The phrase "big data" has been creeping into the mainstream in recent months, but it has been thrown around in business analytics for a number of years. If it seems a bit fuzzy as to what falls into the realm of big data that's probably because it has been kept initially fuzzy. Big data is regularly defined as a dataset that is too large for normal database tools to handle or analyze; therefore, the definition continues to shift as the capabilities of database tools and the availability of data storage continue to improve.

With the U.S. economy continuing to just stumble along, many of our clients are looking overseas for growth opportunities, whether in the BRIC countries or elsewhere. Before entering these new markets or taking a larger position in markets outside the U.S., the first step is research.

Have you ever thought that because you search online that you're smarter than the next guy? According to a new study from UCLA, searching the Internet may help to stimulate and possibly improve brain functions.

Remember a time when if you wanted to read a review of a product you had to search through back issues of Consumer Reports? They would even include a little index in each issue to help you find the month you needed, but if they hadn't gotten around to toaster ovens in the last year you were just out of luck. How did we survive in such conditions? Was there even indoor plumbing back then?

"According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy." - Jerry Seinfeld via Think Exist 

In several conversations over the last few weeks, I’ve run into some puzzled looks when I mention the term "conversion" in relation to measuring website success. "What’s this guy talking about? My website isn’t trying to make proselytes," their faces seemed to say (they had very expressive faces). Now, among the analytics/web design crowd you won’t run into any confusion on whether you’ve strayed into a theological discussion, but not all analytics terms have gone mainstream. Whether you’re a marketer on the client or agency side of the business who is responsible for a website’s success, understanding the concept of conversion is essential to achieving and measuring that success.

Consumers aren't buying like they once were. I know it's a shocker, but I just got up feeling controversial this morning (hang with me). While it may not be news that a recession means consumers cut back, it is news if those changes become the norm; and there is some recent data that indicates that may be the case.