February 12, 2018, by Erik Larson

Updating your website? Add a data story!


Website overhauls are a lot of work, and you want to make the most of the time, cost and disruption you invest in getting it done. While you're at it, consider adding a data story, and take your website to the next level.

With data automation technology available today, your data story can be a dynamic communication asset: always current and available on-demand. This is the kind of information access your audience expects today.

Some great examples of data stories organizations tell include:

  1. State of the Region - how are we doing and where are we headed?
  2. Legislative Fact Sheets - economic impact of policies and more
  3. Industry Overview - how does a specific sector contribute to the economy?

Here are a few key angles to consider.


Adding A Data Story to Your Site



1. Why are data stories so effective?


New research sheds some incredible insights. As it turns out, people are much more effective at absorbing information told through stories than when presented as facts alone. It comes down to the way our brains are wired – stories cause more of these neural synapses to fire.

63%
5%
of people can recall based on stories
of people can recall based on statistics

Source: Chip Heath, Stanford University link to article

2. Will it add a lot of work for my web developer?


Typically, data stories are developed using a combination of data analysis and graphic design, which is a lot of work. However, eImpact is an automated data reporting solution that includes simple copy-paste embed codes for your website. We like to call it the "easy button". It takes just minutes to set up, and eImpact handles the rest, including data updates.



3. Is it mobile ready?


As more and more people get their news and other information on mobile, it's smart to make your website mobile-ready. eImpact comes optimized for mobile devices. Here is an example:





Interested in learning more?

We would love to hear from you! At eImpact we work with a wide range of organizations who seek to tell better stories with data.