There is nothing new, of course, about paying attention to customer needs and desires, but there is now far more data available undefined far less expensively undefined through Web analytics and customer-loyalty programs. Using basic e-commerce software along with free tools like Google Analytics and Bing Webmaster Tools, small businesses can perform sophisticated data collection and analysis that can help them compete with companies that have far greater resources.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/13/business/smallbusiness/data-analysis-helps-stores-compete.html?ref=business&_r=1&