Webwinkel Vakdagen: E-commerce needs data expertise.

12 February 2024 | 3 minutes of reading time

A few weeks ago, we attended the Webwinkel Vakdagen at the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht. At i-spark, we primarily focus on businesses in the e-commerce sector, so it’s important for us to stay updated on the trends and issues in this industry, especially from a data perspective. We have spotted some data-related issues for which i-spark has a solution. Attention to all e-commerce entrepreneurs and marketers!

AI and machine Learning

During the various presentations we attended, the use of AI and machine learning was a prominent topic. These technologies are becoming more accessible and offer an effective way to create content and predict commercial opportunities. Although there are still many features missing in the current capabilities, we all know that the solutions you’re looking for are on the horizon. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand how AI and Machine Learning work and prepare your business for their significant role in your strategy if you want to continue growing. Have you started experimenting with AI tools yet? If not, it’s time to stop hiding and get to work. This unstoppable development offers a wealth of fantastic opportunities. And what about Machine Learning? Are you already basing some decisions on this increasingly reliable technology? We advise you to look into tools that can assist you in this area. We know that transitioning to an updated data platform with Machine Learning capabilities can be extremely valuable.

“Data Rich, but insights Poor”

This quote, highlighted in a presentation by Bart Meerdink from Beeckestijn Business School, emphasizes the digital and data skills every marketer should have by 2024. AI and Machine Learning were frequently mentioned here too, as well as ways to visualize data – dashboarding! It’s quite a task to expect marketers to keep up with all these developments, not to mention keeping up with the latest techniques. At i-spark, we believe that perhaps too much is being asked of marketers. A marketer is (usually) not a data specialist, and keeping up with developments in (online) marketing alone requires more than a full work week.

Let Marketers do what they do Best

Recognizing this gap, it becomes evident that the expertise of data specialists is not just a luxury but a necessity for marketers. They are the ones who can turn overwhelming data into clear, actionable insights, enabling marketers to make informed decisions without having to become data scientists themselves.”

Wouldn’t it be better to seek out a data expert instead? Like i-spark! Whether it’s about ensuring your or your client’s data is ready for effective use via dashboards, or providing a complete package of data solutions, i-spark is the perfect addition to your data team. We’re here to prevent your marketers from burning out, to cover for that long-term absent data specialist, to quickly fill that data vacancy, or even to provide a complete data team immediately if your rapid growth demands it.

In Practice

All these important insights we gained during various lectures kept coming up. A clear line… or call it a trend. A practical example arose that same day in a networking conversation. An medium-sized e-commerce company (whose name we won’t mention) indicated they had just switched to a data agency similar to i-spark. This was mainly because the marketing agency they previously worked with lacked the real expertise to deliver the quality they needed. We see that e-commerce needs data experts. Sooner or later, a growing e-commerce company will need quality in terms of data

We’ve got Your back!

Data is a specialty, and our specialty happens to be data! Are you an e-commerce company that really wants to maximize its data potential? Or are you a marketer with e-commerce clients who rightly sets the bar high? i-spark can support you in developing and executing your data strategy, or in expanding the capacity of your own data or marketing intelligence team. Let’s discuss the possibilities. We’ve got your back!