Question

Frank asks you to find out how customers choose which book to buy. You suggest that you could examine how customers are affected by the email recommendations that the social media sends out. Frank says that he thinks you should also include personal recommendations from Alexandria staff, where the book is placed in the store, what the cover looks like, if the customer has read books by the same or similar authors, if the book is hardback or paperback, and what the atmosphere inside the store is at the time (e.g., quiet, loud, an event going on, etc.) If you follow his recommendations, what problem will you most likely face?

Answer 1

Answer:

The answer is: too much data

Explanation:

If you follow Frank's recommendations, you would be examining seven factors (social media effects, personal recommendations, the book's place, the cover, customers' habits, type of cover and store's atmosphere). Some of them might even be opposing to the others, e.g. customer never read a book by that author, but likes the cover design, but only buys books with paperback covers, is in love with the store's clerk, likes romance but only reads action novels.

This is simply too much information. If you want to increase sales, it is better to focus on specific variables, or even a couple at most.