Customer Analytics from Coursera

What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction to Customer Analytics

What is Customer Analytics? How is this course structured? What will I learn in this course? What will I learn in the Business Analytics Specialization? These short videos will give you an overview of this course and the specialization; the substantive lectures begin in Week 2.

Descriptive Analytics

In this module, you’ll learn what data can and can’t describe about customer behavior as well as the most effective methods for collecting data and deciding what it means. You’ll understand the critical difference between data which describes a causal relationship and data which describes a correlative one as you explore the synergy between data and decisions, including the principles for systematically collecting and interpreting data to make better business decisions. You’ll also learn how data is used to explore a problem or question, and how to use that data to create products, marketing campaigns, and other strategies. By the end of this module, you’ll have a solid understanding of effective data collection and interpretation so that you can use the right data to make the right decision for your company or business.

Predictive Analytics

Once you’ve collected and interpreted data, what do you do with it? In this module, you’ll learn how to take the next step: how to use data about actions in the past to make to make predictions about actions in the future. You’ll examine the main tools used to predict behavior, and learn how to determine which tool is right for which decision purposes. Additionally, you’ll learn the language and the frameworks for making predictions of future behavior. At the end of this module, you’ll be able to determine what kinds of predictions you can make to create future strategies, understand the most powerful techniques for predictive models including regression analysis, and be prepared to take full advantage of analytics to create effective data-driven business decisions.

Prescriptive Analytics

How do you turn data into action? In this module, you’ll learn how prescriptive analytics provide recommendations for actions you can take to achieve your business goals. First, you’ll explore how to ask the right questions, how to define your objectives, and how to optimize for success. You’ll also examine critical examples of prescriptive models, including how quantity is impacted by price, how to maximize revenue, how to maximize profits, and how to best use online advertising. By the end of this module, you’ll be able to define a problem, define a good objective, and explore models for optimization which take competition into account, so that you can write prescriptions for data-driven actions that create success for your company or business.

Application/Case Studies

How do top firms put data to work? In this module, you’ll learn how successful businesses use data to create cutting-edge, customer-focused marketing practices. You’ll explore real-world examples of the five-pronged attack to apply customer analytics to marketing, starting with data collection and data exploration, moving toward building predictive models and optimization, and continuing all the way to data-driven decisions. At the end of this module, you’ll know the best way to put data to work in your own company or business, based on the most innovative and effective data-driven practices of today’s top firms.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Taught by 4 top-tier Wharton professors, this course offers insights from experienced educators

Offers a comprehensive overview of customer analytics across descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive methods

Delves into real-world applications of customer analytics, providing industry context through examples from Amazon, Google, and Starbucks

Suitable for individuals seeking an introduction to customer analytics concepts and their practical implications

Focuses primarily on theoretical foundations and does not provide hands-on training in performing customer analytics

Reviews summary

Customer analytics course overview

According to students, this Customer Analytics course provides a solid understanding of customer analytics and its uses for managers. The course focuses on conceptual and theoretical understanding of the subject, and students have found it helpful in gaining a high-level overview of customer analytics. However, learners looking for a course with a more quantitative or practical approach may be disappointed.

Designed for managers who need a broad understanding of customer analytics.

"This course is probably not what you think it covers. It's for managers who need to know what is customer analytics at a high-level."

"This would be a useful course for an individual on a pure management track, in understanding the results of an analyst, but not for technical analysts."

Focuses on conceptual and theoretical aspects of customer analytics.

"This course is specifically dedicated to conceptual and theoretical understanding of customer analytics."

"If you expect to learn about how to 'do' customer analytics, look elsewhere."

Does not provide practical or technical examples or instruction.

"Though there's enough here that you could find application of the theory on your own, no practical analytical examples are given, nor any technical understanding of analysis given."

"I unenrolled from the course after finishing the week 3 lectures."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Customer Analytics with these activities:

Join a study group or online discussion forum

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Engage with fellow learners to discuss course concepts, share insights, and support each other's understanding of customer analytics.

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Join an existing study group or online discussion forum dedicated to customer analytics or data science.
Participate in discussions, ask questions, and contribute your own insights to the group.
Collaborate on projects or assignments with group members to enhance your understanding and foster teamwork skills.

Review Data Collection Methods

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Review the different methods of data collection in order to understand the basics of how businesses collect customer data.

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List the different methods of data collection.
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of each method.
Identify the most appropriate method for a given business objective.

Form a study group with other students in the course

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Studying with other students can help you learn the material more effectively and improve your understanding of the concepts.

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Find a few other students in the course who are interested in forming a study group
Choose a time and place to meet regularly
Review the course material together
Work on practice problems together

Eight other activities

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Review probability and statistics

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Review the foundations of probability and statistics to enhance your understanding of customer analytics.

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Review notes from previous courses or textbooks on probability and statistics, focusing on concepts such as probability distributions, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis.
Practice solving exercises and problems to reinforce your understanding of probability and statistical principles.

Attend a regression analysis workshop

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Regression analysis is a fundamental tool in predictive analytics. Attending a workshop will help you refresh your skills and gain a deeper understanding of the concepts.

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Find a regression analysis workshop in your area or online
Register for the workshop and attend all sessions
Participate in the hands-on exercises and ask questions

Attend a customer analytics conference

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Customer analytics conferences are great opportunities to learn from experts in the field and network with other professionals.

Browse courses on Customer Analytics

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Find a customer analytics conference in your area or online
Register for the conference and attend all sessions
Network with other attendees and speakers

Practice Using Predictive Analytics Tools

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Engage in hands-on practice to understand how to use predictive analytics tools to analyze customer behavior and make predictions.

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Choose a predictive analytics tool.
Import customer data into the tool.
Build a predictive model using the data.
Test the model on a holdout dataset.
Deploy the model to make predictions on new data.

Create a visual representation of customer data

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Develop your ability to interpret and present customer data through visual means, enhancing your understanding of customer behavior.

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Use data visualization tools, such as Tableau or Power BI, to create charts, graphs, or dashboards that represent customer data.
Consider different types of visualizations, such as histograms, scatterplots, or heatmaps, to effectively convey various aspects of the data.
Communicate the insights gained from the visualizations to stakeholders, explaining the patterns and trends observed in customer behavior.

Practice building predictive models

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Predictive models are a key component of customer analytics. Practicing building predictive models will help you develop the skills necessary to create accurate and effective models.

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Find a dataset that you're interested in
Choose a predictive modeling technique
Build a predictive model using the technique you chose
Evaluate the performance of your model

Develop a customer analytics project

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Apply your knowledge of customer analytics to a real-world problem, enhancing your ability to solve business challenges using data-driven insights.

Browse courses on Data-Driven Decision-Making

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Identify a specific business problem or opportunity that can be addressed using customer analytics.
Collect and analyze relevant customer data to understand their behavior and preferences.
Develop and implement a customer analytics model to predict future behavior or provide recommendations.
Communicate your findings and recommendations to stakeholders, including the potential impact and implications for business decisions.

Write a blog post about a customer analytics case study

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Writing a blog post about a customer analytics case study will help you apply your knowledge of customer analytics to a real-world problem.

Browse courses on Customer Analytics

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Choose a customer analytics case study
Analyze the case study and identify the key insights
Write a blog post about the case study, highlighting the key insights

Career center

Learners who complete Customer Analytics will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Data Analyst

Data Analysts play an increasingly vital role in organizations, using their skills and expertise to analyze large amounts of data to uncover patterns and trends. With a course in Customer Analytics, you'll learn the latest techniques and methodologies for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting customer data to improve business outcomes. You will be better prepared to provide valuable insights to help your organization improve its customer service, marketing campaigns, and product development efforts, making you a valuable asset to any organization.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Market Research Analyst

Market Research Analysts play a critical role in helping organizations understand their customers and make informed decisions about their products and services. By taking a course in Customer Analytics, you'll gain a deep understanding of customer behavior and learn how to use data to conduct market research and identify trends. This will give you the skills you need to make informed recommendations to your organization on how to improve its products, services, and marketing strategies.

See salaries and explore the career path for Market Research Analyst

Marketing Manager

Marketing Managers are responsible for developing and executing marketing campaigns that attract and engage customers. By taking a course in Customer Analytics, you'll gain a deep understanding of customer behavior and learn how to use data to drive your marketing efforts. This will give you the skills you need to create more effective campaigns that will help your organization achieve its marketing goals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Manager

Product Manager

Product Managers are responsible for the development and launch of new products and services. By taking a course in Customer Analytics, you'll gain a deep understanding of customer needs and learn how to use data to inform product development. This will give you the skills you need to create products and services that meet the needs of your customers and achieve commercial success.

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Consultant

Consultants help organizations solve problems and improve their performance. By taking a course in Customer Analytics, you'll gain a deep understanding of customer behavior and learn how to use data to identify opportunities for improvement. This will give you the skills you need to help your clients achieve their business goals.

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Data Scientist

Data Scientists use their skills in statistics, programming, and machine learning to extract insights from data. By taking a course in Customer Analytics, you'll gain a foundation in the principles of data science and learn how to apply them to customer-related data. This will give you the skills you need to build models that can predict customer behavior and help your organization make better decisions.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist

Business Analyst

Business Analysts help organizations improve their business processes and operations. By taking a course in Customer Analytics, you'll gain a deep understanding of customer behavior and learn how to use data to identify opportunities for improvement. This will give you the skills you need to help your organization make better decisions and achieve its business goals.

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Customer Success Manager

Customer Success Managers are responsible for helping customers achieve success with a company's products and services. By taking a course in Customer Analytics, you'll gain a deep understanding of customer behavior and learn how to use data to identify opportunities to improve customer satisfaction. This will give you the skills you need to help your customers succeed and achieve their business goals.

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Sales Manager

Sales Managers are responsible for leading and motivating sales teams to achieve their sales goals. By taking a course in Customer Analytics, you'll gain a deep understanding of customer behavior and learn how to use data to identify opportunities to improve sales performance. This will give you the skills you need to help your team achieve its sales goals and improve customer satisfaction.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sales Manager

Marketing Analyst

Marketing Analysts use their skills in data analysis and interpretation to help organizations understand their customers and develop effective marketing campaigns. By taking a course in Customer Analytics, you'll gain a deep understanding of customer behavior and learn how to use data to drive your marketing efforts. This will give you the skills you need to create more effective marketing campaigns that will help your organization achieve its marketing goals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Analyst

Operations Research Analyst

Operations Research Analysts use their skills in mathematics and modeling to help organizations improve their operations and decision-making processes. By taking a course in Customer Analytics, you'll gain a foundation in the principles of operations research and learn how to apply them to customer-related problems. This will give you the skills you need to help your organization make better decisions and achieve its business goals.

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Statistician

Statisticians use their skills in data analysis and interpretation to help organizations understand their customers and make informed decisions. By taking a course in Customer Analytics, you'll gain a deep understanding of statistical principles and learn how to apply them to customer-related data. This will give you the skills you need to help your organization make better decisions and achieve its business goals.

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Software Engineer

Software Engineers design, develop, and maintain software applications. By taking a course in Customer Analytics, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the principles of software engineering and learn how to apply them to customer-related problems. This will give you the skills you need to help your organization develop software applications that meet the needs of your customers and achieve its business goals.

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Data Engineer

Data Engineers design, build, and maintain data pipelines and databases. By taking a course in Customer Analytics, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the principles of data engineering and learn how to apply them to customer-related problems. This will give you the skills you need to help your organization build a data infrastructure that supports its customer analytics initiatives.

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Database Administrator

Database Administrators design, build, and maintain databases. By taking a course in Customer Analytics, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the principles of database administration and learn how to apply them to customer-related problems. This will give you the skills you need to help your organization build and maintain a database that supports its customer analytics initiatives.

See salaries and explore the career path for Database Administrator