The Pennock Knockdown EP 32 | Unpacking Data-Driven Strategies for DTC Brands with Mia Umanos of ClickVoyant
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Unpacking Data-Driven Strategies for DTC Brands: Why Human Expertise with Mia Umanos of ClickVoyant is More Critical Than Ever
In the rapidly evolving world of e-commerce, the key to success lies in understanding and leveraging data. Today, we're diving into this dynamic world with Mia Umanos, founder and CEO of ClickVoyant, an analytics company that turns marketing data into actionable insights for DTC brands. Mia joined us on The Pennock Knockdown to offer invaluable insights on how to harness the power of data while reinforcing the indispensable role of human strategists.
From Big Agencies to ClickVoyant
Mia's extensive career began on the agency side, where she was responsible for creating performance reports and dashboards. Over her 20-year career, she observed that many brands, especially those under $100 million in annual revenue, often ignore crucial website data, focusing instead on new and emerging channels like paid media and social platforms. Recognizing this "white space," Mia left her lucrative agency job to create ClickVoyant, an AI-driven company that analyzes shopper behavior and makes data science accessible.
Today, ClickVoyant serves as a turnkey analytics department for DTC brands like For Love and Lemons and Ursa Major, helping them uncover what's working and what's not. They also partner with other agencies and CRO platforms to deliver insights that directly improve conversion rates and campaign performance.
The Data Disconnect: Why Brands Struggle
Mia highlights a common problem in the e-commerce world: the disconnect between marketing and e-commerce teams. The marketing team might send traffic from a paid ad to a generic homepage, while the e-commerce team, focused on operations, is responsible for CRO and website performance. This siloing leads to missed opportunities and a lack of a cohesive strategy.
For many businesses, the problem isn't a lack of tools, but a lack of a scientific approach. Mia explains that brands often just "guess" or copy competitors without a data-rooted hypothesis, leading to failed tests and no valuable insights.
Why Human Strategy is Indispensable in the Age of AI
Mia's mission is to educate businesses on the importance of a scientific, engineering-minded approach to e-commerce and CRO. Her key takeaways for why human expertise is more critical than ever include:
Scientific Experimentation: While tools exist, they are not a silver bullet. Humans are needed to develop a data-rooted hypothesis and conduct tests in a scientific way, ensuring a 50/50 traffic split for statistical validity.
Behavioral Analysis: AI can analyze behavior, but humans are needed to interpret why tests are failing and to understand the "behavioral economics" behind shopper decisions.
Strategic Decision-Making: CRO isn't about a guaranteed revenue lift; it's about maximizing the revenue you can get from your current traffic and learning about your customers. A human strategist is needed to apply these learnings and constantly adapt to the business's unique needs and market changes.
Addressing Silos: Human experts bridge the gap between marketing and e-commerce teams, ensuring a cohesive strategy where traffic generation aligns with on-site experience.
Making Analytics Accessible
Recognizing that data science resources are expensive , Mia's mission is to make analytics and CRO accessible to all. ClickVoyant's lowest package starts at $750 a month, which includes a detailed analysis and a roadmap for testing. This is made possible through a team in the Philippines that takes the AI's output and helps clients interpret it, providing a high-touch service at an affordable price.
Connect with Mia Umanos
Mia Umanos's insights underscore a powerful truth: in the age of AI and automation, a scientific approach, strategic oversight, and a deep understanding of your customer are more valuable than ever.
Want to learn more from Mia? You can find her on LinkedIn by searching Mia Umanos. You can also visit the ClickVoyant website.