SOMETIMES What You Think Does Matter

Posted by alastair under Online Marketing
From http://www.sitestreamseo.com 5113 days ago
Made Hot by: sannwood on November 3, 2010 1:31 pm

A few days ago I wrote a post about the importance of testing to make better strategic decisions online. Testing is important BUT is it the gaps in data where experience and insight = competitive advantage? I think so.

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Comments

Written by marie.clare
5108 days ago

Brilliant post, it is indeed important to also count on your on ideas and decision. Because it will be you dealing whatever it is in your business. We may encounter different ideas, we have to welcome for that but we have our own rational mind to weigh things and decide.

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Written by saraib820
5112 days ago

Alastair,

To tell you the truth, me and my husband Yoni have been looking at that darn helmet for months now. I figured it's not a motorcycle or biking helmet, not a football or rugby helmet. The only thing that seemed logical was polo. Now the question. Do you play on a horse or elephant???

Keep up with the great articles and fantastic advice!

Rivkah

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Written by alastair
5112 days ago

I play in a Kayak. Probably even less common than the elephant variety of the sport.

It was the only photo I had available on the day and I decided that it's colourful and eye catching and someone is bound to ask right?

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Written by lovedthisarticle!
5113 days ago

Alastar,

I have a small stationary business which supplies schools and run a small floral business from home. I have gotten all of the birthdates and anniversary dates of the school workers. They buy their flowers from me. I have learned to bring extra bouquets on my school rounds and ask people if they would like flowers 'just because-take home for spouse or something. Almost every day a few people take up the offer.

Data says people dont want flowers today but the THINK part gets them to buy. Think wins over data!

Heidi K.

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Written by alastair
5112 days ago

Thanks for the comment Heidi,

That sounds like a great idea. I am glad it is working out for you.

The way I would look at that is: you came up with an idea you thought would reach your customers, you found out where they were and you put an offer in front of them. You tested it and the data says that it resulted in sales.

Congratulations on some creative and proactive selling. It certainly makes the point that there is plenty of room for THINK alright.

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Written by saraib820
5113 days ago

Polo helmet?

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Written by alastair
5113 days ago

Well spotted. :) How on earth did you know that?

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Written by yoni67
5113 days ago

Alastair,

Brilliant follow up to Part I. It's a conundrum. Go with data or go with the gut. The human factor vs. "the machine." Gary Kasparov vs. Big Blue (a genius chess computer). I think the answer is a combination of the two.

Great series...it provoked a lot of thought.

BTW: what's on your head in the pic?

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Written by alastair
5113 days ago

Hi Yoni.

Data is part of what makes online marketing so great. Go with the data or go with the gut? The data, almost every time.

But you have to make sure that you have the right data and that it is saying what you think it is. There are always gaps in information and interpreting them is what takes skill and experience.

You still need to figure out what to test and how to test it and what the results mean. You still face decisions with no data available, yet. So gut is still crucial (although I prefer instinct and analysis honed by years of experience and knowledge to some people's views on maverick entrepreneurial guesswork).

I suppose what I mean is that if there's an answer, and it's knowable, then we should try to recognise it.

To use your analogy Gary tries to beat Big Blue by working in the gaps in Big's knowledge. He doesn't ignore what the computer knows, he knows it all too and steps beyond it. Although he plays chess with flair, he has a mind like a computer too. The flair is the icing on the cake.

I've been waiting for months for someone to ask about the pic and saraib820 got it right first time. It's a canoe polo helmet. I wish there was a prize.

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Written by alastair
5113 days ago

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