There is a software that helps to sell products and services by collecting information that can be used for marketing. It can be gathered any number of ways and there are companies that exist solely to provide it.

Most people have encountered some form of this when they have used the Internet. Almost everyone has agreed to a terms of use at sites that says they agree to the policies the site has implemented. One of these terms is the ability to gather information about users that it can be minded and sold. This can include information that refers to demographics such as the users age, gender, income, marital status, ethnicity, profession, political party, religion or other personal details. Other information may include how many people are living in a household, ages of children, pets, spending habits, amount spent each month on clothing or just about any detail that might prove useful to companies of all kinds.

An example of how this information aggregation might be used would be to find out how many grandparents watch Saturday morning cartoons with their grandchildren. If the company that needed this information found out that there were quite a few doing this, they might be able to advertise their products that promote good bone health for the elderly at that time slot. In that companies are always looking for new markets for their products, much of this information is used in new and interesting ways.

This can also guide companies to finding out if their marketing methods are working for their intended purpose. If they have a target audience of teens in order to sell gaming products, they will want to place ads on websites that cater to this demographic. By finding out about the site’s users at to age group, they can use their advertising dollars to maximum effect.

Websites can also provide a variety of other type of information about users. Some of the data aggregation tools report on the tastes of people visiting the site. This can come in the form of what types of books, music or clothing are the most popular. Financial institutions do not sell user information in specific terms but may provide information in more general terms such as their clients over 50 tend to keep a specific minimum of money in their checking accounts or savings accounts.

This type of information gathering is not just used to sell products or guide business decisions. It can be used by non-profit groups to solicit donations or find volunteers. Political parties can use it to find resources to help influence people to vote on specific issues. Data aggregation has far reaching benefits to many groups, businesses and organizations.