Dashboards Should Drive Decisions
Most marketing dashboards are data graveyards — packed with numbers nobody looks at. An effective dashboard surfaces the metrics that matter, highlights what needs attention, and helps you make better decisions faster.
Essential Metrics by Channel
Overall Business Metrics
Revenue from marketing, total leads generated, cost per lead, cost per acquisition, and marketing ROI. These are the metrics your CEO or CFO cares about.
Website Performance
Total sessions, organic traffic trend, conversion rate, top landing pages, and bounce rate. Focus on trends over time, not individual data points.
Paid Advertising
Ad spend, conversions, cost per conversion, ROAS, and impression share. Break down by campaign for actionable insights.
SEO
Organic traffic, keyword rankings for priority terms, backlinks acquired, and organic conversion rate.
Dashboard Design Principles
- One page per audience (executive summary, channel detail, campaign detail)
- Use visual indicators (green/yellow/red) for goal tracking
- Include period-over-period comparisons
- Automate data collection with tools like Google Looker Studio, Databox, or AgencyAnalytics
- Review and update dashboard structure quarterly
