Many believe a story, concept, or idea is better understood through an image, but applying it to business isn’t always so black and white. If you’re looking for a few ways to better communicate, educate, and connect with your current or prospective customers, employees, or investors, visualizing raw data could be precisely what you’re looking for.
What is Data Visualization?
Tools make it far easier to develop, interpret, and integrate large amounts of data. All data visualization tools use software applications to process information into a visual format. These formats might include charts, graphs, or heat maps.
These tools will help business owners make informed decisions, using massive amounts of data as their guide. Practical data tools will help people make data-driven choices without spending time trying to turn the raw data into interpretable formats.
Why Choose Data Visualization Tools?
Proper data visualization tools will bring the power of data analytics to all users within an organization. These tools make a considerable difference in every department, from finance to marketing, offering interpretable and actionable details across all lines of business.
The Brain Always Processes Visuals Faster
The human brain can process visuals much faster than text. Reports indicate that 70 percent of all sensory receptors are in our eyes, giving a sense of the visual scene in less than 1/10 of a second. This rate is considerably faster than the process of reading and comprehending text-only information. Many businesses have come to understand this fact, with an increase of 400% in literature since 1990.
Visuals Help Commit Information to Long-Term Memory
A visual is a powerful tool for our brain’s ability to remember information. As babies, we see and process visuals long before we can speak, read, or write. Understanding visuals comes naturally. Our brains will commit visuals to long-term memory far easier than text. According to reports, the mind can only process seven bits of information. Alternatively, images go into long-term memory, where they are indelibly etched.
Data Visualization will Reveal Trends, Patterns, Correlations, and Changes
Identifying patterns or trends within thousands of lines in a spreadsheet is virtually impossible. Taking the time to map out your data visually helps the viewer digest and interpret the information. The visual also allows users to find and recognize critical patterns and correlations that could have been impossible to see.
Your Visuals Help Simplify Complex Information
Data visualization tools will allow small businesses to showcase their information uniform and simplified way. The visual helps business owners easily share large amounts of data with the audience. This is particularly true when presenting the information and findings to parties who aren’t closely involved with the information.
All Visuals Will Tell a Story
Throughout history, visuals have been tools that help people tell a story. Visuals are everywhere, from the movies you watch to the advertisements you see. Brands and agencies hold a desire to connect with people on a deeper intellectual level. If you want to present your data, painting a picture in people’s minds is far easier with an image than with a dataset.
Visuals Can Persuade Your Audience
Scientific studies have shown visuals to be far more effective at persuading people or changing their minds than any other medium. A 1986 study found that presenters who used visual aids were 43% more likely to change their audience members than those who used visuals.
What Businesses Use Data Visualization?
Data visualization holds various applications across multiple industries, from small start-up companies to large enterprise corporations. Their use may vary considerably, but data visualization can help in the following areas:
Sales Mapping
Sales representatives can create, analyze, and manage sales territories using factual data. This method directly benefits managers and field teams trying to optimize their efficiency overall.
Supply Chain Mapping
Target specific areas in the supply chain and focus on weak points by visualizing all locations in the sales process. Business owners can optimize delivery schedules or develop deep analysis and improvement of internal logistics.
Multi-Stop Route Planning
Business owners can capitalize on drive times between appointments or deliveries using advanced route planning and optimization features. Whether your team has ten or a thousand stops along the way, automating the best route is the easiest option.
