In recent years, we have witnessed a sudden shift towards the use of big data in many different industries. The flooring profession has been surprisingly affected by developments in big data, artificial intelligence and other related technologies.
Last year, Reports and Data released projections on the direction of the market for analytics in the building and construction industry. They showed that the market was expected to reach $15.2 billion by the end of 2026. They didn’t provide a thorough breakdown of the verticals that fell under the parent industry, but it is clear that flooring professionals are among those dependent on big data and AI.
The benefits of big data may not be as obvious in the flooring profession as many other verticals. However, big data can have a significant impact on the direction of this field.
How the flooring industry is adapting to developments in big data and artificial intelligence
There are a number of useful applications for big data in the flooring profession. Here are some of the most significant.
Determining the ideal materials based on foot traffic data
Foot traffic is one of the most important variables that needs to be taken into consideration when planning the construction of new floors. Flooring professionals don’t want to buy extremely expensive materials for floors that will have low or moderate foot traffic. However, they also don’t want to be in the position of installing floors with subpar materials that are going to start to warp or degrade under high foot traffic in a couple of years. This is why they may need materials like LVT tiles.
This is one of the most useful applications of big data for flooring. Flooring professionals can use detailed analytics tools to figure out what types of flooring materials and designs they need, based on expected floor lifetimes in buildings with similar levels of foot traffic.
Optimizing inbound marketing strategies
Marketing is a very important part of any business. The flooring profession is no exception. When flooring professionals fail to create efficient marketing strategies, they waste unnecessary amounts of money. In the end, they have to pass those costs long to their customers. Even if they don’t waste money on their marketing strategies, they still have to charge more to account for the time that they spent on ineffective strategies that failed to bring customers in the door.
Big data has proven to be enormously useful with marketing. Inbound marketing, in particular, is heavily affected by advances in big data and machine learning.
Big data technology helps flooring professionals create very nuanced customer profiles. It also helps them discover the best ways to connect with them through search engine marketing, social media and other digital marketing channels.
You can use big data to discover the specific sources of traffic that are driving the most customers. You will be able to cut out traffic that does not translate into valuable leads, which will significantly increase the ROI of the marketing strategy.
Avoid flaws in the design process
Big data is also very useful for perfecting the design process itself. Flooring professionals are able to use new data driven design tools that help them come up with the ideal design.
This technology can be invaluable for many different aspects of the design process. You can help improve the aesthetics of the floors. It is also important for making sure the floors are highly functional.