Cloud-Based Analytics for Small Businesses

Data analytics is the process where a business analyses its raw data to make conclusions and implement actions based on the information provided. In cloud computing the data processing and storage operations are hosted on a platform by a third party that manages the flow of information and provides access to powerful analytics tools.

Cloud-based analytics provide small businesses with a cost-effective platform to transfer, manage and interpret their data, the service also eliminates the traditional overheads required for a business to host data on its own hardware infrastructure.  

Google Analytics,Tableau and Microsoft Power BI are affordable cloud-based platforms where a small business can integrate data, optimise operations and scale the use of the platforms as the business expands and grows.

Google Analytics is a service used to track website traffic and customer behaviour. It provides insights into business marketing strategies and improves the search engine optimisation for a business’s website.	Tableau is a data visualisation and business intelligence tool which excels in intuitive visual analytics. It allows users to quickly analyse large complex datasets through a drag-and-drop interface without requiring prior coding or programming knowledge.	Microsoft Power BI is another data visualisation and reporting platform. It creates reports and dashboards turning data into a wide range of different visuals such as pie and ribbon charts.

Employing the use of tools like these a small business can make informed decisions based on current data and improve its overall operations by understanding customer trends. These tools track website traffic and provide real-time data visualisations which create interactive reports and transform data from multiple sources into actionable insights.

One of the primary advantages of cloud analytics is the ability to capture and integrate data from different types of data sources such as websites, mobile apps, and social media sites. Cloud-based data models can determine how data is structured, how the various data elements relate to one another, and provide analytics solutions that organise data to the specific requirements of the business.