If you're looking for another free service that's kinda in between Tag Manager and Segment.io, we built "Add This Script" (https://www.addthisscript.com/) that lets you choose from more than just analytics scripts so you can include jQuery or Facebook widgets and manage that all in one place. We add new services every week or so.
We're also working on some dependency management stuff so you can include jQuery UI and it'll automatically pull in jQuery, for example.
You might want to check out our service, Klaviyo, and specifically https://www.klaviyo.com/features/integrations. We do exactly what you're describing around connecting your data with data from the all services you use. I definitely think it's the future and the future is coming sooner rather than later.
I also agree that metrics are not nearly as powerful if you can't tie them directly to action. Which is why we built our own, fully featured email solution so you can go from metrics, to important people to engagement automatically.
That's where we think things are headed and it's going to be incredibly empowering.
Quick thoughts from an active runner (70-80 miles/wk):
- Figuring out when my shoes wear down is not, IMO, a big problem. I can look at the soles and tell or I know after about 500 miles it's time to switch it up.
- That said, it is incredibly important to switch shoes (or replace soles) when they wear down. I've been fortunate to not run into too many injuries, but I've been hobbled more than once by not taking the time to get new shoes. There is definitely an opportunity for some shoe company online to send me an email every X months with a 20% of coupon for the SAME PAIR of shoes I always buy. I'm sure they could figure out how serious of a runner someone is by the shoes they buy or repeat purchases.
- Now, I might buy one of these to see what kind of data it stores because I believe the future of pedometers/activity tracking is they'll be cheap enough they'll come built into shoes. In 5-10 years I expect to buy shoes that come with a $5 pedometer/tracking device built in and that would be a killer feature. No FitBit to wear, etc., just something that shoes come with. That'll be awesome.
Though I completely agree with you, the problem these guys are trying to solve is when does the mid-sole break down, which can happen before your shoes look worn.
The bigger problem is that depending on the shoes and milage and runner, I believe the destruction of the shoe will vary.
Having said that, I too don't think there is a market here, but think your idea of a discount on my next pair of shoes is a great idea.
If you're running a 70+ hours a week we would consider you more then an active runner :).
As I mentioned in a different reply, this is our MVP. I invite you to follow our progress and as we move into the future version of the device you'll see much more value from our pod.
- i do agree that this is not a real problem. i do exactly as you say, i check my soles every now and then, and if i see any deterioration, the shoes go straight to the bin. i wouldn't be a user of this product, having said that;
- your idea of "email (me) every X months with a 20% of coupon for the SAME PAIR" i think is a great idea. i tend to buy 2/3 pairs of the same running shoe every time. if instead i could establish a rule that after x distance i get sent a new pair that would be another thing off my to-do list. there is definitely a subscription model here somewhere.
Tangent: One of my favorite classes in college was one that taught physics only at the level of order of magnitudes. It'd tackle questions like: Why is nuclear power more efficient than coal? How much more efficient? and then sought to answer those questions in terms of simple math and fundamental constants.
Considering problems/situations from an orders of magnitude point of view is an under appreciated approach IMO.
Of course the orders of magnitude argument get abused by marketing people (but what doesn't?). That aside, they're extremely valuable for personal or team understanding of the problems and goals.
Sorry, I think there's some confusion (you're not the first person). This tool is just to create the HTML. Our subscription email service allows you to send email, but the email creator is just for creating templates. Basically we took a feature and made it public and free -- our way of trying to make email a little better for everyone.
Create your template, save it, copy the HTML, and do with it what you want.
We're also talking with some email as a service companies about how we can integrate this with their service/app.
That's excellent! I got confused because as I was looking at your web site I saw the "Pricing" link at the bottom and assumed that was the price of the tool. Maybe you could create a separate web site to help clarify this point?
Totally makes sense, but if you can hold off on bugging them until they actually need to save (or maybe until 10 minutes have passed, whichever comes first) I think you'll be better off.
I'd be more focused on the personalization database Amazon is building/has built. There will be a market for "I need it now" but the larger opportunity is answering the question, "What do I need?"
Luckily for smaller businesses, they can compete with Amazon and other big box retailers on that front, but they're still learning how to use/leverage the tools the big guys have been using for years.
It's going to get better, this whole thing is still very early. Two things we focus on at Klaviyo to make taking all the data you have more useful:
1. Come up with the questions first, then decide what data you need to answer them. It's so now easy to track every mouse movement of your users that a lot of people just track everything assuming they'll find something useful later. It doesn't usually work that way. More is not better, it's distracting. Even worse, people tend to pick the easiest things to track, which aren't the most useful. If you start from a question and backtrack, it might be more work, but you'll definitely get something useful out of it.
Coming up with question isn't always easy. We're trying an experiment to help people with questions via an analytics/engagement "Cookbook" (http://www.klaviyo.com/cookbook). You pick a question, fill in the variables and then we tell you what to track to answer it. We're still fleshing it out, but that's one idea we've got.
2. Don't look at analytics only in retrospect, use them actively. People don't make most decision at a single point in time, it's about building enough momentum to catalyze action. Because of that, you can do a lot more if you have a way to communicate with them and can effectively leverage what you know to build that momentum. Someone doesn't sign up? When they come back, can you show them content based on what they didn't do last time (e.g. viewed pricing page, but not feature tour...highlight the feature tour). Someone signs up and doesn't get completely set up? Are you sending them an email with instructions tailored to where they stopped and why they might have stopped there.
Related side note: I've gotten plenty of emails after signing up for something asking if I want "help." While it's a nice gesture, as more people send those emails, it gets old fast. Why can't you use what I've done so far to anticipate the questions I might have or give me reasons to get back on the horse?
At least two years ago, most campaigns were using systems built by their respective parties, which were tightly integrated with their own voter databases. Things may have changed, but having a sibling working a big senate campaign this election cycle, I can tell you there's still a lot of room for improvement.
Also keep in mind that learning to "organize your data for fetching" is not necessarily something you can do before you start your project. Many (most?) times you can't predict which data access patterns will be most common and benefit from using Redis, etc.
Starting with a "slower, but flexible" datastore like a traditional relational database, monitoring which access patterns need a boost, and then optimizing or introducing a new datastore is almost always a solid plan of attack.
We're also working on some dependency management stuff so you can include jQuery UI and it'll automatically pull in jQuery, for example.