Digital transformation has become one of the key strategic goals for companies worldwide. Most companies have already established digital transformation strategies and work actively on improving in this area. 

Companies are setting up different mechanisms to understand technology use, where, why, and what can be improved. This data enables them to make better decisions and implement the right technologies to optimize their business processes. 

However, even though companies do this effectively, most still don’t understand how their customers use technology and how these habits relate to their brands, products, and services. That’s where technographic data enters the scene. 

Technographic data explained 

“Technographic” might sound like something very complex, but in reality, it’s a mix of the words “technology” and “demographics.” This term explains how specific technology is used, challenges, adoption rates, etc. 

This kind of data is useless without the proper context, though. Technographic data is practical information companies gather about how their customers use technology. This data can tell an organization what kind of network tools, infrastructure, adoption rate, and devices their customers use. 

When used correctly, technographic data can help organizations deliver the right products combined with proper digital infrastructure to increase sales. However, technographic data can also include social information showing how customers use digital solutions like social media and what they like about different solutions. 

How companies acquire technographic data 

There are a couple of ways you can gather technographic data. 

Customer surveys

Even though this is a very old method for gathering data, surveys are still very effective, and that includes technographic data. Companies can use paper interviews, phone calls, or email surveys to get information from users directly and learn how they deploy, adopt, and use technologies. 

The tricky thing about this approach is that customers often don’t respond to cold questions and don’t want to talk about their habits with someone they don’t know. In most cases, surveys are good for getting general data but require a lot of effort. 

Online tracking 

As far as behavioral data goes concerning technology, you can always rely on cookies and pixels to gather this information. With these tools, you can track online behavior and get valuable insights about what content people engage with and how. 

You can use this tracking on different digital services, apps, and devices to help you learn how customers use other product parts. 

Scraping 

Scrapers are automated tools designed to extract large volumes of data from online pages in a quick manner. In other words, it will be easier to gather important information in a structured and organized manner from other sources. 

For example, you can instantly access someone else’s research or survey about technology use. Some companies set up their own web scrapers, while others use 3rd-party scraping tools for their needs. 

Buy technographic data from a third-party

It’s the most straightforward approach for getting quality technographic data. Many companies have gone into the business of acquiring this kind of data and selling it to interested parties. With the growth of cloud and SaaS solutions, customers can easily obtain the data they need consistently. 

Gathering data requires a lot of know-how, and with this method, there’s no need to set up any infrastructure or hire data experts to establish and manage your process. Instead, you can focus on core tasks without worrying about data. 

Conclusion 

Technographic are just starting and will be around for a long time. As customers and companies use more technology each year, this kind of data will only become relevant for a business that needs to understand how to approach customers, what products to offer, and how to tailor user experiences. 

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