Dashboards are great because they help you keep track of important information while drilling down on the stuff that really matters. In the digital marketing world, there is a lot of stuff that matters, which is why it’s vital to build a reporting dashboard that makes sense of all the madness. It all comes down to two things: Data and visualization. One element feeds into the other, and when you’ve mastered the combination of options, you’ll have a dashboard that gives you everything you need at a glance.
With this in mind, let’s look at some of the things you should consider as you’re building your digital marketing reporting dashboard, shall we?
Any analytical dashboard that’s worth its weight in salt will show real-time data (or nearly real-time data, depending on the applications being used). Dashboards that deliver outdated data aren’t useful in most business segments, but they’re particularly unhelpful when you’re trying to measure marketing metrics. As we all know, there can be a delay in Google reporting conversions, but other than that, the data you’re using should be able to flow directly into your reporting dashboard. Looker Studio (formerly known as Google Data Studio), does a great job of translating nearly real-time facts into reports that immediately make sense.
What’s really great about Looker Studio is that it can pull data from a variety of sources such as Google Analytics, Google Ads, YouTube Ads, Bing Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, LinkedIn Ads, Criteo Ads, Taboola Ads, Pinterest Ads, Snapchat Ads, CallRail, Google Sheets, HubSpot, Google Search Console, Search Engine Rankings, Instagram Organic, Facebook Organic, LinkedIn Organic, Twitter Organic, MailChimp, and Constant Contact. So, no matter which source you use, your data can be gathered all in one place and without any inconsistencies.
Pulling revenue directly from Google Ads as your data source, for example, can often lead to discrepancies and miscommunications. This is also true for conversions. But when you use Google Sheets to calculate Return on Advertising Spend (ROAS) with Google Analytics, this can be a reliable data source for revenue.
Keep in mind, it’s important to utilize a single source (Google Analytics) when measuring revenue and conversion data.
Here at Zero Gravity Marketing (ZGM), we recommend setting a goal for Google Ads (and for all of your advertising channels) by which you can measure your results against month by month. With the formulas that are available for Google Sheets, you can also project your revenue or number of conversions for the month. When you incorporate this data into your custom marketing dashboard, you’ll easily be able to track the performance of your campaigns over time.
Sure, it may be simple enough to measure certain markers, but you need to know what your goal is before you head into the game. Are you more interested in keyword rankings or learning which posts are driving traffic? Have you considered figuring out how your customers are finding you and where they’re coming from?
Metrics are important from every standpoint in marketing, and the same is true for your reporting dashboard. Once you know what you’re trying to achieve, it’ll be a lot easier to set up a custom marketing dashboard that tracks those results.
When you’re building out your dashboard, it’s important to show all sources of traffic and total conversions or revenue for the month, rather than relying solely on Google Ads metrics by themselves. Often times, prospecting and remarketing display campaigns are driving the brand awareness that’s improving the results across all channels.
At Zero Gravity Marketing, we believe in reporting everything for transparency purposes. This idea is foundational to our business. We believe our clients’ dashboards need to remain clear and easy to understand. We recommend customizing your dashboard based on your unique preferences and needs, and our team is here to guide you through that process.
Are you struggling to find your way through this data-driven marketing world? Let Zero Gravity Marketing lead the charge! Thanks to our team of internet marketing experts who do this for a living, you can rest assured that your campaigns will take on new life in no time. Reach out to us to learn more!