We have compiled the results of the Drupal vs. Joomla Survey into a number of tables. There is more information than can easily be displayed in a blog post. For this reason we have provided the Joomla vs. Drupal Survey results in a PDF File. The PDF contains cross-tabs of each survey question by CMS the respondent is most familiar with. In other words, for each question you'll see responses from Joomla Users, Drupal Users, and All Users. For those interested in looking under the hood we have also provided a CSV file of the raw survey data. All identifying information has been removed.
The raw data is intended for people who would like to do their own statistical analysis of the survey. If you use this data we request cite us as the source and link to our website.
Often small businesses do not pay enough attention to website security issues. Some feel they don't have particularly sensitive information on their website. Others ask whether their website will be targeted at all.
The answer to the second question is yes. Being a small player is no protection. A wolf doesn't go after the biggest meal; it goes after the easiest one. Hackers are no different. They scan the herd for the weakest member.
How do they do this? They use automated methods to attack large numbers of computers until they find an obvious weakness. For example, a brute force attack may use a large number of username and password pairs until it finds one that works.
Mike Moran wrote an interesting post in his blog, Biznology. He argues that the importance of search engines as a marketing platform is likely to decline as new technologies, like social networks, give people new ways to find information.
This got me thinking about two related issues. What are the advantages and disadvantages of search engine marketing compared to social network marketing? And what will be the impact of new niche search engines?
The main advantage of a Social Network is that marketers have access to a lot of information about each user, like age, gender, interests, likes, and dislikes. This gold mine of information can be used to target marketing campaigns to the most receptive audience. Even information about the user's social group can potentially be used to tailor marketing messages.
This video was created by Google and provides a glimpse of the benefits Google Analytics provides.
Google Analytics takes advantage of the software as a service model to provide affordable business intelligence software to small businesses. It has loads of features, it is easy to implement and it is totally free. Small businesses can use Google Analytics to optimize websites, improve conversion rates, and make online advertising more effective.
I recently read Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning by Thomas Davenport and Jeanne Harris. Davenport and Harris argue that analytics make businesses more successful. Therefore, they believe, analytics will be a central part of future business competition.
The book is divided into two parts. Part one defines analytical competition, and argues that “analytical competitors” are more successful than their non-analytical rivals. Part two provides a primer for building analytical capability.
Competing on Analytics is a good book for anyone interested in learning about analytical approaches to decision making. It defines analytics, explains why analytics are gaining traction in the business world, and examines why analytics are important to business success.
Summary of Part I: Then Nature of Analytical Competition
In Competing on Analytics, the authors define analytics as "the extensive use of data, statistical and quantitative analysis, explanatory and predictive models, and fact-based management to drive decisions and actions." Analytical competitors are those businesses that use analytics most extensively.
Part one of the book explores the link between analytical competition and business performance. The authors argue that analytical competitors have an advantage over their non-analytical rivals. They use case studies, existing research, and the results of their own surveys to support their position.
Their argument is persuasive, though they do not adequately discuss the conditions under which analytics leads to better performance. Are analytics equally valuable for businesses of all sizes? For all types of decisions? The book does not address these questions.
What is Missing from Competing on Analytics
The book does a great job of introducing the reader to the benefits of analytics. But it does not help us understand when using analytics is most appropriate.
The authors' definition of analytics emphasizes quantitative and statistical analysis. There are two problems with this approach. First, not all useful evidence is quantitative in nature. Second, not all analytical reasoning is based on data or evidence. Yet these other forms of analysis are also valuable.
Non-Quantitative Evidence
Best practices are an example of non-quantitative evidence. For example, many websites use analytics to improve the user's experience. However before the website is built usage statistics are not available. Web developers initially rely on principles of good web and user interface design. Web writers similarly rely on established principles for good writing, such as those outlined in the classic Elements of Style.
Does Analytics Really Improve Business Performance?
The book's main argument is that analytics improve business performance. The authors reason that decisions based on evidence are more likely to be correct than those based on intuition. Since analytics provide evidence to decision makers, analytics help businesses make better decision and out perform their rivals.
We have seen a couple problems with this reasoning. First, the choice between evidence-based decision making and intuition-based decision making is a false one. Second, the extra benefit provided by analytics may not justify the extra cost associated with building analytical capability.
However, the authors make a strong case that analytical capability does boost performance. They offer three types of evidence to support their argument. Existing research on ROI of business intelligence projects, their own survey research, and the case studies discussed in the book. Together the evidence is compelling.
Poor people and minorities have always been less likely than average to use the web and less likely to have internet access at home. However, there is also a small business digital divide.
Smaller businesses with fewer resources generally make lighter user of information technologies. The same is true for minority-owned businesses. For example, HispanicBusiness.com reports that Hispanic-owned businesses are less likely than average to use the internet; information technology in general; have a website; or have an ecommerce strategy.
Legacy of the Digital Divide
While the digital divide has not disappeared, it has narrowed in the last several years. However, many of today's minority business owners came of age when the digital divide was much deeper than it is today. Consequently, they are not as familiar with the technology as their white counterparts. The Tomás Rivera Policy Institute, which studied the issue for IBM, says this lack of familiarity results in lower levels of technology use by minority-owned businesses.
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