Bringing Data Innovation to Merchants with Google BigQuery – Stridec
Data is the foundation for good decision-making. However, before you can make judgments, you’ll need the proper technologies in place to turn raw data into useful information.
BigCommerce is happy to offer more information about how merchants can benefit from our relationship with Google and their comprehensive data solutions, such as Analytics, BigQuery, and Data Studio.
While you may already be acquainted with Google Analytics for tracking website traffic, product sales, conversion rates, and other metrics, you may not be aware of Google’s sophisticated data services and how they integrate with the BigCommerce platform.
We’ve enlisted the aid of several inside specialists, including Derrek Pearson, Senior Manager, Product Management, Market Insights Manager, to address some queries.
To begin, what exactly are Google BigQuery and Google Data Studio?
Pearson Derrek:
Google BigQuery is an analytical data warehouse that allows you to put all of your data from different sources together in one place. You may use structured query language (SQL) and artificial intelligence (AI) to ask analytical questions and display your data so you can make strategic business decisions after you have all of your data in one location.
Data Studio from Google is a free visualisation tool that allows you to create and modify reports that are easy to share with your team.
So what is the advantage of the pre-built Google BigQuery integration with the BigCommerce platform?
Pearson Derrek:
While merchants without programming abilities may always sign up for a free Google BigQuery account, transferring their data has always been a challenge. There’ll be a lot of development work to do, whether you construct the connection yourself or use third-party tools.
Senior Manager,:
It’s not as simple as exporting and importing data from a CSV file since there’s only so much data you can properly export into a CSV file. Instead, you’re relying on APIs, and you’ll almost certainly need to enlist the help of a developer, making the process more time-consuming.
Pearson Derrek:
We’ve already done the legwork to get your BigCommerce data into the data warehouse using the pre-built connector. Now you can go into your control panel, complete a few easy procedures that don’t require any programming knowledge, and your data will be represented in Google BigQuery in the end.
This allows you to use all of Google BigQuery’s features on your BigCommerce shop data without committing to a large development effort.
Manager Senior:
Not only is the connection beneficial to merchants, but it is also beneficial to developers since it allows them to focus on tasks that will have a greater influence on the business. For example, they may use business intelligence tools to develop custom reports and scripts, identify novel methods to slice and dice your data, and show data in innovative ways.
BigCommerce has done an excellent job of investing in sample scripts and reporting, so all you have to do now is adjust the variables and networks for your shop. As a result, we’ve already solved a number of the most popular use cases.
How can merchants get started using the pre-built Google Data Studio reports?
Derrek Pearson:
So far, three Google Data Studio reports have been released: product revenue by category, cost of products sold, and revenue by city. They’re an excellent way to get started with Google Data Studio and Google BigQuery. They may be found in our Knowledge Base.
What’s nice about the reports is that there’s a section with instructions on how merchants may duplicate them, and once they do, the report is theirs to keep. Then students may replace the example data with their own data by following a sequence of procedures. They now have complete control over the data and reports.
Using these sample reports as a starting point for exploiting your BigCommerce data in a business intelligence tool like Google Data Studio to get insights that may help drive your business is a wonderful beginning step. After you’ve created these first reports, you may customise them to meet your specific requirements.
How does BigCommerce’s open approach to data benefit merchants?
Derrek Pearson:
Our whole goal, including data, is to maintain an open platform, or Open SaaS, as we like to call it. Merchants may choose the most appropriate tools for their needs, and we strive to eliminate any friction and make the procedure as simple and painless as possible. That’s the method we’ll use with our data partners, which we’ll name Big Open Data Solutions. We feel this is a one-of-a-kind strategy that no one else is doing.
Senior Manager,:
To expand on what Derek stated, some ecommerce systems allow you to export your data, but they don’t make it easy. Some API terms of service, for example, are quite stringent and limit where you may take your data. Others prefer that you use their intelligence products, which may appear to be a fantastic option at first, but you may later wish to create a bespoke report that isn’t supported. Because many bigger businesses utilise several analytics or reporting tools, being able to migrate your data quickly into another system might be beneficial.
The difference with BigCommerce is that we give you complete control over your data, allowing you to be very specific about the sorts of insights you generate. You may also utilise the solutions that are most familiar to you and have the most impact on your company.
For example, your BigCommerce data may be sent through your Google BigQuery instance, and then you can utilise your Stridec.com instance to begin identifying your consumers and mapping out their path. And you have complete control over the data at all times.
Connect Your Data to Google BigQuery Today
You can get started with Google BigQuery right now if you’re a BigCommerce retailer by following these simple setup steps. It’s worth noting that this integration is only available to merchants that have upgraded to the Pro or Enterprise plan. You’ll need to upgrade if you’re a Standard or Plus merchant who wants to use Google BigQuery.
Additionally, you can discover more about additional solutions for business intelligence, customer data platforms, personalization, and more by exploring all of our data technology partners.