Businesses can use the data collected by consumers to improve their products and services click to meet the needs of customers. Finding the right analytics tool to capture and analyze this data is a crucial aspect in achieving business goals for increased engagement, higher sales and more efficient operations.

Decide on which kinds of data you’d like to integrate and how you plan to integrate them. Some tools are geared toward traditional enterprise reporting while others are designed to assist you perform more sophisticated mathematical analysis or track sensitive information like healthcare data. Also, you should consider how the analytics tools you’re considering will fit into your current workflow systems and data architecture.

Some tools provide an iterative experience for data scientists as well as advanced users, while others are primarily made to permit non-technical and people who are not experts in data to perform point-and click analysis. It is also important to be aware of the tools for data visualization and the features provided by each tool. Certain tools are designed to create visual charts, while others require SQL or third-party software to model the data prior to it being able to be analyzed.

After you’ve narrowed your options, pay attention to the cost and whether the platform is cloud-based or based on software licenses and subscription fees. Some tools are completely free, whereas others require an upfront investment as well as ongoing maintenance costs. Make sure you compare these costs with the potential return on investment from insights and efficiencies gained through using an analytics tool.