hot-water with Google. Now expanded with more link building strategies and extra tips for advanced readers.You will also discover: 1. Important SEO concepts, from beginner to advanced.2. Sneaky tricks to get local businesses ranking high with local SEO.3. The inner workings of Google's algorithm and how it calculates the search results.4. How to find "money" keywords that will send customers to your site.5. Basic and advanced link building strategies for pushing your rankings up higher.6. Six insider sources to get expert SEO or Internet marketing advice worth thousands of dollars, for free.7. How to use social media and web analytics to multiply your results.8. 25+ powerful tools top Internet marketing experts use to automate search engine optimization, saving weeks of time and creating bigger results.Sidestep the 2019 Google updatesContrary to Internet marketing gossip, problems caused by Google updates are rarely irrecoverable-but you need the right knowledge. This book reveals: - Inner mechanics of Google's algorithm, and how to rank your site at the top.- Recent Google updates-Mobile First Index, Google Speed update, Google Hawk update, Google FRED update, and more...- Potential updates coming up in 2019.- Steps to recover from Google penalties.And read the special bonus chapter on pay-per-click advertisingIn this bonus, learn to quickly setup pay-per-click advertising campaigns with Google AdWords and send customers to your site overnight, literally.One of the most comprehensive SEO optimization books ever published-updated and expanded-of all best-selling SEO books, this is the only one with everything you need.Scroll up, click buy, and get started now!

The Mousedriver Chronicles: The True- Life Adventures Of Two First-time Entrepreneurs


John Lusk - 2002
    To the almost universal disdain of their friends and professors, these two turned down tempting job offers, borrowed money from friends and family, loaded up on credit card debt, and decided to start a single-product company to manufacture and market a computer mouse shaped like the head of a golf club. They watched enviously as nearly all of their friends became millionaires in the dot-com boom, but they persevered and forged their own path. To chart their progress and to keep themselves motivated against the odds, they kept a diary that recorded the realities of their everyday life as entrepreneurs. Out of their diary entries grew The MouseDriver Chronicles, an intimate, insightful, and often funny look into the minds of two entrepreneurs and how they brought a simple idea to market. From The MouseDriver Chronicles: "School was just about over, and the wondrous combination of brick-baking heat and relentless high humidity that defines summer in south Philadelphia wasn't too far off. We couldn't afford to wait around for it. We needed to blaze to San Francisco and get rolling. Fine. No problem. Except we didn't yet have an office in San Francisco. Or a place to live. Or MouseDrivers in stock. We had all our plans and ambition, but everything real about running a business was ahead of us. Immediately ahead."

How To Get To The Top Of Google in 2021: The Plain English Guide to SEO (Digital Marketing by Exposure Ninja)


Tim Cameron-Kitchen - 2020
    Whether you’ve dabbled in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and been disappointed with the results, are a complete SEO newbie looking for a large slice of the ranking pie or you’re a seasoned professional looking to stay up to date with the best SEO practices, this book is for you. How would it feel to… Understand how Google chooses which websites to rank? Know exactly what keywords to target to attract people who are ready to buy what you sell? Have your most profitable keywords hit the top spot? Confidently be able to tweak your website and its structure (no technical know-how needed!) for fast gains? Be able to write killer content that Google and your visitors love? Build relationships with key publication players in your industry and have them begging for your content? Have crafted a complete SEO strategy to laser-target your focus and get big results? What kind of results can you achieve? One of our clients came to us in 2015 asking for help. His business was making $2k per month in sales, and he was contemplating closing shop. Today, that business turns over $3.4million per month, thanks to the strategies in this book.You’ll read about this business and others in the book. Every strategy is data-backed and battle-tested by the Exposure Ninja team, who grow real businesses like yours. What's inside? Section 1: The Foundations You’ll learn: The four free ways to appear on the first page of Google How to identify keywords that will drive hordes of hungry traffic to your website The key to seeing ranking gains in just weeks Why snooping on your competitors is crucial, and how to steal the good bits. Section 2: Your Website Transform your website’s ranking by: Structuring it to make it easy for Google AND visitors to use Using content to 10x your traffic Transforming your blog into a sales generator Avoiding the SEO pitfalls that can do more harm to your website than good Section 3: Promoting Your Website You’ll find out: The exact process that took one business from 35 to 3,450 leads a month How to get links from national newspaper websites The easy way to pitch content sounding desperate How to get links from social media Section 4: Designing Your SEO Strategy SEO can be overwhelming. Replace panic with serene calm as you: Put everything into a comprehensive strategy Pick the key tasks to get results if you’re low on time Learn which metrics to track and which to ignore Implement three key practices that will ensure long-term improvement, whatever Google throws at you "But how do I know all this is possible?" Tim Cameron-Kitchen started out as a professional drummer. After building and ranking a website for his next-door neighbour, he got bitten by the SEO bug. Hundreds of clients later and with a team of 100 at his agency Exposure Ninja, Tim's story shows that anyone, even if you don't have a background in SEO, can learn what it takes to rank their website on Google.

Business Plan Template And Example: How To Write A Business Plan: Business Planning Made Simple


Alex Genadinik - 2015
     Find inside the revolutionary new way to plan a business to create a professional business plan that will help you identify the most effective business strategies for your situation. Take this step to starting your business, achieve independence, and become your own boss. HOW THE BOOK WORKS 1) You will start by learning how to write just a 3-sentence business plan that is so compact that it focuses on only what's most important 2) You will turn the 3-sentence business plan into a 1-page plan 3) Turn the 1-page plan into a professional business plan 4) After you have your business plan, this book gives you skills to make you a stronger entrepreneur BENEFITS OF THIS APPROACH - Write a higher quality business plan with more effective strategies - Complete your business plan faster - Avoid confusion and frustration WHAT KINDS OF BUSINESS IS THIS BOOK FOR This book is designed for businesses like local services, freelancing services, eCommerce, affiliate, self-branded businesses, innovative start-ups, and one-person solopreneur businesses. WHY THE APPROACH IN THIS BOOK IS BETTER To help you learn the business planning process from the ground up, this book gets you started with a very basic business plan and helps you expand it as you make your way through the book. This leads to less confusion and frustration and are more likely to finish your business plan faster and have it be better. THE BOOK IS STRUCTURED AS A BUSINESS PLAN TEMPLATE One of the chapters in this book is structured as a business plan template with examples for what to write in every section of the business plan. By the end of that chapter, you will have a professional business plan. This book combines theory, templates, and practical examples so you can get the best of all worlds and write your own business plan right as you go through the book. Whatever your learning style might be, this book will be effective for you. MADE TO BE SIMPLE If you find business planning confusing and complex, this book will make it simple for you. It is written in simple and clear language to help you create a great business plan with effective strategies. TRY THE BOOK FOR YOURSELF Invest in your future. Get this book now, start creating a great business plan today so you can start your dream business faster. RECENTLY ADDED IN THE LAST EDITION OF THE BOOK - Business plan example since many people commented that they wanted a business plan example. - Bigger variety of smaller examples across different businesses - Common planning mistakes so you can avoid them PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS FOR THE REAL WORLD A business plan is just a document. While this book will help you create a fantastic business plan document, it will also prepare you for real world business execution. Get this book today and learn to write a business plan, create effective business strategies, and take the step to make your business a success. BENEFITS OF THE BOOK - Step-by-step guidance for writing section of a business plan - Evaluate your target market: Is it big enough? Is it lucrative enough? - Identify and profit from choosing the most effective monetization strategy for your business - Master business planning concepts like the cash flow sta

Analyzing the Analyzers


Harlan Harris - 2013
    

Call to Action: Secret Formulas to Improve Online Results


Bryan Eisenberg - 2005
    Are you planning for top performance? Are you accurately evaluating that performance? Are you setting the best benchmarks for measuring success? How well are you communicating your value proposition? Are you structured for change? Can you achieve the momentum you need to get the results you want? If you have the desire and commitment to create phenomenal online results, then this book is your call to action.Within these pages, New York Times best-selling authors Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg walk you through the five phases that comprise web site development, from the critical planning phase, through developing structure, momentum, and communication, to articulating value. Along the way, they offer advice and practical applications culled from their years of experience "in the trenches."