What are some effective means of gaining market and/or audience insight using online tools?

“The one fundamental truth vital to web product development success is to know the mind of the user”. Taken from Pragmatic Marketing a worldwide publication that focuses on product management and marketing training.


The thing I found the most interesting is the “User Experience Measurement Hierarchy” that is described on this site. Which points out that most organizations are only at Stage 1 where they simply provide general knowledge of their users’ online experience, by using tools like Heuristics, Expert review, and Web Hits/ Usage Analysis. Some have reached Stage 2 which is all about understanding user behavior and is used by “organizations in industries such as insurance, manufacturing, healthcare, travel/hospitality and financial services”. The tools used are: User Testing, Session Analysis, Online Surveys and A/B Multivariate Testing. Lastly and more rarely some organizations have reached Stage Three where they are influencing their users by utilizing tools like: Eye Tracking, Emotion/Trust Measurement, and Neuro-marketing. These tools are seen as the future of online marketing because they measure user thinking and persuade them to act.





"Changing the Way Businesses Get Answers. The Right Audience.Right Now."

Another example of businesses connecting with their target audience comes from Thumbspeak. A company that has created mobile phone apps that allow customers to interact in real-time with the businesses that they frequent.For Thumbspeak’s customers this feedback provides invaluable audience insight in a “moment of truth” kind of way. They believe that by creating a direct connection between people and businesses customers will feel more engaged as they know their opinions are being heard. This is great for businesses because it results in greater customer satisfaction and loyalty which for them equals profit. Thumbspeak is so successful that it has been ranked the number 1 free business application on iTunes.

What really is digital marketing?

The first thing that comes to mind is the little pop up that shows up on my screen without being invited. But digital marketing is also the ads that frame our Google searches and Facebook pages that seem like they know what we are thinking. One thing is for sure and that is that digital marketing works, it is what makes us click even when we don't want to. In my opinion digital marketing is the way that new information, brands, products, services, are introduced and sold to us, it is the new way that we communicate with consumer society and thus form our identities.

What makes internet marketing so important in our consumer driven society is that it is relevant. It gives consumers the ability to choose, at any time and virtually anywhere, from a wide variety of products and services and find the one that fits them best. While digital marketing puts companies at the fingertips of consumers it also allows them to learn more about their target audience and in turn capture a larger market share.

For digital marketing to be successful it has to be exciting and stand out from its competitors therefore it has opened the door to creativity and inventiveness as it only works if it truly captures a persons attention and thus interest. As a result digital marketing has turned into a competition as each company fights to have the most inviting, relevant, rewarding and authentic idea.