When we launched Dasheroo in early 2015, buzz phrases such as “big data” and “data mash-ups” were popping up all over.

Companies of all sizes and industries came to realize that collecting data was just the start. They needed a better way to organize, analyze, and take action the data in front of them. In addition, we often saw companies getting overwhelmed with data and not being able to separate the signal from the noise. That’s why we decided to embark on helping small businesses create molehills from the mountains of data they were collecting.

We realized quickly that we were on to something big and that our target customer was grossly underserved in the market. Enterprise-level solutions were too expensive and complicated and relying on basic spreadsheets to track data manually for dozens of apps wasn’t a viable option either. Dasheroo grew quickly and we were able to bring on nearly 40,000 users across 175 countries.

Along the way we started to see a common theme in the questions that would come up during our sales pitch to prospective customers:

Why is it important to have a centralized system for tracking, collecting, sharing, and analyzing data?

Some companies got it right away. Other companies wondered if too much data would actually drag them down. This was often a result of misinformation regarding how to streamline the process.

At Dasheroo we felt that it was extremely important to solve two key problems for SMBs: 1. Reduce the amount of time it takes to bring all key performance metrics into view 2. Ensure that the data can be easily viewed and shared by all key stakeholders.

The faster you can centralize the data the easier it becomes to see cause and effect and other interesting correlations. The more eyes you have on this data the better chance you have at spotting interesting trends because you’re focusing your entire team on the only metrics that really matter.

The categories represented in Dasheroo’s integration library are certainly intentional as we tried to include metrics from all of the top online apps that SMBs use to run their business. From advertising to social and email marketing to web analytics ecommerce and accounting — we wanted to make it as easy as possible for SMBs to build a single page view of their most important business KPIs.

Don’t all companies track data?

I would say a more accurate statement would be that most companies “collect” data but many don’t take the time to truly “analyze” the data and most importantly take action as a result. If you don’t have an action plan for the data you are collecting then why collect it in the first place, right? Surely a good starting point is to assemble all of your key metrics in a view that’s easily to read (and updates automatically) but the real benefit comes from making business decisions as a result of the story the data is telling.

Consider these scenarios:

– Spending a bunch of money on online advertising but those leads aren’t respond to your email marketing campaigns or complete a transaction? Maybe consider targeting a new audience or lead source to spend money more wisely and improve conversion rates.

– Seeing great results with content marketing on Twitter? Try cross-promoting that on Facebook and your website blog to maximum your reach and effectiveness.

– Looking to optimize the end-to-end customer journey for new customers? Build a funnel-focused dashboard to line up all the apps you use to track each step of the process and then spend some time looking for drop-off points or places that could impede your goals.

All three of the scenarios above represent data collection, analysis and action.

Sharing is caring…about making the best data-driven decisions

As mentioned above, we truly believe that the more eyes you can get on the metrics you are tracking the better chance you’ll have to identify meaningful trends or insights. If you are a small team or agency you can easily create a single dashboard or department-specific dashboards that everyone has access to.

Even if you are a sole proprietor running a one-person shop, you may have some analytical friends, family or colleagues that can offer a fresh perspective on the data you are collecting. We all know what it’s like to stare at data for too long…we sometimes don’t see the forest for the trees. Getting input from others can go a long way towards finding those interesting data trends that can truly have an impact on your business performance.

With Dasheroo, you can easily create and share dashboards to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working toward a common goal. As we always say: there’s never a good reason to hide valuable data!

Final Thoughts

Over the years, I’ve watched thousands of companies better use their data to save time, boost revenue, and work in a more efficient manner.

In 2016, FreshLime acquired Dasheroo, which has provided me the opportunity to gain an even better understanding of how small businesses can leverage their data and insights to drive customer engagement and loyalty.