Deciding which software is right for your business is a challenge. Before committing to new software you want to know that it will be useful to your specific needs and that your employees will not only find it helpful but also easy to implement and adopt.
To help you in the decision process, we’ll define the basic and common features of text analysis software, and how Symanto addresses some of the recurrent challenges users encounter with these tools.
What is text analysis software? An overview
Text analysis software is also sometimes referred to as text analytics software or text mining software. Whichever name it goes by, this software uses natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to provide insights on any kind of written data (structured or unstructured). These insights are then converted into visual representations of the data (graphs and charts) to facilitate interpretation. The Symanto Insights Platform is an example of text analysis software.
Sources of text data mined by text analysis software include (but are not limited to) surveys, online reviews, emails, phone transcripts, documents, forums, social media, documents.
Generally, text analysis software is used to analyse customer and employee satisfaction, which helps businesses measure and make changes to their marketing and branding strategies or inform them of opportunities for product innovation.
Some text analytics tools can also be used to perform competitor analysis, measure brand health and brand equity, perform due diligence checks and classify documents.
Common features of text analysis software
Here are some features you can expect from text analysis software. Take a look and decide which of these features is most relevant to your needs, and then check which software offers them.
Import text data from varying data sources
Some text analysis software specialises in importing text from specific sources, e.g. surveys. But given the broad potential applications of text analysis, it’s useful to have the option to import data from a variety of data sources.
For example, your customer service team could import data from phone transcripts, review sites and social media to get a more comprehensive view of the challenges they face, while your HR department could import data from employee review sites and surveys.
The more flexibility you have, the more your software can be applied across your business, and the more you will get from your investment.
Natural language processing (NLP)
Natural language processing allows for advanced text analysis. Words can be understood in context, allowing for greater accuracy, and more reliable insights.
NLP includes:
- Language identification: understanding which language the text was written in
- Part of speech tagging: individual words are tagged as a verb, noun, adjective, preposition, etc
- Syntax parsing: this is similar to part of speech tagging, but looks at the sentence as a whole to understand how it was constructed
- Topic/Keyphrase extraction: identify the themes in a text.
Sentiment analysis
The features of NLP are then applied to determine whether a text is positive or negative, and what emotions are communicated in the writing (joy, anger, etc.) This information can be cross-tabulated with the topics to discover sentiment around a particular product or feature.
Data visualisations for clearer insights
Data is organised into graphs and charts to help users interpret data and extract insights.
Common challenges with text analysis software
Before deciding on which text analysis software to invest in, bear these common challenges in mind:
Need for human analysis
Text analysis software can only go so far in helping us interpret the data. Ultimately it’s up to you and your employees to assign meaning to the data. That means that you need skilled personnel to read the insights and convert them into actionable points for your business.
Data collection
Depending on the tool you choose, and the data you need to import, you may have to prepare and collect the data manually before feeding it into the text analysis software. You may need the help of a dedicated admin to format the data appropriately for the text analytics tool.
Fortunately, most text analysis software doesn’t require structured data, so the work is not as time and resource intensive as analysing structured quantitative data.
User reluctance
Introducing new software to any organisation comes with the challenge of encouraging employees to adopt it and make the most of it. Departments have each evolved their own way of doing things, they’ve created systems they’re comfortable with, so convincing them to regularly use new software is not always easy. This is especially true if the software is unintuitive and complicated to use.
To increase adoption rates, make sure managers and team leaders actively advocate the use of new technologies and onboard users in all relevant departments so that they can confidently use new software.
About the Symanto Insights Platform
The Symanto Insights Platform facilitates high adoption rates by focusing on usability.
Easy data collection from varied sources
The Symanto Insights Platform easily imports data from 75 online portals including Amazon, Trip Advisor, Facebook and Glassdoor. It is also connected with SurveyMonkey and Typeform, meaning that you can import data within a few clicks. You can also easily upload all kinds of textual data as excel or csv files from, for example, your CRM.
The ease with which you can prepare data, and the variety of the data sources ensures that you can make the most of our platform across your organisation.
Intuitive interface and clear data visualisation
The Symanto Insights Platform’s intuitive interface makes it incredibly simple to navigate. The platform walks you through how to use it step-by-step, interactive data visualisation enables you to delve down and explore your insights on a granular level.
Extra services to help you make the most of the platform
The Symanto Insights Platform is designed to be used by your average employee, but there are times and scenarios in which the help of a specialist analyst would be beneficial.
If you think you would benefit from the help of an analyst to interpret your data, but you don’t have the bandwidth within your organisation to hire one, Symanto also offers services to create tailored, insights-driven strategies, and reports.
Book a personalised demo
To help you understand the many applications of the Symanto Insights Platform for your business, we offer free personalised demonstrations. See for yourself how intuitive and useful the Symanto Insights Platform is for your business before committing to our software.
Book your free appointment today or get in touch for more information.
